My 14 month old son loves food, but only if it is stage 2 baby food or a bottle or yogurt. He will only eat things that have absolutely no texture and he can't even stand the smell of any kind of meat, eggs or beans. I keep trying new foods with texture, like stage 3 foods and he gags the whole time and then refuses to eat anything else. I keep giving him formula because I am so afraid he is not getting enough iron and other nutrients. He is very healthy and well above average in weight and height. He also just got his first tooth about 2 weeks ago.
I want to thank you all for your wonderful advice. I will try the things suggested (that I haven't tried already:)
My son was the same way - he never liked the stage 3 at all, didn't eat much "food" at all - but he did love his formula. (He was breast fed for the first 10 months). I wouldn't worry too much - I had great luck with macaroni & cheese - to this day it is still his favorite. He's 2 1/2 now, still over 97% in both height and weight and very healthy.
Try not to worry! It will work itself out eventually!
try putting adult foods into a food processor, so that he gets nutrients. Mashed potatoes always work too, applesauce, pudding, etc. but try the processor idea, one of my girlfriends had to do that with her daughter. Good luck!!
Same thing happened to me!!!! Take him to the speech therapist. That's not normal. It was corrected within a month! I'm so happy! =)
Good luck.
S.
I would forget stage 3 foods- it confuses them- especially if he has a hard time with texture- it confuses them to have smooth w/ lumps..
my niece also wouldn't eat texture & my sister brought her toa feeding specialist- long story short:
she was told to add crushed graham cracker crumbs to my niece's yogurt to get her used to texture-
VERY SLOWLY- like a few crumbs one day, a little more the next day-
seriously taking a LONG TIME to build up to getting the yogurt to be thick w/ the crumbs-I'd say it took a few months but she eventually got with it & now eats everything!
good luck!
It's probably just a phase. Keep in mind God makes every child different. My son seemed to want to drink drink drink all day and I still have a hard time getting him to eat his meat. I think we'd be surprised if we could see how much they know about what their bodies need. I was shocked to hear that sometimes even we, as grown women, get cravings for chalk or other weird things and it's all part of our bodies telling us that we're lacking in certain elements. As long as the only thing your child will partake in is candy or something you know is bad for him, don't worry too much. Especially if he doesn't even have very many teeth. That's probably one reason for why he doesn't like solids. As long as he's getting plenty of vitamin d for his teeth and bones and yet he's still tooth-lacking, I wouldn't worry. Just keep in mind, this too shall pass and sooner than you think, he'll be eating everything in sight. In the meantime, I'd probably puree some foods just to get him interested. Staying home makes that a little easier, right? Best wishes to you. - Alli
That's how my son was for a period of time!!! I mashed all the food veggies, rice and soft stuff like that. My son finally decided to eat chicken last year...but meat won't even look at it!! So, it will get better but talk to your pedriatician just in case he can recommend something or some vitamins just in case!!! Good luck!
buy a blender and use fresh vegetables, etc. May help.
My 26 month old son still won't, so Im with ya!! He hates meat all together.
Just keep trying, I don't believe the formula is necessary but ask your pediatrician........Neither one of my children would eat Stage 3 foods ever.....it either needed to be totally mush like stage 2 or a solid!!! My son is 15 months old and I often still give him stage two.....try noodles with lots of butter.....are you trying to put them in a bowl or feed with a fork?!?!? Babies WANT/NEED to touch/taste the food themselves....just throw a few noodles or cheerios on his high chair tray and let him explore and get messy!!! LOL!!!
start with things that he can pick up ...like Cherrios, raisins, and little pieces of cheese. Let him pick them up and you will see such a difference. My youngest was the same way and that was the only way I could make the transition.
Hi Rachel,
Have you ever read any of the pH Miracle books by Dr. Robert O. Young or any of Dr. Gabriel Cousens books? If you have not, do so and you will have a better understanding of what I am talking about. I am also available to coach you or if you just have other questions. We have been taught that our bodies do not get enough protein, vitamins and minerals if we do not eat some type of animal protein or dairy products. This in fact is not the case and it is proven over and over again every day through my and my Life Partner Jason's working with people every day breaking them from the "traditional food pyramid" mold.
I will tell you a bit about me currently and then we will discuss your son and his likes and dislikes. I am now almost 5 months pregnant and had my last piece of meat 6 months ago (I used to eat meat on occasion because I liked it and certainly not because I thought I needed it). You might be asking where I would be getting my B12, Iron and protein from? Well...might be hard to believe but, vegetables. Dark green veggies like spinach, kale, broccoli etc. are packed with these nutrients and tons of it that your body is actually able to digest and use. I just had my blood work done and I am in great shape! I do not eat dairy products and get all the calcium I need from Almond milk and green vegetables and same with my protein.
Our bodies have a really hard time digesting animal proteins and foods that are cooked to death (a message that your son’s body is giving him even before he has a taste). Vegetables have naturally occurring enzymes in them that literally cause them to digest themselves when eaten whit just a little assistance from the body. This is why chewing your food very well or eating pureed food is so great for you because the less energy your body has to spend to digest food the more there is for you body to use for more important things, like in your son's case, growing and playing. Our intestines are very delicate and it takes time for a baby’s intestines to develop. Some children develop much slower than others. Your son might just be telling you that his body is not ready for the solids yet. There is no need to push him into it; he will let you know when he is ready. We as adults are so desensitized to the messages that our bodies give us that we do not notice them at all. Your son is actually still in tune with his body and is listening to its messages. Another excellent resource is “Baby Greens” by Micheaela Lynn and Michael Chrisemer, N.C. Please feel free to contact me if you would like our help in coaching you on your family’s nutrition. I look forward to speaking with you.
Good Luck!
Nandi ###-###-####
