Feeding issues...HELP!!

It's not necessarily a control issue, as Grandma T was quick to say. There are kids that have severe sensory issues and will actually starve themselves. Have you talked to your pediatrician about the feeding issues? My now 3 1/2 y/o daughter started early intervention services when she was 15 mos. old, with severe feeding issues/speech problems and needed the help of a professional therapist. She would ONLY eat crunchy things, no matter how hungry she was. She was at the point any new foods or new things she would gag at the site of. She also would never touch anything except crunchy things, she wouldn't get her hands dirty. She is still VERY picky, but if I work with her, I can get her to try new things. I would suggest NOT ever pushing the food issue, it will make it worse. Does she like smoothies? If so, you can hide alot of good things in those. Sit down & play in the foods with her, so she gets used to them. I still do this with my daughter & it helps ALOT. Do activities that let her get messy, finger painting, playing in shaving creme etc. I would talk to your pediatrician first & if necessary contact EI in your area for a free evaluation. Good luck to you & go with your gut as far as your child's feeding goes.

One of you is in control, which one is it?
How is her dexterity, can she pick up cheerios with her fingers?
She wont starve herself, she will eat eventually, but it sounds like you just need to keep practicing and introducing different things. It doesnt happen over night. Textures and flavors are all new to them in their little mouths and it just takes a while for them to adjust. Just keep mixing in a good variety, lay things on her tray, pick things up with your fingers and keep showing her how to do it. Maybe give her a fork, mine were using utensils at a pretty early age.... it's clumsy for awhile but they do "get it" eventually.

My younger daughter went through something similar. She was not interested in eating anything and when she would eat she was only interested in eating the food from a packet.She was the exact opposite of my older daughter! Anyway, she would feed herself, but she would spit everything out! I was so worried that she wasn't getting enough to eat! She was breastfed until 18 months and also wasn't really interested in cows milk either. I just kept offering her food and milk, and she eventually figures it out. If she's not losing weight, and your dr isn't worried than she really should be OK. Just keep offering her food and eventually she'll figure it out.

Try canned chicken. weird I know and it sounds gross, but it really isn't. It's soft and easy to chew. My older daughter loved it! We've moved to Switzerland and canned chicken doesn't exist here so we couldn't try that with my younger daughter. Good luck and congrats on making it this far with the nursing!

My son has sensory issues with his mouth (and language delay) and it is the opposite of your daughter....he has to stuff his mouth nearly to the point of choking so I feel for you. While mine needs to FEEL the food to acknowlage it, perhaps your daughter is hyper sensative to the textures. My gf nannies for a boy like that. One of the greatest helps we have had has been to introduce and electric toothbrush and sing songs and brush sides of cheeks roof of mouth etc (no toothpasste) just to create sensation. If you want her to eat finger foods, but she prefers soft, have u tried cubed tofu? I would also suggest frozen peas or blueberries. Neither of my kids wanted to go to cows milk and I weaned my dd at 22 months when I was 28mos prego with ds who did not like cows milk either. They both prefered goats milk (closer to human) or you can even try almond or soy. I suggest not doing it in a bottle, but giving in a sippy cup. Who wants imitation milk in a bottle when they have mommy on tap?

I have 5 kids and experienced this at some level with all of them. My youngest is 10 months old and won't eat anything. What I found with them all is to keep trying. Keep trying to feed them the foods you eat and offer. No matter how long it takes. My older children all eat fine and very healthy foods now. But it wasn't always like this. Persistence and consistence is the key with this. Good luck!