Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Ugh! I Hate Picky Eaters

So, Nicole has recently decided that she doesn't like eating. Of course, she does this while I've got her down to nursing only twice a day. Maybe she is on to my scheme.

Nicole used to eat baby food quite well. It would take some coercion at times (airplane distractions), but she usually ate it. She even went back to eating it after the stomach flu. But, last week she decided that she didn't want to eat baby food anymore. She wanted what we were eating. She is still toothless and can't always eat what we are eating. Not to mention that some foods are just not baby appropriate (meats and citrises).

So, I tried to make baby friendly meals. But, the last few days, she has even been rejecting what we are eating. She also does not want her chocolate soy milk anymore. She fights me on eating it.

All she wants to do is nurse. But, then when she is nursing, all she wants to do is pull my hair, scratch and pinch me.

It is so FRUSTRATING!

Today as I tried three different things to feed her she threw goldfish on the floor, refused to open her mouth for noodles, and gagged and threw up the carrots that I put in her mouth. She literally put her fingers in her mouth to get the carrots out and gagged. Ugh!

I just don't know what to do. I can't continue to nurse, she is too big and it is just to frustrating and painful for me, but she is refusing other foods. Do I just keep trying new things? Do I let her go hungry until she is so hungry that she will eat what I am offering? I'm at a loss.

10 comments:

Jenni Elyse said...

I wish I could give you some advice, but I don't know what to say. Maybe, Erin has some ideas since she's just as picky. ;)

Sarah said...

Starve her. She'll learn. Mwahahahah!

Lauren said...

That must be frustrating. Sometimes I wish my Zoey would eat less. Lately, all she wants to do all day long every day is eat. I wish you luck!

Marie said...

If she's hungry enough, she will eat what is presented to her. She won't starve to death. She knows that if she is subborn enough, you'll give in, so you have to out-manipulate the master-manipulator...which is what kids are.

Jasmine said...

I don't have experience with picky eaters, but from what I've heard other people say, it takes several tries of something before a kid decides if they "like it" or not. So maybe keep trying to get her to eat it and eventually she will?

In the information sheet I got from Alexis' pediatrician on Monday, I saw the reminder that kids will eat when they're hungry and stop when they're not--don't force eating. I went through several phases with Alexis (and still do) where she just did not want to eat. She's still alive, so I guess there's some merit to that.

Do you think she maybe is hitting an independent stage and wants to feed herself rather than take food from you?

Lisa D said...

I'm in favor of waiting till she's so hungry she'll eat what you give her. The self-preservation instinct will kick in and she'll be okay. Also, soy milk is tasty but it has a lot of estrogen in it; is that good for a baby to consume?

Becky said...

I've never heard of that estrogen thing in the soy milk before. That is weird, why would they put that in there? I just assumed that kids that couldn't drink milk drank soy milk. Maybe there is something else she should be drinking?

Laura said...

They don't put estrogen into soy. It's in their naturally. She'll be fine. Now that you've found out that her first tooth broke through, you know the reason for her finickiness. She will probably start eating better as those teeth come in. She won't starve. You are a good mommy.

AnneMarie said...

Your mom is right yet again. It's because her tooth just came in. Also, sometimes babies and toddlers just don't eat and it can last for days, even up to a week or two. When Ross was little he did this all the time and I would spend all this money buying Pediasure and whatever else just to make sure he was getting enough of what his little body needed, then the pediatrician told me to not worry about it. He said that as long as their weight is healthy it is not a worry they just go through different stages where eating and sometimes sleeping are not top priority. When she gets hungry she'll eat again. Good luck!

Erin said...

Picky eaters rule!