My DS Won't Eat

HI

Try taking some of the Orajel and just spred it all over the gums. Just because you can not feel teeth dose not mean that they are not in the gums moving other teeth around. My 15 week old has teeth moving around all the time. We started using the Orajel all over the gums (not just over the teeth that we could feel) and she is doing a lot better.

My baby went through a period of time at about 9 months where she wouldn't eat hardly any solid foods, and she stopped taking bottles completely. She nursed, but she wouldn't take a bottle when I was gone. She grew out of it after a few weeks, I think it was just because she didn't need it at the time. She wasn't growing. Babies know when they want to eat, and when they don't. But the most important thing is not to force him, and to make mealtimes enjoyable or else he will refuse to eat just because he dreads it.

The diarrhea is another issue. Your doctor is right, he needs to be drinking, and whatever you can get him to drink is good. Even if he will only drink water out of a waterbottle with a straw let him do it. My daughter really likes the sippy cups that have a straw on them. It is easier for her to get the water out of it, so you could try that. They have them everywhere, Target, Walmart, Babies R Us... also, he is probably clingy and fussy because his tummy hurts. Whenever my baby is sick she gets like that. The diarrhea could be due to teething, but that doesn't change the fact that it will dehydrate him. Also, fevers are EXTREMELY dehydrating, so if he doesn't start taking in more liquids, take him to the Pediatrician on Monday to make sure he isn't getting too dehydrated. Pedialyte is a great idea if things don't get better today.

I really hope your little one gets better. But i'm sure the eating will work itself out. He is only 9 months old, and he doesn't necessarily need all that much solid food. He will eat more when he is ready. Good luck!

I love the advice Cassandra gave you. The only thing I can add is that my kids (and many of my friends/their children) have had a stomach bug for the last few weeks where either one has a fever, low appetite, stomach upset, diarrhea, etc. It's been different for all of us, there doesn't seem to be a "normal symptom", just a general "ick" feeling.

I agree it might be teething (all three of my children have acted like this when getting their first molars/incisors), but if it's not, try to give him things like lightly-salted crackers or things of that sort to make him thirsty so he'll take his sippy cup. Another thing I think of is, if he won't take his sippy (which he himself controls) he may be wanting comfort from having you hold his cup/straw/water bottle. From what you've said, I don't see this as a behavior for attention, but more of a "Mommy, I'm sick, I need a hug" feeling.

As far as his appetite, children will never starve themselves. My son was notorious at that age for holding food in his mouth at dinner time, just to spit it out later. It drove me NUTS! I was so worried he wasn't getting what he needed. Our pediatrician pointed out that their little tummies just aren't on our adult schedule. :) As long as he's not running a fever, and is at least getting some fluids in him, I wouldn't worry too much.

I hope he's feeling better soon! :)

The diarreah should tell you that his little tummy is upset. He is eating enough probably to sustain him. If the diarreah continues, take him back to the doctor maybe he has a bacterial infection that is causing a prolonged case. Try offering him some yogurt. There are wonderful types of baby yogurt out there. Try the BRAT diet, banana, rice, applesauce,toast. Just hang in there. If you feel that he may be losing weight, take him to doctor and ask that they do a stool sample. A friend of mine had her son in a hospital for 4 days with crypto and something like that really takes a toll on their tiny bodies.

Your son's biggest problem in the diarrhea. Have you told his pediatrician about the problem? That is a good first step. In the meantime, you must insure that he does not get dehydrated. Pedialyte is very good for this, IF you can get him to drink it. Do not give him milk products. I'm old school, so if you cannot get him to drink Pedialyte, soften the water with sugar and see if he will drink that. See if he will eat soda crackers or dry toast. Let his pediatrician know what is going on, above all else.

What did the doctor say about the diarrhea? Whatever else is going on with your son, he has to be dehydrated due to low liquid intake AND diarrhea. Diarrhea for an entire week for an infant is nothing to brush off. Will he drink Pedialite? Look into giving him probiotics and/or yogurt or kefir with *live active cultures* to help replenish the "good" bacteria his digestive track is losing due to the diarrhea. If he can get rehydrated, his appetite may very well pick up. I was once so dehydrated I had to have fluids through an I.V.

Now about the diarrhea, have any new foods/drinks been introduced in the last couple of weeks? Any change to his schedule? His environment?

Just in case this might all be due to teething, I would recommend Hyland's Teething Tablets. You can get them at Walgreen's, co-ops, and Whole Foods.

worry less about the amount of food or formula hes having, and more about his general health. besides the separation anxiety, is he acting normally otherwise? is he active as he used to be, is he learning new things, is he excited about playing or the things hes usually excited about? if he has had a sudden drastic change in personality, i would take him into the doctor just to be sure there isnt a food allergy, illness, or something like that...
so dont worry about how MUCH he eats, this is probably temporary, and he will start chowing down again soon.
one thing you can make sure of is to give him very nutritious things when he does eat; fruits vegetables, whole grains. cheerios is good. pieces of fruit are VERY interesting to babies as they taste REALLY good. so thats a good idea.
good luck.

see if your dr. will refer you to the children's hospital feeding clinic for an evaluation and possibly some therapy to get him to eat. It helped us out tremendously.

If his growth is fine, I would say stop worrying and he will eat when he is hungry. Just make his food count. If he is little, avocados and black olives have fat. And I would give him one piece at a time until he will eat one piece and actually swallow it.

However, if this is all new, and he has diarrhea, could he be sick? As I read this again I thought maybe either it hurts to swallow or his tummy hurts. I would chat with the doctor. If you don't trust your doc, find a new one.

If he isn't sick you might have one who eats for a few days and then doesn't. I don't know many kids who don't go on some kind of feeding strikes at some point. Some kids have more extreme phases than others.

Good luck!