13 Month Old Not Eating Enough Solid Foods or Sleeping!

I agree with all the others. Formula should be stopped at a year old. I gradually stopped this starting at 10 months. I would replace a formula or breastfeeding with a solid food feeding. I would do this about every 2 weeks or so and by the time they were 12 months they were down to 1 and then we had a "party" for throwing away the bottles. The night ones need to just be water and not in a bottle. Use sippy cups and replace the "comfort" feeling with a blanket or pacifier or whatever you want to make her feel comfortable. It may take her a couple of nights to know that you are serious, but hang in there.

I agree with the other ladies. You should get her off of the formula. That is too many bottles for a 13mos toddler. The lady that gave suggestions about food is right on the money. My boys never eat the same from day to day. But I give them choices and they eat. I don't stress about what they eat because I know that they will eat if they are hungry. They are not like us where we eat because we say it is lunch time, they eat when they are hungry.

Give her some good choices on her plate and let her eat what she will. The catch is that you don't let her get down from the table and not eat then 30 mins later give her something else. If she acts hungry after not eating, then I would just offer her her plate again. This will take a bit but she will eventually eat what you give her!

Hang in there, the toddler phase is a phase!

Blessings,
T.

Well, according to what I've read in Marc Weissbluth's "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and Denise Fields' "Baby 411", babies are physiologically capable of sleeping through the night (at least 6 hours) at 4 months, and going without food for 12 hours by about 6 months. If a child is still waking up for bottles after that point, it's because they've been trained to do so - it's habit. Changing habits is not going to be fun for a short while (a week or so), but it will be better for your child in the long run because she'll be getting uninterrupted sleep. Plus, you can gradually reduce the amount she drinks in a bottle by offering her the bottle after she eats some solid foods.

And napping twice a day is not a bad thing at 13 months. My son is now 17 months, and only recently has transitioned to one nap a day (though I think he sometimes needs two...). He was taking two naps a day until around 15 months, plus sleeping around 12 hours at night. Maybe he's one of the rare kids that loves to sleep, but Dr. Weissbluth says in his book that most kids get too little sleep, or interrupted sleep, and that makes for crankier kids, so we've been very firm about making sure our son gets plenty of sleep. Cuts into our social life a bit, but he's generally the sweetest little guy you ever encountered. (He's entering his "twos", though, so he may turn into Godzilla....)

My suggestions...ditch the formula...that would make her eat more...even older/toddler formulas have more calories than milk...plus, she shouldn't be getting more than 16oz of milk/formula at over a year...it causes them to not eat correctly. Get a multivitamin and switch to water or watered-down juice at meals. The more calories she gets from what she drinks, the less likely she is to eat what you offer her. At one she should eat three meals, a morning snack, and an afternoon snack...at meals she should get water or juice and in the morning when she gets up, at snack time and bed time are the only times she should get milk. She really needs only 4 servings of dairy a day...for a child over one and under four a serving is 4oz of milk or yogurt, 1oz of cheese or 1/2 cup of ice cream. Her other calories should come from fruits, veggies and grains.

good luck...my neice was a picky eater until about 6 months ago (she just turned 4) and was very small...they tried the pediasure, but it actually made things worse for the same reason the formula does...they get so many calories from it that they aren't interested in real food.

~M.

ETA: my daughter liked quartered olives, shredded cheeses, diced ham and turkey, green peas, cooked carrot sticks or bits, quartered grape tomatoes or diced tomato, cooked brocoli bits, cut green beans, and diced hard-boiled egg at that age.

I think that you might try to wean her off the formula by mixing it half with milk. Also, don't offer her it in a bottle, but instead use a sippy cup. She probably won't take as much as should does in the bottle. The sucking is very comforting so she would rather drink than eat solids. For a while you may want to give her a nighttime bottle right before bed, and then no more. I nursed my girls, however when they reached a year it was more for the comfort of being held, than for satisfying hunger. At night, when she wakes up, you can offer her a pacifeir, or a blankie, or something you feel she can associate the comfort feeling. Do not take her out of her crib. I spent many nights lying on the floor next to my daughter, until she realized that mommy wasn't going to pick her up.

Just remember that this time is harder on you than on her. It takes time, but you will get through it just in time to find a new challenge around the next corner.

T.

PS I found prayer to be very helpful for me during that phase.

God Bless

Hello, I think you should start mixing regular milk with her formula. Start this week with adding 2 oz. milk to the formula. Next week add 4 oz. milk to 4 oz. formula, then 6 oz. milk to 2 oz. formula. If all goes well that gets her off formula within a month. If you stop formula and start milk "cold turkey" you get side effects such as REALLY, REALLY stinky poo, the kind that gags you from another room, upset tummy, either constipation or diarrhea, and gas.

I don't think bottles during the night are a big issue. My Pediatric dentist said it is the holding the bottle in the mouth and letting it drip for long periods of time that causes the milk to stay on the teeth too long. People drink milk and eat food all day long and don't have rotted teeth from only brushing in the am and pm. Food and milk stays on your teeth many more hours than overnight. I think if you want her to get off the bottle then get the formula thing worked out then work on the bottle.

I think all kids go through periods of growing and they just need more food and milk. It is pretty normal about this age to have a growth spurt. It will pass. It always seemed to me that nothing really worked, their little bodies just use it up by the time it hits their stomach.

If you really worry about her nutrition then try the dietary supplements called PediaSure. It is by formula and has several flavors. My 13 month old grand daughter really likes the vanilla but not the chocolate.

I know it is scaring when your kids act like they don't want to eat but I have talked with my daughter's Dr. and she said they will eat if they are hungrey. I just make sure to have food on hand that is good for her. My daughter used to eat banana's, yogurt, pears, etc. when she wouldn't eat anything else. I have an older daughter that is 13 so the bottle thing ended right around 12 months. I would suggest trying to give her something that will fill her up right before bedtime. I also wonder if she is waking up at night b/c of nightmares and using the bottle for comfort so then during the day she isn't that hungry. I would suggest talking to her doctor to see if you should just stop feeling her during the night or not. Just make sure you have her taking a daily viatim. My daughter calls it her candy and knows she takes it every night before bed.

Good luck

J.

My 12 month old's pediatrician said that at this age they should only have 2 cups of milk (or in your case, I guess the older baby formula) a day (or less if they are also eating cheese, yogurt, etc.), because if they have too much milk they won't have room for real food. He said a common problem is giving them too much milk at that age. So try cutting back the formula and she should get hungry enough to want to eat more solid food. Mine doesn't like a lot of real food, (like table food), so I still also give her jars of baby food, which ensures she gets the nutrients from fruits and vegetables which she otherwise wouldn't want to eat. I just introduced Gerber Graduates cereal bars and she seems to like those a lot, and she loves crackers and she ate a ton of stuffing over the holidays - she couldn't get enough of it. I used the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix and it is super-quick and easy (just add to boiling water, turn off stove and wait a few minutes). You might try that to see if she will eat it. Mine drinks juice/water from a straw cup but still has formula in a bottle. As soon as I use up my last can of formula I will be switching to milk and a straw cup at the same time so hopefully I will get rid of the bottle. I think it is easier to drink from a bottle than the straw cups (which are harder to suck out of if they have the anti-leak properties), which might help them from getting too much milk. Sorry, no advice on the sleeping, I didn't have to deal with that, I got lucky with the sleeping part!

You do need to eliminate the overnight bottles of formula because of the risk of cavities. Just very gradually water them down till there's nothing in them but water. This might take a few weeks. But in itself it will reduce her interest in the overnight bottles. It will also gradually and kindly increase her interest in eating during the day!

Introduce a "nibble tray" - an ice cube tray with a great variety of nutrient-dense foods (and include a healthy dressing, hummus, soup, or other less dense dipping food or two). Let her snack on these foods at will. )But make it a rule that she always eats in one spot. Less of a choking hazard.) Studies show that toddlers will eat what their bodies need when given a choice of foods.

PS and don't worry. No child will go hungry in the face of food. Some days they won't eat much, but the next day they'll eat more to make up for it. And their tiny tummies can't hold much, anyway!

I am a parent educator not a doctor so be sure to discuss this with your doctor. Also all children are different. Babies are eating most of their food from the table by 10 months. They only need about 32 oz of formula throughout the day and should be sleeping through the night for good brain development. By 12 months you should start trying to take the bottle away because this should just be used for formula. Your baby is full with formula so she does not need to eat. If you start weaning her off the bottle she will start eating more. Keep offering different foods because sometimes it takes offering it up to 13xs before she will like it. Babies don’t need as much as we do so just offer her small healthy meals or snacks about 6xs a day and she will eat when she is hungry. She needs to learn to get herself back to sleep so you may have to let her cry a little if she wakes up but don’t let her cry over 20 mins or make herself sick. You may have to go in and rub her or talk softly to get her back to sleep but avoid eye contact. Do not offer a bottle through the night she doesn’t need it. Uninterrupted sleep is more important for good brain development and good behavior. The naps are good through the day the way she is taking them because she doesn’t need to be overly tired or she will have trouble sleeping. Although her naps may change to just one longer afternoon nap as she gets a little older.

Just like the others, I suggest getting rid of the formula and the bottles. The transition to the sippy cup can be hard, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be. Also, continue to offer her the foods you are eating yourself at mealtime. By 13 months, all 3 of my kids were eating their 3 meals each day with the rest of the family at the table. I think they enjoyed being "big" and eating what everyone else ate. If you set a good example, they will (eventually) follow.

Also, it's important to know that kids at this age don't need as much as you might think. A tablespoon or two of a vegetable is an appropriate serving size. Someone also once gave me the advice to look at what they are eating across a week instead of a single day. If you continue to offer tasty, healthy choices and not fill her up on formula, she will eat when she gets hungry. As long as she is gaining weight and developing, and you are not offering high sugar/low nutrient foods to her, she will get what she needs.

And I agree with one of the other ladies - prayer can help you so much to stop worrying and enjoy this time. It is cliche, but it is gone before you know it. I blinked my eyes and I went from 2 in diapers and one on the way to filling 3 lunch boxes each night!

I am no expert, just a mom and every child is different but your baby is taking in quite a lot of formula. That may be the reason why she isn't eating. You may want to schedule an appointment with her doctor and discuss this.
My one year old was just swiched to milk. He eats breakfast, lunch and dinner and a snck or two (sometimes). He drinks water and juice and no more than 3 bottles of milk a day. He goes to bed no later tan 8:30pm and wakes up around 4am takes a bottle and goes back down for another 2 or 3 hours.

Hey A.,
My DD is ONE, but I have experienced both of these issues. First, what is her doctor saying? I find that the best advice I get is from the doctor, because it reassures saftey and health for me, personally. My DD went to whole milk at 9 months, cold turkey, and cold milk. It has been awesome. But I have always had issues feeding her by spoon, big people food to baby jar food, she barely eats anything with her fingers. The doctor said this will come. She eats or attempts 3 meals a day, of jar food, ceral, or possible table food, which ever is easiest. Her doc says no more than 16 oz of milk a day, my DD gets 5 oz twice day for sure, first thing in the morning and night drink. But last week she didnt eat a whole meal for almost a week. My doctor said that she will not let herself starve. This is a time when kiddos naturally eat less. He told me to offer at the normal times that I always do and if she doesnt eat, then it is the "good luck" approach. I rarely gave her a snack or tried again (mainly because she never really let me know she was hungry AKA crying) So Sunday I sat her down, and bam she ate, and hasnt missed a meal. My personal opinion or adivce, would be, to get her on a stricter meal schedule, with way less milk. She is getting her calories from the milk and that is a huge part of your problem. Milk shouldnt be the source of MOST of her daily calories. She can still have it, just not as much. She wont starve, that is hard, but over 6 months of trouble eating, my daughter eats when she is hungry. Night time, my doc would say and I would say, she isnt hungry, this is a habit. I got trapped into to this twice, and learned after a few days, oh my, she trapped me. Just last night, my DD woke up about 1:30 am crying. I always wait at least 10-15 min, she usually falls right back to sleep in less than 5 min. I give her a chance to put herself back to sleep. The main key to this being successful was, her sleeping in her own bed, her own room, and letting her go to sleep on her own. I didnt let her "cry it out" until she was 6 months. It was the BEST thing for her and our family. It took one time of her really upset, a few days of just minutes of whinning or crying. Now, she takes naps, and goes to bed without my help. I lay her down, wide eyed. If you help your DD learn this, it will help break that night time stuff. But you have to hold back from going in her room. Try it on the weekend, when you dont have to work! YOU CAN DO IT! Because our girls seem to be on the exact same sleeping schedule I am going to show you our eating routine.
Wake up- 5 oz milk
9-9:30 cereal and fruit
10:30 Nap (sometimes I give her 2or3 oz of milk) up to 2 hr nap
12-1 lunch jar food
2 I offer her a snack (this is new that my doc wants us to do) like cherios. Sometimes she eats sometimes she doesnt
3:30 nap
5-6 dinner jar food
8 bedtime, 5 oz milk.
FYI: We got rid of the bottel at 10 months, that may help these habits also.
**I also wanted to say that her doc said that as long as she is up enough during the day to learn, walk, play, talk, develop that they cant sleep too much, because my DD MUST nap 2-4 hrs day and sleeps 12 hrs night, you know when your child is sleepy. You need to find that fine line of listen to your kiddo and implementing that there is a schedule and that mom is going to practice it! For Ex: We eat dinner at 6 at the table. I let my DD eat between 5 and 6 if she needs to, but still around that time frame, but always at the table.
GOOD LUCK

Hi A.,
I adopted my children and had to learn really quick feeding schedules, etc. I got my children at four days old and five weeks old. I had three hours to get ready for their arrival. I asked my pediatrician to guide me along the way and learned a lot.

First of all, it's time to switch your daughter to Vitamin D milk.(Take her formula and slowly cut back on it, adding Vitamin D milk in the formula) Ex. 4oz. Formula, 2 oz.formula, 2 oz. vit D milk. Next 3 oz. Vit. D milk, 1 oz. formula. Then go to straight Vit. D. Milk. She will get all of the nutrients she needs with this milk. She really should be having two-3 ounces of milk at each meal. It does not mean she will drink all of it, but that's how much should be in her sippy cup. She should be on table food by now.

Schedule for meals
Breakfast--- meal, fruit, 2-3 oz. milk (remember she is eating table food which is a lot more filling so she does not need as much milk)

Snack ----- Fruit/puffs/vegetable/yogurt/ or whatever she likes, 1-2 ounces juice (start off with pear juice and half it with water) Pear juice is easiest on the stomach. Ex. 1 ounce pear juice/ 1 ounce water equals 2 ounces. Or two ounces juice/ 2 ounces water.

Lunch ----- meal, 2-3 ounces Vit. D milk, fruit/vegetable
(she is only thirteen months, so the pediatrician said to judge how much they should eat use their age) For example: she is one she should eat a tablespoon of each of whatever is on her plate. Note: Sometimes depending on what you serve them, they get full faster.

*****************Nap*************************************

Give her a little time to wake up, then give her snack

Snack ----- Fruit, puffs, crackers, etc., 1-2 ounces juice (remember 1/2 it with water) **Juice needs to be halved with water till they are two years old because its harsh on their little stomachs***

Dinner ---- meal, 2-3 ounces Vit. D milk, fruit/vegetable

Snack ----- fruit/yogurt/puffs/etc. whatever she likes. We normally would feed them fruit or yogurt, 2-3 ounces Vit. D Milk.

*** It will seem like she's eating all day long, but you are teaching her to eat 6 small meals which gives them all the calories they need.

***********************************************************
Now let's talk about naptimes.
She should not be taking two naps anymore. Do whatever it takes to keep her up in the morning. Get on the floor and play with her, go walk outside, etc. It will be rough at first to break that morning nap, but it will be well worth it. She should only take one nap a day for about two hours, after lunch. My children sleep from 12-2-30. Try and have a set time to put her down. I always put mines down by 12-12:30. and they are now two and three and they still go down at that time.

Before bedtime, try and bath her no later than 6:30-7:00, give her a snack around 7:30, and put her down for 8:00. She may not need a full snack, she may just want her milk, if so, give her up to 4 ounces of milk and this should hold her up through the night. She may even fall asleep on her sippy cup.

**** Put her down for the night******* Try and keep her sleeping in her room, not yours. This will help her in the long run to be a more independent child. If she wakes during the night, go and quietly give her, her pacifier. or if she doesn't use that, go and lay her back down, and re-tuck her in. It may take a little while for her to get use to this, but trust me you/her will have a much more peaceful rest at night. You will know that her tummy is full and she just needs to get used to this routine.
** Try your hardest to go in her room and re-tuck her without talking to her*** Give her a gentle kiss and walk out of the room.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
A.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com

****Having a routine is very important.*** You will see there will be less chaos with a routine.

Don't worry about her age and the bottle! I let mine have a bottle as long as he wanted it and as long as he ate his foods. As for getting her to eat!! That's a problem. Have you tried just sticking with baby food a little longer. She really does need the food and i am sure that would help with the night because at that age she certainly needs the sleep and so do you. My son was a great eater early on but became picky as he grew his own opinions. He's still a good eater, but very selective!! If your daughter is already being that against foods, i am afraid that your troubles will only get worse. There's also ensure which helps to curb the hunger better than the formula. I keep those on hand for those not so healthy eating days. Best of luck! And, i hope others have a lot more advice for you than i do!! But, i know most mothers and doctors would attack me for saying so, i wouldn't worry about the bottle itself, just find a way to add the food!!
Have a great day and god bless!!

As long as you continue with bottles, she will do this. Bottles become habits that are hard to break. The four or five bottles are filling her up, she is too full to eat. Offer her food with no drink until the habit of bottle drinking is gone. Try foods that are kid friendly to start. Mac and cheese, ff, finger foods that are tasty. Gradually get into the bigger foods. It will take a while, but it will work.

Same for night time. Bottles are a habit. Give her a cup of water, if she does not want it put her back to bed. It will take time, but the habit will be broken and she will soon sleep all night.

Good Luck
S. Miller