My 19 mos. old daughter will still not eat table food. Help!

Claire - posted on 02/16/2009

hi i have a 3 yr old dnt worry i'm in same boat as u, but he does eat fruit as i eat it in front of him, but have u tried mashing potato wiv veg that cud work, just praise ur child and ur child shud eat it i hope it works for u xx

Kristi - posted on 02/16/2009

Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories and your advice.   I have tried to cut up fruits/veggies and macaroni, but she will not eat it...she only plays with it and then throws it on the floor.  I have watched her when she eats crackers and bread and she doesn't seem to understand how to use her teeth.  She has almost all of her teeth except for 2 sets of molars.  I have tried to demonstrate how to chew, but she still just moves the food around in her mouth.  When I have snuck in lumpy food between spoonfuls of stage 2 food, she gags, sometimes to the point of throwing up.  I am very thankful that she is still drinking the breastmilk and at least eating stage 2 foods, but it is very frustrating.  All of my friends children who are around her age are all eating finger foods and some are even eating full meals.  She walked early, talked early and has hit every other milestone early except for this.  She saw an OT back in November, but they agreed she is doing fine and it is not a developmental problem.  I want to wean her from the breastmilk by 2, but I want to make sure she gets enough nutrients.  She hates cows milk...I've even tried flavored and she won't drink it.  She only drinks water, juice and breastmilk.

Yejide - posted on 02/16/2009

Quoting Kristi:

My 19 mos. old daughter will still not eat table food. Help!

My daughter is almost 19 mos. old and will only eat stage 2 baby foods. She gags and spits out stage 3 or anything that has texture. She will eat crackers, gerber puffs and bread, but no other table foods. We have offered several different things, pasta, fresh soft fruits & veggies, cheese, and she will not eat any of it. I am still giving her approx. 24 oz. of breastmilk per day and plan to wean her by age 2. I have been told by several breastfeeding Moms that this is normal. However, the Dr says she has texture aversion and will get over it when she is ready. Has anyone had this problem with their child? Thanks!

my son is 16months but has not been taking anything except fluids, i stopped breastfeeding months back becuase i was told he will eat but he didnt. i was told he will eat only when he is ready

Rolé - posted on 02/16/2009

My son is 18 months. He will eat whatever we eat, but I still have to cut it up into very small pieces. Otherwise he won't eat it. He does eat bananas like crazy (without mashing or cutting them). I figure he'll eventually get around to eating bigger pieces of food. If you're daughter is eating vegetables, fruits and meats (even if it is really small pieces or even mashed) then be happy, at least she's getting the nutrients she needs. My oldest is 4 now and is extremely fussy. So, her brother, with all his only eating mushy foods, is still eating better than she is.

Emma - posted on 02/16/2009

I have this problem but my son is 14 months and his food has to be smooth (no lumps at all) He eats rusks and has tried some veg all mashed up. But he only eats a spoon full and then gags and throws up. Any advice here would be welcome.

Jennifer - posted on 02/15/2009

Dont worry your not alone! My son wont eat past stage 2 baby foods either and he's 24 months.

Nichole - posted on 02/15/2009

My son is 18 months old and has the same issues your daughter has.  I just keep trying and trying with new foods.  He has about 6 different lunch/dinner things he will eat.  It is really hard and you feel like they aren't getting enough to eat but like everyone tells me, they will eat when they are hungry.  Just keep trying is the only advice that I have.  I do try to sneek things in here and there and I think that has helped him to start eating new foods.  He will not eat any baby food anymore, unlike your daughter.  He will eat the Yogurt Puffs and some of the dried fruit bites, but otherwise I just give him table food.  Eventually she will get there!  I promise.  I have to tell myself the same thing :)

Katrina - posted on 02/15/2009

My daughter is having the same problem. My doctor said since she is eating the stage 2 food (but not meat she will not touch meat) and getting milk in a bottle she will be fine and start eating other stuff when she is ready. So we keep offering her other stuff in hope that one day she will eat it. Today I was so excited I almost cried she ate a piece of pear (I had to give her a fairly large piece that she could hold and bite herself she will not take little cut up pieces) and she took a couple of bites off of the banana that her dad was eating.

Audrey - posted on 02/15/2009

My son is 17 months old and I had quite a few problems with him eating finger foods, especially vegetables. His main problem was that he got his first teeth just after his first birthday so he couldn't chew foods properly. Until recently i used to mashed his vegetables. I used to mix them with a baby meat jar so the consistency wasn't very thick. He also liked to eat the very small pasta shapes with cheese or with a meat jar. lately he started to eat small pieces of veg. Hopes this helps.

Deborah - posted on 02/15/2009

My son is approaching his 2nd birthday next month and has this very same issue, except, he'll no longer eat stage 2 foods and he's on cow's milk. His dr. said the same thing about it being a texture issue and that he'll try things when he's ready. The dr. also recommended adding PediSure to his milk and giving him a daily vitamin so that he's getting some consistent nutrients. It is so frustrating though!!

Penny - posted on 02/15/2009

When she is eating finger food, have you tried sneaking small amounts of other food in around the edge with a spoon? That's how I got mine used to eating lumpy foods. She gagged on it to start with several times, but soon learned how to chew properly. Mine is only 7 months though so I wouldnt say I'm an expert. I just didnt want to not reply at all.