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Emma is on strike. Food strike. Milk strike. I am soooo serious. I am about to lose my everlovin' mind here!
Remember when I told you she wouldn't eat or try any solids? Yeah, that is still going on too.
Except now, she has added bottle feeding to the mix and her baby food as well. And she still won't touch a solid with a ten foot pole.
She is taking around 18 ounces per day, sometimes less. To give you an idea of the strike reaches, she was taking about 30-32 ounces per day. She is also getting really tricky to feed baby food. She will normally take her yogurt in the mornings without a problem, but lunch and dinner are more tricky. I have to like fake her out and trick her, then she will normally get into a pattern, but it's like a FIGHT to get her to finish.
And, I hate doing that. I feel like it is making food a negative thing for her. I don't want her to associate eating with bad feelings.
I am also worried sick that she is not getting enough nutrition. The doctor said she should be taking 20-24 ounces of milk per day, but you cannot force the milk down her. Trust me, I've tried!
So, I need some help off this ledge. Cause y'all, I am about to jump. For realz. Tell me you've been there, and tell me what I can do about it to make sure my girl isn't about to expire from lack of milk/food!
Thanks ladies! And the one or two gents that read this here blog!
Dang Emmaline Edwards, already stressin' your mama out and you're not even a teenager, we need to chill out, there's plenty of time to be a teenager just yet!!
ReplyDeleteGirlfriend sounds like she wants to be in control. If you don't try and feed her, does she get super-hungry and cry for food? That'd be good if she did. Try doing that? Or get sister in to the doctors for a physical to rule out any physical problems, that'd probably be my first recommendation, honestly.
Let me know what happens, this is worrisome, but don't jump, just give me a call if you need to vent! XOXO
That happened to me just a few weeks ago with my 18 month old. He wouldn't eat...but he has been like that off and on since he was about 5 months old. In fact he only weighed 13 lbs 6 ounces when he was 6 months and then the exact same when he was 7 months. The kid wouldn't eat anything. All I can say is that he is eating great now. Also, he seems to get constipated really easy and that seems to be when he stops eating as much. Is she using the bathroom normally? Maybe her stomach hurts? Or maybe she is just going through a phase? I know how frustrating it is though...trust me I had to leave him in his highchair and go to the other room for a while more than twice. Unfortunately, unless she is losing weight I am not sure your doc will do much about it other than saying that it is normal for them to go through phases like this...who knows...you might try asking the doc though.
ReplyDeleteSorry for my rambles but please know that you are not alone!!! Good luck and I hope she eats good today!!!
Lucy has done the same thing. I freak out and wonder why the heck I can't get her to eat. The doctor always tells me to give her something you know she likes and if you doesn't eat it, she is not hungery. Easier said than done when she eats A green bean for dinner. Doc always says it is normal and they go through phases. I just don't force her and go by what she told me. Stress, I know. Luckily it is probably a phase.
ReplyDeleteI hope Miss Emma gets her act together and quits stressing you out. I thought that didn't happen until they were teenagers.
Hang in there. My kids have all pulled stuff like that. Usually they are either teething, sick, or it will last a few days. Sometimes they inhale food and I think they have hollow legs, and then a few days later they just pick all day long. Take a deep breath. Sweet little Emma will drink and eat when she wants it. (I'm not saying ignore this if she's going days on end without...as long as she's having wet diapers, I wouldn't sweat a day or two of this...but maybe you're saying this has been going on endlessly for days?) Hang in there. You're doing great!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a mommy so I can't give you any REAL advice... Just wanted to say I'm sorry you're going through this. It sounds scary and frustrating. My vote would be to get the doctor involved. That might allay your fears a bit.
ReplyDeleteHang in there!
I know this is soooo tough! We went through the exact same thing with Rutledge starting at 9 months.
ReplyDeleteThe best advice our Doc gave us was this...your babe is flexing a new found skill and its called...independence and free will. Also, their stomachs are only as big as their fist. She is broaching toddler territory and its perfectly normal to have several days of not so great eating and then a couple of days where you can't feed her enough. She is learning about intuition. She is taking in food when she is hungry and that's normal.
The Doc also said that its super duper important to keep offering a well balanced meal. It doesn't matter if she just picks at it...or just eats one of the food groups. She may turn down some foods for MONTHS but then one day, she will pick it up.
I can't tell you how many times I served my child green beans, and he loved them. Then, at 18 months, something clicked in his head and he didn't pick them up anymore. He hasn't picked up a green bean since. But, I keep putting them on his plate whenever I cook green beans. Because, we as a family, eat green beans, and I know that one day, he will too.
The main thing is, don't turn her into a picky eater by only serving her the foods you know she will eat. Also, she will eat when she is hungry. It took a good 6 months for me to chill out when it came to this subject...you will get the chill.
Sorry, girlie...I know how you feel. I'm going to second what everyone else said. I was very concerned when Bug pulled these stunts around Emma's age particularly because she's so small to begin with, but what the Dr told me (and what I've come to see for myself) is exactly what everyone's saying: They go through stages. She'll eat when she's hungry and when she's not, don't stress. My Dr said there can be times when it looks like she's barely eaten anything at all. I will say that I couldn't get Bug to eat any baby food at that age if I bribed her. She much preferred food that was chopped up small and she could eat with her fingers for herself (lots of fruits, veggies & cheese mainly). She wasn't about to be fed ANYTHING on a spoon. If it makes you feel any better, she pretty much eats anything now--so don't let it stress you out (even though it still will cuz people told me the same thing and I still was worried). Especially with her walking and whatnot now, she IS a toddler so her eating habits are going to change. Just make sure she's still having a pee diaper every several hours (don't worry about the oz---each baby is different) since that's the easy way to make sure she's getting her liquids and just keep an eye out for any other strange behaviors. One time when Bug had an eating strike, she was also acting irritable, etc and come to find out she had tonsillitis and roseola. That was only ONE of her strikes, all the rest of them she was completely normal. You know your little Ems...just keep your mama radar on and everything will be fine.
ReplyDeleteYou have a fabulous blog. Your daughter is SO super cute! I have a daughter that was born August 6th and is doing the SAME thing. She started three weeks ago and is driving me c-r-a-z-y. She went from loving anything and everything to shaking her head and fighting me in her highchair. If she thinks I’m not watching she might take a bite or two then not like it the next day. Go figure! Everyone’s been telling me when she's hungry enough she'll come around. Still no luck here. :(
ReplyDeleteSus,
ReplyDeleteMA is the same way sometimes. It gets tricky at that age... MA wouldn't feed herself finger foods FOREVER, then when she started feeding herself I couldn't give her anything on a spoon. My pediatrician told me she will eat when she is hungry and some days it will seem like she lives on air and sunshine, but she won't starve herself. I know its stressful, but she will surprise you!