7 Mo. Old Stopped Eating Solids

Hi S... it really sounds like a stomach bug. My daughter is 16 months old.. and a REALLY good eater, but the last couple of weeks, the same thing, would not touch food... and she was with runny poop (not diarrhea-she didn't go more often than usual)she was her usual self aside from her runny stools. All i can say is dont push it with the new foods right now, stick to basics and if she's not in the mood, well, try again later. She'll known when her tummy is ready to handle food again and then she'll eat a little more. Lots of luck...
ps=== watch out, we caught that bug too!!!! it takes a couples of days, but be prepared!

I wouldn't worry about it too much if she is ok in weight and not losing weight. My lil one went through this phase also when she was teething...

Also, if she has an upset belly she might just be more comfortable with the bottle for the time being.

I think you may be trying too many different foods at this early age. Try sticking with just the rice for cereal for a while, as it's usually the easiest for a young stomach to digest. Serve only one other food for three days at a time before trying anything else, in order to be able to sort out what, if any, food allergies she may have. Your daughter has had quite a variety for her age, and I think you need to back off to just two or three for a while until her little digestion system has had a chance to mature a little bit. My suggestions for what to serve... applesauce, squash or yams, and avocado. These seem to be the easiest o digest at this age. Definitely wait on the carrots and bananas until she's older as they can create more problems than some of the other foods.

Sounds like she is wanting to nurse more because her stomach is upset and perhaps is dehydrated due to the diarrhea. 7MO is still young to be eating such a variety of foods. She may not want to eat because her stomach is upset, but she is thirsty and needs to nurse.

For the first year, many babies get most of their nutrition from breastmilk -- it is the easiest to digest and provides them with mostly all they need. As long as she still is willing to nurse, I would hold off for a while on trying to encourage the solids -- at least a week or two and then when she is feeling better reintroduce the foods slowly.

Don't worry. Take comfort in knowing she is getting the best you can give her.

Sounds like your sweet one has a touch of gastroenteritis....an intestinal virus probably. They usually don't act sick but seem to be "off their feed" a little. Babies eat when they are hungry. Quit trying to force her to eat solids. Avoid everything except the rice or barley cereal. Do not introduce any new foods during this time. Veggies and fruits contain sugars which feed the bacteria in her gut and cause painful gas. Just nurse her as much as possible to keep her hydrated. It will be the easiest thing on her gut. It should pass in a few days. Think about how you feel when your gut is in knots and you have diarrhea....do you want to eat? Usually not...or just something light. That is how she feels. Be patient as each child is different. In a few days, she should be back to normal. One last bit of advice....don't obsess about her poop. It is normal to have foul smelling, funny-colored, runny stools when they have a tummy bug! Hope she is feeling better soon!

I am not sure where you are located, but there is a bug going around the peninsula. My daughter has had viral gastroentiritis for a week now. Diarrhea and not wanting to eat food. A lot of the babies at my day care also have it. If she is in day care, this might be whats going on. There isn't much that can be done except keep trying to get breastmilk in her at least. Probably best to let her nurse to make sure she is getting enough fluids. We just keep trying with the food and sometimes she eats it, but she's definitely not as interested. Go back to the BRAT diet for diarrhea (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast). I hear that potatoes, sweet potatoes, and some say carrots are also ok for diarrhea. I think just stay away from overly sugary stuff or the p fruits (prunes, pears, peaches etc). Good luck! Of course your doctor will look at other possibilities (allergy etc) but it sounds like a tummy bug because I think allergies are usually short lived with just one exposure? I don't know though. Best!!!!

Regarding solid foods: Babies do need solids after 6 months. Of course, most of their nutrition will come from breastmilk for quite awhile, but solids should supplement after 6 months. (Again, going a few days while sick is not an issue. Just like you, babies know when they need to back off on some kinds of food). You got some funny posts about letting a baby live on liquid for a year, so I thought I would enter in AAP recommendation. :)Must be some hungry babies out there. My daughter screams if she doesn't get her meal -even if I offer breastmilk. She, like me, knows the difference between food and milk. Hunger is an instinct-which is why the SlimFast diet never worked for me either. :)

"Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months after birth.100 Infants weaned before 12 months of age should not receive cow's milk feedings but should receive iron-fortified infant formula.101 Gradual introduction of iron-enriched solid foods in the second half of the first year should complement the breast milk diet.102,103 It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.104 "
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/ped...

My kids' doctors always advised to hold off on most solids (rice cereal being the exception) until 12 months. At that point, introduce them slowly. The reason is that their little bodies are just not ready for all of that and her upset tummy, diarrhea and refusal of the food are all probably ways of letting you know. Give her some time to recover then try some very thin rice cereal (rice because it is easier to digest then oatmeal). I'd stick with that for a while. I'm sure she will be fine very soon. L.

It sounds like a stomach bug. I'd lay off the solids for a week or so, then slowly reintroduce them. Just breastfeed her for a week then give her one serving of solid food a day. Also, try only giving one type of food per week to rule out any possible allergens. Right now she should get the majority of her nutrition from breast milk (or formula); eating solids is more practice at this point than necessary. The other posters are correct. Your breast milk will give her your antibodies to get over whatever is going on faster. Good luck and I hope she feels better soon!

http://www.chefwalton.com

My son had a hard time with solids at first, too, so I backed off until his digestive system matured a little more. Then I gradually moved from rice to oatmeal to mixed grain, mixing the new cereal with the old in greater amounts over several days. With my second son, I just skipped the mixed grain & stuck with oatmeal. Then, when cereal is going smoothly, add fruit & veggies slowly to the cereal.
Not to dismiss your husband, but it's called mother's intuition for a reason, not father's intuition. Listen to it.

dear sonja,
You are right that babies know what makes them feel good or bad, so why eat if it gives me a belly ache? Two other things are that until a year old, solid foods are a supplement to milk and eating should be a fun and joyful experience, not a forced and regimented one. HOw can you make it more fun? Maybe start slowly again and try tiny pieces she can pick up and put in her mouth by herself. Then maybe take each grain in the mixed grain cereal and try them individually to see if she is allergic to one of them.
good luck and listen to your intuition and what your daughter is telling you they will more than likely point you in the right direction.
healthy and joyfull eating,
jen

Our little ones are quite intelligent. They really do know when to stop eating and when not to eat. She may have a stomach bug, like the one that seems to be hitting our school this week.

Our daughter had rota virus as 8 mo. and stopped all food and liquid. She just refused because it hurt so much. She ended up in the hospital for a week on IVs until she recovered enough to keep food/liquid in.

Don't panic, but do talk to the dr. It's probably just stomach bug.
Stephanie

She may have a bit of a stomach bug and the only thing she wants to eat is breast milk right now. Kids can be sick and show very few signs and something like a stomach flu can actually stick with them for a while. It can take their bodies a few weeks to recover sometimes so you just have to be patient.

I agree with some of the other posts that it could just be too much different food at an early age too. Feed her what she wants to eat and she will come around at some point.

I say relax. Many babies won't eat solids at all until they are much older than 6 or 7 mos, and they still get all of their nutrition from breast milk (or formula) until 1 yr. Back off and don't force it. At least give her tummy time to recuperate. Her system may not be ready for all that you are giving her. Wait until she's ready and add foods back slowly.

Since your daughter is only 7MO, feel free to back off from the solids since she can get all the nutrition she needs from breastmilk/formula all the way through her first year. Children develop so quickly at this age that it's quite possible that if you just ease off on the solids for now, in a few weeks she'll be more interested and enthusiastic.

Like many other mothers said, she probably knows best so just relax and don't force it. Let her nurse - which is where she's going to get most of her nutrition from in the first year anyway (good for you to keep up the nursing, by the way!). Let her play with the food and be in control of whether she puts it in her mouth. And, I'll bet she gradually shows an interest in starting to eat it again on her own.
I've been offering my 9-month-old solids since she was 6 months old which she mostly just played with - but she just now started to truly EAT it! Quite an exciting week this week in my household! Again, like another mother said, mealtime is supposed to be fun so they associate good things with food - so don't stress and don't rush it. She'll probably start to eat again when she's feeling better. Good luck!

Just roll with it--lots of kids aren't real interested in solids at first. Some mamas just wait till the kids show interest by snatching food off of plates at mealtime. My little girl wasn't really interested at all until about 7 months--and then she wanted Mama & Daddy's food, NOT baby food!--but now, at 20 months, she eats everything from avacadoes to anchovies. The big plus with starting them on solids a little older is that their digestive systems are more mature, and, while you still need to watch for allergies, you don't have to be quite as careful what you offer when.

She may just not be interested in food with an upset tummy. It may just be a bug, not caused by food. : )

If she continues to be a reluctant eater and you are concerned, try tasting her food. I found that making food with a little seasoning made all the difference. At 7 mos, my little guy loved garlic. I really needed him to eat b/c he just wasn't gaining enough weight (he is very active) eating the regular stuff, even though breastfeeding was going very well. Eventually, I started feeding him those flavored baby yogurts, despite my concern over the sugar. But he needed the calories. Even though he is a very good eater (at times he out-eats me), keeping his weight at the 15th percentile is a challenge.

What I am saying is that your daughter's preferences and needs may be different from what you'd expect from reading the baby books. Don't be afraid to experiment.

My 16 month old has had these experiences on and off. She is 16 months and still doesnt eat solids well. At some point she loved the idea of eating on her own so we started giving her finger foods. If she has had an upset stomach you might want to give her a break - she will be back to normal pretty soon. Also at this age they keep changing their preferences so quickly it can drive you insane pretty easily!

Hope she is feeling better now.

Hi S.,
She may just have a bad tummy ache. Nobody wants to eat when they have a tummy bug, including babies. If she's nursing, that is the best thing for her. That will coat the tummy and give her your antibodies, and keep her hydrated, too. Your doc should call you back soon, then he tell you what to do. But just let her nurse as much as she wants until she can eat again, and as long as she is hydrated she'll be ok. If she gets worse your doctor will have her in, but she will most likely get better soon.

I think you should follow your great "motherly instincts" and check into the wheat allergy/intolerance thing. If she reacted to wheat and is having eating problems, it could be gluten intolerance or celiac disease. If someone has this, it cause inflammation of and eventually damage to the intestines. Doctors may tell you in is uncommon but it isn't. Look it up the symptoms on line and see what you think. It is a genetic condition and can be managed by removing gluten from the diet. If you or others in your family have thyroid problems, digestive issues or bloating and gas, headaches/migraines, food allergies, canker sores, fatigue, anemia, bone or joint pain, osteoperosis, fertility problems or miscarriages, rheum. arthritis or any other autoimmune disorder, it could be a problem with gluten. Alzheimers has been linked to gluten intolerance as well. Please feel free to contact me if any of this sounds familiar and you want to know more. I went undiagnosed for years which is too common.

Take care,
L.

Sounds to me like she might have a mild stomach bug. Often times babies and toddlers aren't slowed down when they have a mild bug of some kind. Breast mild digests really easily and with all the diarrhea she is likely dehydrated so she is still going for that but her upset tummy may not be able to handle anything else right now.

My second son reacted to the mixed grain cereal as well. He was only fed organic so first foods quality was not a concern. He was fine with the oat and the rice cereals. The mixed grain one contains barley which is a gluten-containing grain (like wheat). Even in non-allergic families it is not advisable to introduce wheat before 1yr so I have no idea why another gluten-containing grain is incorporated into a cereal made for babies. When my son reacted to fresh banana we had him blood-tested for allergies and he was allergic to a list of things I wouldn't have even considered - and wheat, barley and rye were all on the NoNo list per his testing. They're all gluten-containing grains so he's been gluten free since then. Please PLEASE stop with the mixed-grain cereal and back off all solids in favor of breastmilk until she starts to show interest again on her own. She could develop additional allergies while her immune system is on "high alert". You are not insane... your instincts are right on!