Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating

This has been a very weird few days...

I've been reading all the posts about how everyone's babies around this age have been eating a full jar of Stage 2 food, sometimes more, along with the cereal. That totally boggles my mind, because DD gets solids in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, I give her 1 tbsp. of oatmeal and 1/2 jar of fruit. That seems like so little, but half the time she doesn't even finish THAT!

She just seems so interested in EVERYTHING ELSE around her, you know? She'll find any excuse to look at anything else...this is whether she's getting solids, a bottle, or nursing (and it's one of the reasons I've been weaning, because she doesn't maintain focus very well while nursing anymore).

Last night, she barely nursed before bed, even though she was due for a full feeding. She kept waking up around 11:00, and I realized that she was probably hungry. She nursed REALLY well (she usually does when she's very tired) and slept until 7 this morning.

I have no idea what I should be doing to get her to eat more. She definitely seems interested in "real" food, and we've been starting to give her little pieces of fruit between meals.

Should I try to start giving her pastina and maybe some meat before bed?

ETA: DD is 7 1/2 months.

Message edited 7/31/2009 9:57:31 AM.

Re: Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating

I wish I could help (my DS loves eating). I'm trying some meats this weekend with DS at night. He's now on 3 meals a day, but still can't get enough formula (although his not gaining as much as he used to).

Re: Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating

I'm not sure Beth. Some kids just aren't big eaters.
SOmetimes Jonah gets distracted when he is eating solids too, so I give him a break to stare outside or whatever and then he'll turn his head back and eat some more.
Maybe try something different for a little variety. Does she eat veggies? What about yogurt? Have you tried mixing the fruit in with the oatmeal?

Re: Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating

Welcome to my world....lol

My DS is the same age and HATES eating! He will also puke when he doesn't want/like something.

He has bad reflux and actually had an upper GI and an endoscopy and everything keeps coming back normal. I just think he isn't a big eater.

A few weeks ago I could barely get him to eat 12 ozs. of formula and a jar of food and some cereal.

His current feeding schedule looks like this...

8:00 5/6oz. bottle
9:30 2/3 tbs. oatmeal (with 2.5 oz. formula) and jar of fruit
12:00 2/3 tbs. rice (with 2.5 oz. formula) and jar of vegetable, puffs
3:00 6 oz. bottle
5:00 2/3 tbs. rice (with 2.5 oz. formula)and 1/2 jar meat
6:30 puffs, water (while we are eating dinner)
8:00 5/6 oz. bottle

This is a vast improvement from a few weeks ago. Maybe play around with her schedule of eating. I found this worked for us. Good luck!

Re: Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating

Thanks everybody

The weird thing is that she gets excited about eating! Whenever she sees me heating up a bottle, or sees me bringing over her solids, her hands and feet start going and she's all smiles! She always starts out well, but she fades fast. This is pretty recent, within the past 2 weeks or so.

Lauren, I always mix some of the fruit/veggie in with the cereal, so that the taste of the fruit or veggie by itself isn't so shocking. So I'm not sure what's going on.

If I could, I'd put her straight on the same food that we're eating...she seems SO interested in what we have.

Re: Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating

It could also be teething, my DS always ate less when he was teething -guess his mouth was just sensetive.

Re: Help...DD doesn't seem very interested in eating