My Baby Won’t Eat Anymore

by: Arlene

My son is also 10 months, but he has been doing this for a month. He will try something, like it for a few days or a few bites and is done with it. Then he compensates with extra nursing. The only thing he will really eat is cheerios and bananas, but bananas stopped today. Any suggestions, because I am at the end of my rope. He is constantly fussy. Teething for a month???

by: Baby Help Line – Paula

Hi Arlene,

I know it is hard, but try not to worry. Babies are experts at noticing their moms’ anxiety, and that alone can contribute to the refusal. It is more common than you might think that babies this “old” are fussy about eating. Try not to make it a power struggle. Offer small pieces of finger foods, maybe even put them out of reach to make them more interesting. Let your baby taste your food as long as it isn’t harmful (containing honey, for example). try different berries, pees, rice, small pieces of potato…

But never ever, try to force your baby. That will only make it take longer. Even offer finger foods while playing. Why not feed the doll together? Or let your baby feed you! try to make it fun rather than frustrating.

Well, those were a few ideas,

Paula

by: alina

Hey my son is doing the same thing he will be 9months on the 24th he seems to only do it with his baby food haha right when he see me go for his spoons he crys like knows crazy huh guess they will grow out of it he still such a chunky monkey I just get mad sometime cus I think he not eating enough but his weight is always right on track thank GOD!!!

by: Anonymous

My son is almost 11 months old and is refusing all baby food except sometimes baby cereal. I don’t want him to eat this all the time b/c he might get constipated. I know he’s teething but jeesh how long does this take. I get upset when he doesn’t eat. He hasn’t yet learned how to gum his food so we have trouble introducing table food. He only has his 2 bottom teeth. Any suggestions?????

by: Anonymous

Hi! My little guy is 6.5 months old and he was eating 3 meals a day very well. He got an infection in his leg and had to take anitbiotics for 10 days. He stopped eating when he got the infection and even though he stopped the antibiotics 2 days ago he still refuses to eat his food! He will only take the bottle. Any suggestions/ideas?

by: Anonymous

My son is 9 and half months old he has been eating baby food like crazy sense he is 7 months old and loved it. All of a sudden about 3 weeks ago he won’t eat anything only baby cereal, it is stressing me out a little because he was such a good eater and now I feel like he is not getting enough to eat. I hope it’s because he is getting two more teeth he has 6 already. I guess I shouldn’t worry to much he weights 25lbs so maybe I should just relax. It’s just that all mommies love to see their little ones eat.

by: Anonymous

My son is 5 and a half months old and two weeks ago he started eating three meals a day then he started cutting his top four teeth. now he wont eat anything and hes been compensating with extra bottle feedings of breastmilk. i know that my anxiety about him learning to sit up and eat like a big boy has been affecting him but should i just feed him as much milk as he wants and just stop the food for a while?! And for how long?! he should start eating solid foods when he turns 6 months his dr says feed him as much as he will eat but its been slim to none:( i just want him to be eating enough food and him not to be more fussy on top of the teething fussiness, because hes hungry. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions to keep my baby interested in baby food?

by: Anonymous

Hi all,
I know this comment comes a while after all the others, but I am wracking my brain and have been all over the internet.
Eating has always been up and down for my 9 mo old son (preemie, reflux, etc), but about 2 months ago, we hit a stride and he was doing great. Never really took to solids, but was eating 28-30oz of formula a day. His weight was still not doing great, though, so we added duocal, which worked well for a while – he didn’t seem to notice at all.
About 2 weeks ago – literally overnight, he stopped eating. We’re lucky to get 10oz a day in him, and are forcing solids and fluides to do the best we can to keep him hydrated and get as many calories on board as we can. He’s a little guy – can’t really afford to lose weight. HE has no problem going 14-16 hours with no food (last night he took his last few oz at 4, didn’t want a bedtime bottle and slept peacefully until 6am), and is totally happy/content.
I don’t know what to do. He is a little congested, and we are suctioning him with the NoseFrieda before feedings, but it isn’t that bad. No fever, no teeth.
ANY ideas??? I am so worried.
We have seen feeding therapists, our ped says he’s fine (but should eat more – of course), we have an ENT and GE appt this week, but I really don’t think there is a problem there, as he is pooping and happy otherwise.
Sorry for the ramble…
Has anyone had a similar experience?

by: JH

Reply to June 10th post: I have no ideas but wanted to let you know you are not alone. We have struggled with eating problems with our son since he was 4-5 months old. He is currently 18.5 lbs and 28-29 inches long. He was 9 lb 10 oz when born. His percentile has dropped with the last 3 appointments. He has reflux but no other known issues. His formula intake has gone up and down since he was about 4 months old when he hit his appetite high with an intake of 30-35 oz which only lasted for a couple weeks. Then back down to low 20’s, mid 20’s if we are lucky. Some days as low as 17-18 oz. His intake has not increased since he was 4 months old. At the height of his appetite he also ate a few solids with interest. Now I have to try and try and try again to gain his interest with very little success. He recently became more fussy at the bottle and would cry when he saw it coming. He doesn’t even wake up hungry. The doctor increased his prilosec (for reflux) dose which helped a little. He will actually take his bottle without fussing or multiple tries at least 60% of the time but he typically doesn’t drink more than 3-4 oz at a time. We too try not to force him to eat but at the same time have to make sure he is hydrated and nourished enough that he is not going to suffer developmentally. This situation is so stressful. It is counter-intuitive to watch a growing baby fuss at the sight of a bottle or food and just accept it. We literally jump up and down when he hits the high 20’s in a day. Please post to let me know if you find a solution and we will do the same.

by: D&V

We are having the same problems with our son. He is 6 months old. He was eating 6 – 7 oz at a time and one night he just stopped eating. He eats 2 oz and then the pushes the bottle out of his mouth and totally refuses to eat anymore. It started about a month ago and still no changes. He is very happy and energetic but he is not eating. He started to lose weight and we are really scared. Our pediatrician said he is fine (but he has to eats more).
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciate it.

by: Anonymous

I am in the same boat as all of you. My daughter has always been a finicky eater. She was solely breastfed for the first 3 months, then I switched to formula because I thought, she would gain more weight. She did very well for a while. I started solids at 6 months and she started out pretty good, she got better with time and then all of a sudden about a month ago, she started eating only eat a few bites, if Im lucky, of her solids. She likes to eat some things from our plates but, she doesn’t have any teeth as of yet. Honestly, though I know better, I started putting food in her bottle, because I felt bad, that she wasn’t eating. She took to that for a long time and now she will have nothing to do with it unless she is really hungry. I know she can go 7-8 hours without food because she has done it before. Just not sure what exactly to do. She is so happy and seems to be really healthy. I have talked to the doctor. She said if at her 9 month appointment, there is a significant drop, in her weight and she is still not eating well, we will do something then. Glad to see that I am not alone in this. My son wasn’t a good eater either but, he never did this. If you have any suggestions, they would be welcomed. :-)

by: david

I have a baby who is 8 months and two weeks. He is refusing almost all his meals,, its like his appetite is nil. Started out with a fever, that has gone but the appetite is gone as well. He is grabbing my glass when I am drinking and when i give him a spoon he grabs it. I am worried, four days now and appetite still missing (VERY UNUSUAL).

by: Anonymous

My 8 1/2 month old is doing the same thing. I chalked it up to teething, but really how long can they go without eating. Everyone tells me that he will eat when he are hungry. But I am beginning to wonder.
He will scream every time I try to give him a bottle or solid food. He has always been at a healthy weight, but I am beginning to worry. It is stressful and frustrating. Hope it is just teething!! Anyone else have advice???

by: david.

My baby (9months) is eating once more. the strange thing is, he like his formula cold instead of warm. He also does not like his formula like he use to; he prefers crush and chunk food. Well he has almost nine teeth. I find out that he throws away his bottle for a glass i am drinking from. I was worried as he stopped eating (only juice he would have) but he is back. He was teething I guess or just felt like changing diet but if this feature lingers for more than a week;; i say PAEDIATRICIAN!!

by: Anonymous

My daughter is 6mth old and all of a sudden wouldn’t eat. She will take 2-3oz and then cry. She will take her solids but that’s it. She has always been such a good eater. She went from taking 28-30oz a day to 17-20. It turned out she had a UTI. But, after her antibotics she still is not eating any better. Her urine was retested and they said infection is gone. My doctor said that as long as she is gaining weight she is fine. If in a couple of weeks she is still eating badly the doc is going to see if she has a stomach issue. She is completely happy & fine the only thing that is wrong is her not eating. Has anyone who was having a problem found a solution?

by: jasmine

hello,

i have a 9 month old son who will not drink a bottle any more and sometimes will not eat any food either,he has always been a good eater he went from eating 5 9oz bottles, 2 jars of baby food and a cup of baby cereal as well as finger foods a day. now he only eats one bottle if im lucky and sometimes will eat his baby food and cereal, we are very worried so if anyone has some advice it would be really appreciated.

by: Anonymous

Hi All, I hear you I experienced the same thing with my first son.
I did learn by the time the second child came along. With my first I was apprehensive to introduce new foods. I let him have his formula and some baby food and a few finger foods I thought might be good for him. Then I tried him on banana baby food and the sweeter stuff. Well forget it no more veggies and meat for him. He didn’t want to eat anything else.
With the second one I didn’t give him sweets until he reached about 12 months and I gave him everything we ate (cut very small) for him to sample. What a difference. The second one eats everything but my eldest son who is now 25 years old just tried Caesar salad about 5 years ago.
He’s a very fussy eater. The youngest eats anything and everything. My advice to you all. Take them to the Doctor and if he says they’re ok then they’re fine. Trust me my boys, though one always had an appetite and the other didn’t were not big children, they were slim. As adults they are healthy and broad boys who could even stand to loose a few pounds. I think the absence of appetite has to do with teething and being to busy exploring. They eat what they need to eat to keep them alive. Most will change those habits and just start eating one day. Just make sure you keep a watchful eye out and see your doctor regularly. Grandma Jo.

Just like to say after reading all these posts and hundreds more on lots of other forums it is evident that as concerned parents we just want the best for our LOs and its natural to think something is wrong when your baby won’t eat

I have a 9 mo boy who is also going through the same situation as all of you so I won’t bother repeating what has already been stated bu others but I will say we have seen varied GPs and peds all of whom reffered us off to Gatrologists, neuroligists, dieticians, feeding therapits, child chiro & counsellors. All of whom stated the bleeding obvious that he needs to eat but won’t, after countless visits and many varied strategies presented we still have no real answers.

Tests were done by some of the best medical professionals on offer and the end result was there is absolutely nothing wrong with him other than he has picked up an aversion to food along the way and needs to re learn how to enjoy eating in a relaxed and fun manner. So that is what we are trying to do, there is no silver bullet or a one stop strategy, just a lot of work from our part.

Hope this makes some of you feel a bit relieved but please don’t take this as any sort of advice as every baby is different and I am just relying my experience.

by: Nicole

Hello.
Thank you for your comments. Here are some things that worked with my 3 month old when he refused and got sad suddenly every time I tried to nurse or feed him a bottle.

First–Make sure your breasts are clean-DO NOT USE SOAP, babies can taste soap so it is best to just use warm water to clean yourself-If you were using soap, this may be cause for your baby fussing when trying to nurse.

So what I did that helped get my baby through his eating strike was I had my husband give him a warm bath while I bathed just with warm water and made sure I didn’t have any perfume residue. Then I turned out the lights and after he was finished with his bath I put lotion on him, and only a diaper. Then tried again nursing him skin to skin in the dark. IT WORKED.

Best of luck to all of you. This can be so scary as a mother when you try and do all you can for your little one.

Best wishes,
Nicole

by: Angie

Hi, it’s been about a month since my 10 month old decided he doesn’t like formula. I am worried since babies are supposed to have a minumum of 16 oz of calcium in a day. He will eat solids, but only twice a day and then won’t eat anyhting else. Should I be worried?

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Angie,

So your 10 month old has decided that he is a big boy… Not that uncommon, actually. Quite a few babies start rejecting the breast or bottle once they start enjoying solid foods. It is a natural development.

However, you say he only eats twice per day. Is that in total, all snacks included? In such case I would say it is a bit too little. Babies at his age are usually active and also develop quickly. Both their brain and body need plenty of healthy foods often.

Most feeding schedules will suggest that your baby should eat around 6 times per day, of which 3 meals are bigger than the other three. You’ll find a baby feeding schedule here.

How come your baby is only eating twice per day? If he is too busy exploring the world, try to offer him snacks on the go. A piece of banana, for example, is a great snack, and high in calcium too.

Regarding the calcium, unless your family has a tradition of milk allergy, your boy is old enough to eat full fat, plain yogurt. Do not sweeten with honey, though, since it can be very dangerous for babies younger than 1 year old. (Read more about baby foods to avoid here. Try mixing with fruit puree instead. (And do not buy yogurt that contains sugar.)

Mild, pasteurized cheese is another healthy source of calcium, that also makes a great finger food.

I hope this gives you a few ideas. To conclude, formula and breast milk are great, but not necessary for a 10 month old, as long as he gets plenty of healthy solid foods instead.

Good luck,

Paula

by: Corine

my 9 month old has been more fussy than usual and she’s doesn’t care for her baby food at all anymore. But she’s eating baby cereal and the gerber puffs…could she be cutting teeth?

by: Anonymous

my son has been having the same issue on and off since 6 months. each time, it seems to get worse than the previous experience. he did have colds and did cut teeth around the same time. currently, he is going through a pretty strong refusal of milk and solids. i have to completely distract him so he doesn’t see the spoon coming and feed him while he doesn’t see. otherwise, i would be lucky to get a few ounces of milk in him or nurse him for a couple minutes. i’ve been putting alot of milk in his rice cereal and just spoon feeding him, but even this is becoming so exhausting. it seems like like no one or any doctor has any real answer. i’m just hopeful it doesnt last too long. my son also did get an ear infection recently as well. i am assuming a combination of cold, ear infection and teething may be the culprit. i don’t see any teeth coming out yet and its been already close to a month of food refusal. the doctors are starting to get a little concerned since he dropped from 90th percentile to 60th percentile and now at only 25 percentile for weight. this is becoming so stressful!

by: Vikki

Hi,
Ive stumbled on this thread as my 9 month old not eating properly either although…he has had a severe tongue tie (was diagnosed with reflux but that has mysteriously disappeared!) which was only identified 4 weeks ago & we then had it clipped so Im hoping he will pick up soon!! He is drinking his milk much better than he used to, he will whollop 9oz in 15 mins rather than 4oz in 1 hour!

So my point, please check your babys tongues to eliminate tongue tie issues as they can be missed and DEFINATELY caused my son massive feeding issues!!
Vikki

by: Dorcas

Hi,
my baby is 8 months old and has refused to eat anything(except breast milk) for the past two days, i have tried everything but nothing seems to work. i was really worried until i read all your comments, I guess knowing that you are not alone brings a little comfort.

by: devi supriyadi

Hi i am in this situation at the moment my 9months baby boy alif since 2 weeks ago closed his mouth at all…he is so upset when he see me bringing plate,spoon and folk…his new teeth already show ups by the way(if it is caused the shut mouth heheh)before he was greedy a little sweet boy ,i made his own food with any variety cook and ingredients…which i got from anyone experience share but really i am desperate now, he knows already how to spit the food …hope anyone help me his weight drop to 8kg only now but he still gets pure breast feed totally since I am a house wife and stay home anyone knows the solution please???? He looks very active n no worry from the appearance…only about EAT…It is so hard…thank for all share…gbu

by: lora

Hi,
My girl isn’t eating either, she has never been really good with solid food but now she’s not even eating yogurt or cereal. It has been going on since the new year. I had put it down to her having a cold and then cutting her top 4 teeth all at the same time but her eating is getting worse. I have just started using a spout for her milk rather than a teat so now she won’t take milk either!

The HV said she can afford to lose a bit of weight but this new year diet is driving me nuts! Should I wait until she’s eating again before I take away the bottle? I don’t know, any suggestions would be great. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only parent going crazy!!

Baby Help Line: Absolutely! Let her have her bottle until she has gotten used to feeding in other ways. She is still young. :-)

by: Baron’s Mom

Hi fellow struggling parents! Needless to mention that I am in the same boat as all of you…

My baby boy was born weighing 9lbs8oz and have been exclusively breastfed. At 4 months we introduced solids which he took with success. He ate all fruits and veggies for babies up until he got into 6th month, when, over night, decided that he would rather not eat anymore, just nurse.

Luckily, he is a big boy (at 7months he weighs 22 lbs 9 oz), so I am not concerned about his weight gain, but the nutrients he’s getting or NOT getting. He throws up any food I try to sneak into his mouth. It’s been almost a month and a half and he became so stubborn that he screams when he sees a spoon coming towards his mouth. He has no teeth and has been teething since he was 3 months (but he ate back then). Please HELP!

by: Layona

My baby just like sweets (bananas, fruit) or cereal…he used to eat soup, pasta or mashed potatos, but not anymore…Im desperate! I dont know what to do!

Baby Help Line: Mix them together! Half spoon with banana for example, half with whatever else you want him to eat. Some babies are very picky all the time or from time to time. It takes a bit of creativity to help them through it. Don’t bother if you think banana-soup sounds like a terrible combination if your baby likes it. :-)

by: Paula

Since he turned 10 months he screams when I feed him. It is not too hot or too cold, he just doesn’t want it. He doesn’t want his baby milk nomore either only at night time so he has one a day now 6 oz but he wont eat any breakfast. I tried porridge, baby powder, crushed weetabix nothing, I’m getting so stressed cos I don’t know and I need him to eat He’s even gone off his dinner and sandwich now. help.

by: Anonymous

My 6 month old will only drink about 2 oz. of her formula anymore. She will get cranky, like she is hungry, but then after about the 2 oz. she’ll push it out and won’t drink anymore. She does eat some baby food (mainly fruits as of right now). I saw somebody else say that their child doesn’t even wake up hungry anymore. Mine is the same way. It worries me that she isn’t getting enough to “eat.” I suppose I should call her pediatrician.
It’s just kind of “nice” to know that I am not alone!

by: ELLA

HEY
HOW ARE U MOMS I HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH MY 7 MONTH OLD GIRL WHO DOES NOT LIKE ANY KIDS FOOD AND SOMETIMES WONT EAT HER MILK FOR UP TOO 14 HOURS AND I DON;T KNOW IF SHE IS TEETHING OR IT IS THAT SHE IS NOT IN MOOD TO EAT SHE LIKES SOME OF HOME MADE FOOD I MAKE LIKE SQUASH SWEETPATATO LOVES AVACADO BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH SHE CAN HAVE I HARD THEY ARE REALLY GOOD FOR KIDS SHE HELP ME WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH HER EATING SHE DONT LIKE TO EAT MUCH

by: Abigail

When 6 month he ate jar food then all of a sudden he won’t eat again. I tried formulae he won’t eat. I tried others the same. Now he prefers to eat what am eating to baby foods. I really want him to eat baby food, what should I do please help.

by: Paula (Easy Baby Life)

Hi Abigail,

You seem to have a smart baby. Is it your actual food or what you have on your plate that he wants? If it is what is on your plate, then simply put some of the baby food on your plate and feed him from there.

If it is that he doesn’t like the very plain taste of baby food now that he has tasted your food then who can blame him…

You can then of course start making your own baby food, and make sure it tastes a lot better than jars, or you can try to spice up the jars a little bit. Herbs are great for making baby food more tasty. Dill, for example is a herb that many babies really like. Basil and oregano are also tasty and mild. And by all means, let him try your food as much as possible as long as it is not harmful for him. Just don’t add any salt, honey or sugar to make the food taste better. You can read about foods to avoid during a baby’s first 12 months here.

Also introduce any new herbs slowly, to make sure they don’t upset his stomach. You can also cut down on the salt added to the adult food when cooking and add salt to your foods on your plate, and let him eat the same as the rest of the family as much as possible.

Hope this helps,

Paula

by: LizzyS88

Hi my 14 month old used to be a brilliant eater and then she started refusing mashed up foods on a spoon so I tried letting her hold the spoon but with no avail. After a month she had lost interest again so we started with big girl finger foods and plenty of praise when she does it. After a couple of weeks of this she just now sits in her chair and throws her plate and or food onto the floor. I’m concerned that she isn’t getting enough food as she is being the same through lunchtime too what can I do???

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Lizzy,

Have your daughter just recently started to walk, or is about to? It sounds to me as if she is way too busy exploring, to have time to sit down and eat. She is examining the world; throwing plates and food.

Kudos to you who are working with positive reinforcement rather than getting into power struggles with her!

Have you tried feeding her more on the go? At her age, it can be a real pain to make a baby/toddler actually sit and focus on eating. If you can give bits of healthy foods while she is playing or running/crawling around, you might find it easier to actually get her to eat something. (You can find inspiration for different finger foods here.)

I know some people don’t agree with that advice at all, due to a possible risk of choking and also because we are supposed to sit down to eat. I agree with the choking – make sure you give her tiny pieces of whatever foods you provide. But the sitting down – it will come. In the long run children tend to do what we do, not what we say.

If you can keep track of how much foods she eats every day even if a lot it is on the go, then you don’t have to worry about her not getting enough nutrition.

In addition to foods on the go, try making a game out of eating – let her feed you, feed her teddy bear, feed herself if she wants to and so on. And if she doesn’t want to, don’t give her much attention for it. Almost no babies starve themselves. We just need to figure out ways to make the feeding a small issue, not a big one, during the intense toddler period. Here are some more ideas on how to avoid power-struggles at meal time.

I hope this helps,

Paula

by: LizzyS88

Hi Paula yes looking back this did all start when she started walking which was only recently. Would it be best if I put her dinner on the floor or the table and let her eat in her own pace or with her plate on my lap and give it to her a bit at a time? She does love it when she feeds me and is always offering her food to whoever is in the room.

Thank you so much for your help! I will definitely put this into force tomorrow and see how she goes with it. x x

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

That’s great Lizzy! Do which ever works best for you and her. Her plate on the floor or in your lap or on the living room table or next to her dolls… Feeding the dolls or teddy bears and make THEM sit nice and eat could be fun game…

The clue is to simply get her to eat enough in the least exhausting way. Combine it with putting her in the high chair at least for a little while when you eat (unless she refuses), and still give her a plate and spoon and a little bit of food on it. At some point she stop throwing it away. Often at around 1.5-2 years, babies start thinking that they are big and really mimic what we do. (A great time to let the child help doing the dishes, setting the table and so on. It can really help mitigating tantrums and frustrations at that age.)

Good luck and have fun with your little daughter,

Paula

by: Anonymous

My Son is 6 months old and he got over a sickness bug about 5 days ago now he wont eat his solid foods.he will quite happy drink his milk but when u try and put something like food in his mouth he eith kicks of or closes his mouth and turns his head. He is normaly a really good eater.. can any one give me advise or help on what todo..

by: Paula

Hi,

If your baby was recently ill, he may still be associating solids with feeling bad – or he is not quite off the bug yet. Give him time. If he drinks his milk, then you have nothing to worry about. Try offering one of his favorite foods in a couple of days.

Don’t push him – he will get back to eating.

Best,

Paula

by: kat

hi i need some help…my daughter is nearly 9 months now,i started feeding her solids early when she was around 4 and a half 5 months…she was doing fine,but once she reached 6 months..she stopped eating and its really stressed me out because i dont breastfeed..so i worry she doesnt get the goodness she needs..all she seems to have is fruit purees,forumla milk..and her ready baby breakfasts. however i recently thought i would try on giving her food from a jar she seems to eat that but every food i make her she squeezes her mouth tight n doesnt take it! please help thank you

by: Paula (Easy Baby Life)

Hi Kat,
Sounds like a typical little baby – ate happily at 5 months, then refuses everything at 6 months. Not uncommon at all!

You don’t neeed to worry at all about her health as long as she drinks formula. It really contains everything your daughter needs during the first year; solid foods are mainly for joy and training to get used to the rest of the family’s food at his age. So take it easy and let your girl get used to solids in her own pace. If she is taking some purees, she is just fine.

If she is a little picky about new tastes and textures, introduce them very slowly and without any pressure. You can mix her favorite puree with a tiny amount of another puree to help her get used to the new taste.

At her age, many babies also start enjoying finger foods, so try some of these and see if she likes them.

Hope this helps,

Paula

by: Paulina

My baby will be 8 months next week, this past Sunday we had to go to the ER bc she wasn’t eating nor peeing so they told me she had a doe ear infection and that her throat was sore, we went back the next day and said the same but kept her there so they could see her take fluids and have a good wet diper and we went again at the third day they had to put an I’V to keep her hydrated told me to keep w hatching and she won’t take anything from us, we’ve been battling with her to take any food and she just pushes it away, spit it out and just won’t open her mouth and scream! We have even try giving her any fluid with a syringe and that won’t work either!!!! One of the nurses said she might be teething but we don’t see anything I’m really tired I think that I’ve tried everything I need help I don’t know what to do to make her take the fluids that she needs PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

Baby Help Line:You are in an emergency situation since your baby is getting dehydrated and you are totally doing the right thing when bringing her to the hospital. I can’t say why she won’t eat or drink anything, but one thing for sure is that even this young babies will feel our stress and they will put up a fight if they are scared or feel forced to do something they don’t want to. I don’t know how weak she is, but at 8 months, is there any chance you can simply let her sit in her chair and give her something yummy to play with – like a small bowl of apple juice or fruit puree, even ice cream, or pieces of fruit or berries? Anything tasty with liquid in it. Don’t even encourage her to taste anything, just play together – find it hidden under cups, let her feed you; what ever game makes her smile. Chances are she will eventually stick her greasy fingers into her mouth – that’s what babies do. If you can trick her to feed herself this way a little bit, then you are on your way to a more positive association with feeding. Make sure YOU feel no stress, and if her chair has a negative association for your baby right now, then sit somewhere else, where there is no tension – even in her bath tub! Trying to force a sad, frightened baby to eat is not likely to work, just as you have notices. You can even just place finger foods next to, especially colorful or something you know that she likes and just leave them there.

It might take more visits to the hospital and even more IVs, but try as hard as you can to reduce your own stress and play with her instead – you are much more likely to succeed that way.

I really wish you good luck!

Paula