It started off so well! I couldn’t believe how lucky I was when Kiki (now 9 months) had her first snack. She loved it and ate everything. This was different with my eldest. I thought, how wonderful to have a baby that eats everything, but I could hear that little voice in the back of my head. Just wait…. And yes, at 7 months, the “I love everything” phase was over. My thought then was: help, my baby doesn’t want to eat anymore, now what?
Practice snacks
The first snacks are practice snacks, mainly for taste and structure, but as your baby grows older, the snacks will also become part of the daily routine. In the 6-12 month phase, milk feeding remains the most important food for a baby, and you work towards them having a more regular breakfast, lunch and dinner rhythm around their first birthday.
She must eat, right?
As a mother, during the first few months, I was occupied daily with how much milk Kiki was drinking. She was bottle-fed and drank inconsistent amounts. The fact that Pepijn was an extremely hungry baby unwittingly also played a part; he was given special milk formula for more satiation. He also wanted a night feed for a long time and I could often hear his tummy rumbling. I had secretly come to believe that your child must eat enough to have a good night’s sleep. So when Kiki stopped eating, I panicked a bit.
The “I don’t want to eat” attitude
Kiki is a true girl, one who really knows what she wants. She prefers to gnaw on everything: cucumber, sweet pepper, apple, etc. She likes the fruit snack, but as soon as she sees the spoon with food, she turns her head with closed, pursed lips. She refuses from the very first bite. By doing so, she clearly indicates: I don’t want to eat!
“Eating poorly or not eating is a baby phase and will pass. Keep trying because who knows; today might be the day when the phase has suddenly passed.”
5 tips if your baby eats poorly or not at all
If your baby doesn’t want to eat, it makes it challenging to keep offering snacks. We prepared a snack every evening, which usually ended up in the garbage bin. A waste. However, there are ways for you to keep trying
I have 5 tips for when your baby won’t eat:
1. Give your baby their own spoon
This way they have something to distract them and feel in control of what they are eating
2. Change the eating time
Try giving them their evening meal at lunchtime.
3. Rapley method
I switched to the Rapley method when the spoons kept hovering in the air. Kiki kept chewing on pieces of cucumber or pepper, so I switched to this method, and it worked. It requires a new way of preparing snacks. I made small snack pieces of everything. I steamed little broccoli or cauliflower florets, for example. I boiled potato strips or put sweet potato strips in the oven. Baking “pancakes” from banana & egg or mashed sweet potato & broccoli was also a success! This promotes fine motor skills and allows your baby to decide what to put in their mouth.
4. Keep trying and varying
Everything is a phase. That’s the standard answer when your baby doesn’t do what you want (sleeping late, for example.) Poor or not eating behaviour is also a baby phase. Keep trying because who knows, maybe today will be the day that the phase suddenly passes.
5. Have faith
Even though they are still so small and young, your baby is very good at letting you know that he/she is hungry. There have been days, often at the start of a binge, when Kiki hardly drank from the bottle. So no eating and no drinking! Of course, it’s important they take in sufficient fluids and continue to urinate, but their body will regulate what they need at that moment. Have faith! It will be alright. If you are still in doubt, consult your health clinic.
Ending with good news!
I will end this blog with some good news: now that Kiki is 9 months old, she is eating “normally” again. So it was indeed a phase that lasted 6-8 weeks. I don’t suddenly think: yes, everything will be fine for the next 4 years. We are enjoying this moment now until the next challenge comes along. By the way, we are combining snacks with the Rapley method, which is working (for now ☺).
