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Okay, moms. I need advise. The dinner table has become a war zone.
BabyK generally has a big appetite. He started eating table foods about a month ago. Prior to that, he was scarfing down 2-3 jars of Stage 3 babyfood or the equivalent amount of homemade babyfood every night. Now, he only wants to eat what he can feed to himself by hand (no utensils) but he is not coordinated enough to feed himself an entire meal. Also, with only 2 teeth, he doesn't manage to chew and swallow much. Most of the food ends up in his lap, in his hair, or fed to the dog (who is actually becoming sick from eating so much of the baby's supper) and the baby is fussy and hungry after meals. I can get him started on some pureed food but after a few bites he starts demanding table food. Also, he only wants to eat starches -- potatoes, cereal, crackers, and bread. I've managed to slip in a cucumber slice now and then but he won't eat cooked veggies or fruit or meat. And, well, I know he won't starve but baby cannot live on bread alone.
His caregivers say that he's battling with them during the day too. He screams and cries if we try to feed him babyfood and makes a huge mess shoving the spoon away. Screams and cries if he is offered only fruits and veggies and not starches as table food. Growels at us if we take starches away. Then he wants to nurse all night and refuses to be seperated from me. We give him a multi-vitamin supplement but he's starting to fight me on that too. (Can't blame him. It tastes and smells horrible.)
Last night, DrK was on call and dinner became an all-night battle. I tried three times to feed him (babyfood, grapes, and apple slices) and he fought me every time I put him in the high chair. Finally, DrK came home, offered him some cheerios, and all was good.
Is this just a phase? Do I roll with it and let him live on cheerios for a couple weeks? Do I just let him go hungry a few nights and figure that he'll eat what's offered if he's hungry enough? I don't want to raise a fussy eater and I don't want to make myself into a short-order cook offering multiple meals every night but there is nothing worse than the cries of a hungry baby.
BabyK generally has a big appetite. He started eating table foods about a month ago. Prior to that, he was scarfing down 2-3 jars of Stage 3 babyfood or the equivalent amount of homemade babyfood every night. Now, he only wants to eat what he can feed to himself by hand (no utensils) but he is not coordinated enough to feed himself an entire meal. Also, with only 2 teeth, he doesn't manage to chew and swallow much. Most of the food ends up in his lap, in his hair, or fed to the dog (who is actually becoming sick from eating so much of the baby's supper) and the baby is fussy and hungry after meals. I can get him started on some pureed food but after a few bites he starts demanding table food. Also, he only wants to eat starches -- potatoes, cereal, crackers, and bread. I've managed to slip in a cucumber slice now and then but he won't eat cooked veggies or fruit or meat. And, well, I know he won't starve but baby cannot live on bread alone.
His caregivers say that he's battling with them during the day too. He screams and cries if we try to feed him babyfood and makes a huge mess shoving the spoon away. Screams and cries if he is offered only fruits and veggies and not starches as table food. Growels at us if we take starches away. Then he wants to nurse all night and refuses to be seperated from me. We give him a multi-vitamin supplement but he's starting to fight me on that too. (Can't blame him. It tastes and smells horrible.)
Last night, DrK was on call and dinner became an all-night battle. I tried three times to feed him (babyfood, grapes, and apple slices) and he fought me every time I put him in the high chair. Finally, DrK came home, offered him some cheerios, and all was good.
Is this just a phase? Do I roll with it and let him live on cheerios for a couple weeks? Do I just let him go hungry a few nights and figure that he'll eat what's offered if he's hungry enough? I don't want to raise a fussy eater and I don't want to make myself into a short-order cook offering multiple meals every night but there is nothing worse than the cries of a hungry baby.
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