My 8 moths baby refuses to eat solids and also bottles. He used to be a great eater! He ate everything I prepared for him! He was no cereal fan, but he enjoyed fruits, vegetables, meat and of course he loved to drink his bottles of milk.
Now he eats very very little and only with lots of games and toys ... I prepared his favorite food but he only takes 3-4 bites and than he is bored, he wants to play while I try to feed him.
My biggest concern is with bottles. He refuses to drink!! He takes one or two zips and then he rolls on his belly and starts to play. If I try to turn him on his back to eat he starts crying and screaming. He does this every time I give him his bottle. What should I do? Should I insist with the bottles or not? Is this only another phase? Thank you a lot!
Mine did the same thing...PATIENCE!. Now when I feed my son I put on his favorite tv show. That works. Then with the bottle I feed him until he stops, then I let him play and feed him some more, and so on until he finishes all or most of the bottle. Annoying I know but it will get better.
Have his pediatrician check him out and ask for advice while there. My daughter was the same way, and her ped said even though she was eating like a bird, a spoonful or less of food at a meal, to back off, and not worry or force, the same with her nursing and bottles while I was at work. Even that young he said that her body would tell her when to eat, and as long as she was healthy and able to do her normal activity she was fine.
sounds like it could be teething, or ear infection or some sort of sickness. is he cranky?
3-4 bites sounds normal for my kids, they eat like birds and somehow they survive!!! when he's really hungry, he will eat.
try a sippy cup, or a regular cup. maybe the bottle is just too much work.
My dd is 8 mo as well. One thing that she loves is being in control of what goes into her mouth. Will he take a sippy cup? Could you do milk in a sippy so he can do it himself? What about bigger (safe) food items that he could hold onto and nibble-fruit in a mesh feeder, waffles, crackers, rice cakes, etc? Good luck!
I would stop all food except formula or breastmilk. He needs the nutrition instead of the practicing of chewing and swallowing that food is supposed to be at this age. The food had MUCH MUCH less nutrition that the formula or breastmilk. He needs to get hungry and want to drink the nutrition. He may be constipated too. That makes everyone stop eating when it gets so bad. He may even have feces in his diaper and still have a blockage. I'd make sure the doc knows what is going on.
Check out the book "How to get your child to eat, (but not too much)". Lots of good info there.
Stay out of power struggles over food. Watch him. Is he alert, cheerful, and active? Is he peeing and pooping? Does he look and behave like a healthy child?
If the answer to all of these is "yes", then don't worry. There are times I could swear my child photosynthesized, because she could not possibly be running her body on what she was eating. But she did! Kids go through various stages in food.
If your child appears listless and unhappy, or is not peeing and pooping, get him to a doctor ASAP.
