he wont eat, his appetite changed. he's teething! help!

Joanna Lyzette - posted on 08/25/2009

thank you all for your comments and suggestions. i'll try to apply them and thank you all for sharing similar situations . i know how challenging it is. Good luck to all of you!

Joanna Lyzette - posted on 08/25/2009

Its really frustrating to see him not eating much like before isn't it. he even demands for them before. now, he only sustains on breast milk. i just hope this will pass soon. i miss his appetite

Kelli - posted on 08/25/2009

This is exactly my problem too. It started when he was 7 months also. He is 11 months now and all he eats is formula and crackers. I'm suppose to take him off formula in a month but how if he doesn't eat anything?? I feel your pain. I just offer him food everyday and pray that someday he will start eating again. As soon as he sees the spoon he closes his mouth really tight and he hates anything that is mushy or anything that doesn't feel like a cracker.

Susan - posted on 08/25/2009

Don't worry toddlers can survive on a pint of milk a day. The frozen fruit is a good idea.

If it gets really bad use ambesol and rub it on his gums. In a pinch you can also use some whiskey and put a drop on your finger and rub that on them too. He will probably gets fussy as the teeth get close to breaking thru and might not sleep at night. My daughter even developed a fever the day before they came thru...good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 08/25/2009

My son was a super chunky baby too and his appetite has often changed over the 2.5 years of his life. He started thinning out by the time he was one and really thinned out once he was walking. As long as your son isn't becoming dehydrated there is no reason to worry. What he is going through is normal. It's uncomfortable for them to eat when their gums are swollen and they don't eat as much when they aren't growing. Keep giving him his formula/milk and offer him cold, soft foods to eat. My son liked gnawing on a frozen banana when he was teething. I also fed him soft baby foods and understood that his gums were too sore to mash solids. As children get older their growth starts to slow down and that includes their weight gain. You'll know he is going through another growth spurt when his appetite picks up. His appetite should also pick up again when he's done teething. Hang in there.

September - posted on 08/25/2009

I had the same problem recently with my 10 month old son. However he would still eat his solids. So I was a little less worried. I did talk to my Doc about his decrease in his milk intake but she was not concerned. I think that it's totally normal for a baby to not want to suck when they are teething. I would not worry so much. Some things that you could try is putting ice cubes in those net things that you can buy (my son loves them!) You can get them at Target. You could also put fruits in them that are high in water like watermelon or melons in general, grapes, peaches, mangos. My son really enjoyed all of these things in the net feeder. He also enjoyed chewing on a wash cloth that was damp. He would suck the water out of it. These are a few good ways to keep your baby hydrated. I hope that these ideas are helpful. Try not to worry too much :) Good luck!

Katarina - posted on 08/25/2009

My son went through this as well(he's 4 months old). I was super worried and drove my way over to our Dr. He told me that it was just because he was teething. Sometimes it hurts their gums to eat. Give him time, he'll come around. If he's really hungry,he'll eat. Remember, they don't eat because they're bored.

Leslie - posted on 08/25/2009

He is only 7 months. Before a year old, any solids besides milk is strictly for practice anyway. just make sure he is getting his formula and he will be fine. Get him some Hyland teething tablets too. This will help.