Help with Feeding 10 Month Old

Relax! If she is breastfeeding, she is fine. This is normal. My daughter did the same thing.
Keep in mind that in the first year, babies are not getting much nutrition from their solids. The purpose of feeding a baby in the first year is to give them textural experience. Babies who really need the extra food will eat.
Again, Relax! Read - Let the Baby Drive by Lu Hanessian

We went through the same thing with our daughter, now 15 mo. She wouldn't eat solids til about 6, once cereal was established, we started on fruits/veggies. After 2 weeks I had to start mixing the gerber 1's with cereal cause they were too thin and she wouldn't eat them, just spit them out. Then we went to G 2's, then 3's. At 9-10 mos, she just stopped eating and whined. It took me a few days, but I figured out that she didn't want me to feed her anymore. She wanted to do it herself. So I moved her right up to Graduates, diced fruits/veggies & meat sticks that I just cut up for her. Immediately, everything was fine. She didn't get her fist tooth til 11 mo, and now has six. Most of the foods are still soft enough and those baby gums are way hard, so she had no problem grinding them up. Maybe you should consider that. She might just be trying to exert a little independence and wants to start self feeding. Of course, before breastfeeding.

I agree with Jen B. She likely has decided she wants to try self feeding. The tough thing is that she won't be very proficient at it. Give her a few cheerios that she can try to get to her mouth and in between bites feed her the baby food. That way she gets to try while you get the peace of mind that she's still getting what you want her to eat.

Hey, S.! Just to give you an idea of my experience, I've raised two daughters to adulthood and co-parented my two granddaughters with my oldest daughter. Lot's of parenting history. :>)

My gut reaction is you've got teeth on the way. Eating and nursing distress can start weeks before there are any signs of teeth actually breaking through the gums. As long as she is getting her other foods and nursing well, don't worry. Take your cues from your Little Lady. If she seems happy eating some solids go for it. If, after a few bites she becomes distressed, don't fight her with it. It may be teeth or it may just be a phase she's going through (oh, there will be many of those) but believe me, babies won't let themselves starve. Not making meal time a battle zone is going to be much better for both of you.

I'll second the RELAX! :o) As long as she is breastfeeding, you know she is getting adequate nutrition. You don't want to push solids, b/c you want her to always have a positive, healthy experience with food. She'll gain interest again. Just keep nursing on demand, and give her opportunities to eat solids daily, but don't stress if she doesn't eat anything. Some babies don't like pureed foods, so she may be more interested once she has some teeth to help her chew. And I do think that LLL recommends solids after nursing (what you're doing) b/c you want to make sure she's getting her nutrition and not filling up on the solids.
Sounds like you're doing a great job!

Does she have any other symptoms? This may just be a phase and will get better. I have four kids and they all were that way at some point. But it didn't persist. If it persists or if she has other symptoms, she may need to be seen by her doctor. I would think this will pass eventually... I only breastfed my children for the first year and didn't introduce food until after their first birthday. Maybe she is getting enough milk and isn't hungry? Good luck to you!

The advice others gave is good. I have 2 10 1/2 mo old girls and they go through phases of eating well and not-so-well. Usually it's teething but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

try giving a little food before you breastfeed. like the other comments i agree that you shouldn't worry. could be teeth, could be a phase. good luck!

Hi S.,

Your daughter may be expressing her naturally instincts! It is actually not necessary to feed a child regular food until age one. Before age one their stomach lining is not fully developed and they can actually develop food allergies as a result of eating food too soon. Breast milk should be plenty until she is a year old. If you really feel the need to supplement, baby rice cereal is the gentlest and most easily digestible. You can simply mix in a little breast milk to sweeten it. :)

Best of luck! :)

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven

My doctor told me that when you start feeding soilds that you should feed the food first breast second.

S.,
Just a thought but my pediatrician told me not to monitor my child's eating by the day but by the week. He told me that children will eat when they are hungry. Also have you tried to introduce healthy snacks instead of three square meals? As my son got older he ate less at meals and more at snack time. I just made sure that we had lots of fruit and veggies on hand that were available when he was hungry. When she gets hungry she will eat. Watch for weight loss, but don't panic if she doesn't eat the way she did before. Hope this helps!

She is probably just full from the milk. Try feeding her one jar first, then nursing. Good luck...A.

My vote is teething. My son started teething MONTHS before any teeth came to the surface. We used the Hyland teething pills (homeopathic), and they worked well for him. You can get them at Walgreens and probably some other places. Also try giving her a cold carrot to chew on (full size). The cold soothes the gums, and the carrot can help work the tooth through. My son's teething got so bad that all he did all day long was whine and cry.

Good luck