Babies Won't Eat!

From what I remember (I have twin girls who are now 6 years old), babies one year and younger can get ALL their nutritional needs met by breastmilk or formula (both of which are more calorically dense than solid foods) so more "meals" could actually be *decreasing* the amount of calories they get per day

perhaps your daughter can consult a pediatric nutritionist? Sometimes pediatricians can be a bit overeager to push solid foods as the "cure all' for young babies' nutritional needs when that might not be the case. Also, nutritionist Ellyn Satter's book "Child of Mine, Feeding with Love and Good Sense" is a good practical resource about child nutrition

And if your daughter's not already connected with a parents of multiples club, I highly recommend checking it out - great place to connect with other new parents as well as with "been there/done that" parents who can provide encouragement and info on what sorts of things they found helpful in caring for two (or more) babies at once.

http://www.NOMOTC.org can help you find the club nearest you (they have a "zip code locator" that will direct you to the clubs in your area). The parents of multiples club for the Oakland/Berkeley East Bay area is Twins by the Bay http://www.twinsbythebay.org

Hi D.,
A 10 month old should be drinking formula about 3 times daily, a total of 22-28 ounces. My daughter loves Morningstar brand chicken nuggets and burgers cut into small pieces. Sweet potatoes, winter squash, tofu, and wheat germ are all good sources of iron. If the boys are getting too much formula they will be too full to eat anything else. At that age, I would wait until the end of the meal to give my daughter her formula. Here is a link to a website that gives a list of iron rich foods for infants. http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/Iron.htm

Good luck,
L.

I have a great pediatric nutritionist in Menlo Park. If interested, contact me.

I will say that on my last visit, she said that babies under one year are fine with just breastmilk or formula and that all solids, are considered practice for future meals. And they are less calorie-dense than breastmilk or formula. As for anemia, that can be solved by a vitamin supplement. Strange that her pediatrician is pushing meals and has not mentioned the iron supplement.

Hi D.,

I bet your daughter is really stressing out about this, poor thing. My little guy refused "baby food" but loves to self feed. Has she tried offering cheerios, small fruits, cheese etc. that they can feed themselves?

Just a side note: I was in my Dr. office full of concern that Finn wouldn't eat solid foods. He shared a story with me about an 11 month old that refused purees for months and told me that when he finally came around it was to Thai food. He wanted full flavor, not bland baby food. Go figure!

Good luck to the kids and to your daughter!

T. :)

Hi D.-
I was just wondering if she has tried finger foods that they can feed themselves. My daughter never really prefered baby food, but loved being able to feed her self pasta, fruit, veggies, cheerios, waffles, toast... at that age.
Just a thought. Good luck!

Have her try Chicken nuggets cut up small or pancakes they have always been my daughters favorites. Also, have her give formula at a different time than breakfast lunch and dinner. I always gave three 8 ounce bottles of formula per day at 6:00 AM, 11 AM and 3:30 PM and that was it and regular times for her solid meals.