10 Month Old Refusing to Eat Food, Will Only Nurse

I am the owner of a childcare center and have worked with infants for many years. Sometimes I find that when a baby is really hungry they look for immediate satisfaction from breast or bottle and do not have the patience or desire to eat solids. What I normally do (with bottle fed babies) is let them drink a few ounces let their little tummies feel slightly full and then introduce solids and sometimes it works. I don't know what it is but i think they don't look at the solids as food and just associate the milk with eating. I am not a doctor but I know I have seen it work many times for us at my center. Maybe if you try the solids before she is really hungry or tired she will be more receptive to eating. If she gags when eating try to make the cereal more liquid and then gradually thicken it us as she gets used to it. Good Luck!!!

I would talk to her doctor, just to make sure there isn't a medical reason.

Assuming she's fine, I'd let her decide when and what she wants to eat! I would keep nursing her on demand, and maybe try feeding her in your lap rather than the highchair. Skip the bib for now, and dip your finger in some applesauce (or pears, bananas, etc- something yummy)). Try it yourself first, for her to see. Then offer it to her!

The key to getting my son to try certain foods for the first time is to hold him in my arms, and "share" my own with him. I know it's not the same situation, but maybe it would work with your daughter too?

The good news is that nursing is supposed to be her main form of nutrition now anyways. Solids are for practice! So if she doesn't eat much for a few days, it's not cause for serious worry. As long as she's healthy, she'll decide to eat when the time is right.

You're doing a great job at reading her cues- so relax and trust yourself! :)

i agree, probaly just a phase. breastmilk can sustain her just fine, so dont worry about her nutrition intake. instead, have you tried to allow her to self feed. dont put her in her chair overly hungry or just after eating. try like a half hour after, but make sure she is not tired at all. honestly, just look for her happiest time. i actually would sing to my daughter so she smiled and sneek the food in. but if she doesnt want it, dont force her. that could lead to control issues which are def not good.

now i know you mentioned her delays, i have no idea how severe so this may not apply to you. although eating chunks may have difficulties, it could be the idea of the spoon feeding. have you cut up banana, avacodo, or carrots, broccoli heads, sweet potatoes(all cooked well). when you cut them, dont cut them up super small. instead give her a brocolli head with the "handle" part so she can hold it and chew off. little pieces actually can be worse as far as choking hazards, as well as too hard to pick up. well cooked pasta is another great one. if she eats off her fingers, you can even grate up some meat. again, this might not be possible but just a suggestion if she would be able.

again i would worry. she probaly has something going on that you arent aware of(more teeth?). just keep an eye for any weight loss. good luck!!!

Start putting your baby on solid foods. Maybe she doesn't like the texture of the baby food. Try cheerios, puffs,pastina, small pieces of fruit and cooked vegetables. Let her pick them up herself. This may be fun for her and she'll be more interested in eating.
Hope this helps!

One of my twins Never ate baby food. Most of the reason was because she had acid reflux and the texture made her gag. I would try small amounts and dont force it. little by little gradually, she will get used to it. Just keep offering it. If she is still getting enough breast milk or formula, that is her main nutrition. Maybe try adding a little cereal (baby) to her bottle if she is on one. She WILL eat food again. Teething may have something to do with it also. or try the 1st foods that dont have that much texture. Have u really taken a good look at the 2nd and 3rd stage foods? lol, I wouldn't eat that stuff, lol. I remember, my twins were more interested in our food at that age. If it is small and soft enough, try giving her people food instead. FF, mashed potatoes, soft veggies, small pieces of pasta. as long as she is getting the whole concept of the food being in her mouth and the action of swallowing and some chewing, she should do fine. Mommies knows best. Good luck

Just nurse her. Trust me, she won't still be nursing when she goes to kindergarten!
Don't push the food thing, it'll only make it worse. She'll come around eventually.
Enjoy this time, it'll be gone before you know it!
'Hope this helped- good luck.
-J.

My son hated bibs once he reached about 9 months old, and hated being fed. So I stopped forcing the bib issue, and started giving him foods he could use to self-feed. You could try that, although there's certainly nothing wrong with just nursing her. Could be a phase.

It's probably just a phase. She is probably just not feeling well. My 8 month old son acts the same way when he is teething, so I just go with it. I offer him some foods and if he eats it, great. If not, I don't push the issue. If you try to force her it will become a power struggle. I would suggest laying off the solids for a few days, don't introduce anything new this week and then see if she is ready to come back to them. Try her favorites and never force her to eat. This can also interfere with her ability to distinguish hunger from fullness if she is made to eat when she's not hungry. I think breastfed babies tend to take longer to transition into solids. But take comfort in the fact that she is breastfeeding well and getting good nutrition from the breast milk. Once she is ready to start again I'm sure she will let you know.

My son who was my 4th child wouldn't eat any food at all until he was 12 months he was just a nurser. He was always and still is very healthy at age 23. My babies did lose their interest in food when teething. I would mention it to your doctor but if nursing is all she is accepting just go with it babies know what they need.
I would also try to feed her in a different way like no bib or put her on your lap , different room etc. The important thing is breast milk is enough for her at this time.
Take care and good luck

Hi E.,
Don't stress too much - they say breastmilk is the best thing to feed your baby, so you aren't doing anything wrong. Our doc has said that children can have days where they just aren't very hungry and other days where they won't stop eating. She will be ok and she will eat when she is hungry.
Sometimes my son throws a fit when I feed him because he wants to do it himself. If I load up his spoon or fork and hand it to him to feed himself, he is so happy! Do you think that your daughter is ready for that and maybe is trying to declare her independence a bit?
I hate to tell you, but this is just the beginning of it - just wait til she's a toddler and will only eat a few select foods. ;)
Best of luck to you!

My nursing daughter (now 19 months) wasn't really interested in solids until she was 13 months. If her weight and iron are ok I wouldn't worry about it. Give it a break and try again later. I know cultures that don't start solids until 15 months! Of course she will eat, when she is ready. My daughter hated cereal and baby food. She skipped the whole stage and went to adult food, no big deal.

My son is 9 months and he does the food strike everytime he is sick or teething. It is hard, because it is nursing non-stop, but when he is well again, he takes the food with no problem! Hope that is the case for you.

Have you tried letting her eat by herself and does she drink a bottle or sippy cup? My husband was trying to figure out last night why our 12 month was still crying when he was feeding him an it turned out because he wanted to feed himself because he knows how fast or slow he wanted to eat and he was tired which made it worst to feed him rather than feeding himself and with my second one, he did not want to eat anymore if he's thirsty and still that way and he's almost 3 years old. That is why I always have their sippy cup with them when they eat and my third one will drink if he wnts to but prefers to eat independently. But, perhaps you need to ween her just a little bit because she will eat if she's hungry enough. You put the bib on her or let her go topless and let her eat on her own because she should be eating solids and you need to show her that she can't be the "boss" in that or in any situation. I'll pray for Jesus's Wisdom in this area if you as Him....Let us know what happens...thanks. If any more questions feel free to ask more to me and other mothers. I have and alot of experience with three boys..ages 3 1/2, 2 1/2, and a 1 year old.