[kadoodle]

DS2 is 16 months old and was down to one breastfeed a day (bedtime). Then he caught a gastro bug at daycare and for the last week has refused all food and drink and demanded boobie instead.

It's been a long, slow road to get solids into him, as he was a FTT baby who refused anything but milk until 8 months, after finally getting the hang of drinking with milk being syringed into him for the first 2 months.

So, do I roll with it and just let him stick to milk until he's confident about returning to solids? Or shut the milk bar and get him onto real food? My MCHN says this is out of her comfort zone and has referred us to a paediatric dietician.

This post has been edited by kadoodle: 23/11/2012, 06:59 PM

[Funwith3]

I'm pretty sure that at 16 months he can't get a sufficient amount of nutrition from breast milk alone. I would think by all means, BF as often as he wants but at some point fairly soon he needs to incorporate solids back into his routine.

[MakeLoveNotBacon]

I would probably roll with it. Don't offer, don't refuse (with the milk). Try distracting when he does ask, offer food before he gets hungry (my first would not eat solids if he was already hungry at the same age). Things that worked for me with solids were feeding him while he was distracted ie when he was in the pram on a walk, or in the car, he would mindlessly eat whatever was in his hand. Or we could play or read a book while feeding.

I definitely wouldn't push the issue though. He needs something in his tummy. And follow up with the Paed.

[BeachedAsBro]

Yeah he needs more than BM, especially given his history. Will he take a cup or bottle with EBM? It may encourage him to have non-boobie intake.

[lucky 2]

It hasn't been too long back on the breast, try not to get too stressed because if you look on the bright side, you have both succeeded once (ie getting him on to solids) and you will both be able to succeed again.
His gut does need time to heal and breastmilk is ideal for that.
But I can imagine how stressful it is to feel you have gone completely backward.
Try with nutritionally rich food that he likes whilst continuing to give breast, otherwise what else can you do right now?
? Freeze a smoothie into cubes or a icypole, make it tempting, fun and ? do you think he would like cold or hot foods?
I'd not want to distress him over it, can you get the appt with the dietician soon?

[kadoodle]

The dietician is Friday week, but I'm on the cancellations list. I offer food, which gets politely taken, licked and dropped. Even favourite treat foods like a chocolate frog. Cups and drink bottles get handed back.

Poor baby. It sucks when they're feeling poorly

[trishalishous]

my little girl did this at 18 months (she was FTT too) and we just constantly offered her food (watermelon, cheese and corn cobs are the 100% for sure foods here) and I gave her as much boob as she wanted. She has gut issues and often cant tolerate food other than boob (still, at 2.5)
She didnt lose too much weight, but we have high calorie powders to add to her food still.

[kadoodle]

Thanks Trishalishous, that's very reassuring. My eldest also regressed, but it was at 11 months, so not as big a deal. She'd also happily take milo and sustogen in a cup. I mean, I have no issue bf'ing toddlers as such, but I'd prefer not to as it's so darn painful and tiring.

[BeachedAsBro]

I can't imagine how stressful it must be for you. I hope everything goes well at the dietician next week.

[Tesseract]

DD (20 months now) does this when she gets sick. She'll refuse everything except the boob, want it all night long (she usually sleeps through) for at least a week. Then slowly over a couple of days she'll start taking a little solids, then a bit more, then gets her energy back, then gets distracted from the boob, then is back to her old self. But it does take a while, even after she seems to be over the illness, particularly if it's gastro (thanks childcare!).

All that said, while she didn't start eating solids until about 8 months (BLW) she has always been a big eater, we've never had FTT issues. So I know this experience isn't that directly relevent, but I thought it was interesting that my big eating/weight gaining baby behaves the same way, so thought it might be reassuring??

Hope the dietician helps and he feels better soon.