How Do I Get My 6 Month Old to Eat? She Only Wants to Nurse...

Babies actually do not need or really have food as meals until closer to a year- six months is earlier- as long as she is nursing adequately then you are just fine!
The longer you can let their little systems grow and mature the better. My fifth baby is 9 1/2 months and a little nursling as well- he just started eating some solid foods (I don't don't do baby food either so he can have what he can handle from our table- oatmeal- brown rice- squash- etc. When the eat food when they are older they are able to eat big food and use their practice chewing muscles!) He still isn't replacing any nursings with meals- somedays he nurses more than eats and some days its about even- although he always still nurses atleast 60 minutes collectively per day in order for me to keep my period away.

In short- don't stress it- she doesn't need it and may be trying to tell you she is not ready. Let her have her nursings, she can play eat my gnawing on celery, carrots, even hard apples- which will also help her with teething!
During your family meals offer little tastes from off your plate- she will love expiramenting with new tastes and textures.
Let her lead you in the food area and you will have a stress free, great eater, naturally!

The whole "babies need" thing actually came about during the begining of the formula trend because babies didn't get as much nutrition from formula as breastmilk- so food was pushed earlier- couple that with breastfeeding moms who start dieting and the medical society went bizerko and really started pushing solids earlier.

We are getting better though- my moms generation was that of bottle and cereal in the bottle for a newborn=-( (my poor brother got the brint of that trend)

I am SO HAPPY YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING!!!!! Drink lots of water, keep your supply happy and don't worry- your baby will be ready to eat on her own within the next few months and you will be happy you waited!

When my daughter was about 8 months, I was worried because she would rather nurse than eat anything. There were only two or three things she'd eat, but not consistently. My doctor told me not to stress it. She said that babies can be exclusively breastfed for a year. That was such a relief.

She is now a healthy 13 year old who eats what normal 13 year olds eat. She will try new things unless they are spicy.

Your baby will be fine! Enjoy your time nursing. You are building precious memories!

S.

Totally normal if she is sick or teething. Food probably does not taste good to her if she is sick. If the nursing is wearing you down try supplementing with pumped breast milk or formula. She may just be doing it for comfort as well. Try to not let her fall into this habit. It is draining on you and not necessary for her to be nursing all day long. Try a pacifier and see of it helps. The sleeping more should be a blessing since most sick babies stay awake all of the time. She could be going through a growth spurt. Babies tend to sleep more when they are growing.

She could be teething right now. Try some Aceteminephin or some Orajel and feel around in there. Also if she is drooling alot that is another sign. My boys never ate well when they were cutting teeth or were sick. I am actually still going through this right now with my 18 month old that has a cold. Just keep the fluids up and keep trying.

There are a lot of reasons she could be doing this. Here are a few things I thought of:
Is she teething?
Have you checked her mouth & throat for sores?
Is she showing any signs of tummy trouble?
Have you been preoccupied with other things that are taking your attention off of her a little more than she would like?
These are things that can effect her eating or not.
Hope this helps.
:o)
S.

Outside of the other responses, some babies are just more hands on themselves. I have a friend that couldn't get her baby to eat anything because she was trying to always feed him. She finally decided to give him the spoon and he made a total mess, ate about 1/4 of what was put in front of him but he was just the type that didn't want mom to do it for him. After that, she gave him things like the Gerber Puffs and he ate them perfectly. Another thing is that some babies just don't like the taste of jarred baby food or a particular brand. I had one child that would only eat the organics if he was offered baby food. I will say too that I personally don't agree with the you have to start with vegetables method because once you give them the sweet stuff, that's all they'll want type thinking. I alternated but started with fruits and all of my kids except one are great vegetable eaters. The youngest, I actually did all fruits first and the only difference was that she wouldn't eat a single jarred vegetable but she'll eat most of them even raw (of course she's almost 18 months now). As an infant, I would give her whatever we were eating pureed in my Magic Bullet. One more thing, I'm not sure if anyone mentioned a growth spurt but I hear kids nurse more during those too.

Don't push her if she is not ready to eat. Some babies have allergies and naturally avoid food to build their immune system with nursing. A baby does not really need solids until over a year and can even go as long as 3 years without taking solids.

No child of any age wants to be forced to eat. It's one of the biggest mistakes some parents make. It's understandable why. We see media images of people spoon feeding babies and we think that's how it's done. The accurate portrayals are the ones where the baby is spitting out, or worse, throwing the food. If you start forcing your child to eat now, you will soon have a defiant toddler who refuses to eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries. The best way to interest any child in any food is to enjoy it in front of them. Eat some of what you want your child to eat, and when she shows interest, give her some. Then let her feed the portion you give her to herself with her pincer grasp or an infant utensil. This is an important aspect of her development. As at any good daycare, food should never be forced in a child. If you always offer your child choices, give them control over their own feeding, and enjoy wholesome food in front of them, they will happily try anything.

If your daughter would rather nurse for a bit longer, especially being that she is sick, I would not push the issue. Remember how even chocolate can taste yucky to you when you are sick? Maybe her foods taste funny to her.Try mixing some rice cereal with your pumped milk and see if she likes that better for now. Hope she feels better soon.

I think people put to many issues on the possibility of it being teething.While teething causes discomfort babies usually still like to eat and chew when a tooth is coming in. Children's apetite usually go down when their not feeling well and sometimes it takes a day or 2 after their well to get back into eating good. Just keep offering her table food...if she was doing fine before, it will more than likely pick back up. If it last longer than a week or 2 call your doctor...it could be something your not noticing like an ear infections coming on.

I think it is because she is sick...maybe he has a sore throat and the nursing feels good during the day.

Once she is well she will probably begin eating solids again.

Also...she may be going through a growth spurt and her body needs the calories from nursing.

Good Luck!

B.

You said she was sick not too long ago but you didn't say with what. Being sick will cause her not to want to eat baby food. Nursing is comfort to a baby and baby foods may be hard for her to swallow if she has a sore throat, sores in her mouth or if it upsets her tummy. If it continues I'd take her to see the Dr for a good once over and see what he thinks. Otherwise, stick with the nursing and offer her baby food at least once a day till she starts to come around again.

Good luck!
S.
www.shariegraf.scent-team.com

I have 4 children and have nursed all of them for more than a year. Your description sounds just like the way my children acted when they were sick. I think nursing is a comfort for them when they are sick and it surely must make them feel better. But watch out because you may be sore if you are nursing her more than normal. Try to put some Lansinoh cream on your nipples so that you don't get too bad. Hope this helps.

They say that a baby can survive on breast milk alone for a year. Some people are opposed to putting rice in the baby's bottles but my doctor wasnt and I did it with both my kids starting around 3 months. Both my kids were big babies and liquid alone would not fill them. My doctor didnt want me increasing their ounces exponentially so she suggested the adding rice to the bottle. Lots of people including doctors will tell you not to do this....your choice I believe. Just stick a toothpick in the nipple and boil it. then let it cool and take out toothpick. It should make nipple a little bigger. There are also feeding nipples for some types of bottles. There are also "fast" nipples. Sometimes those work well enough. I used to put like a teaspoon in 6 ounces...I think....that was three years ago. Good luck.

i didn't even start my son on food until he was just over 6 months. Even then, he was okay to try it, but primarily nursed for 18 months. Especially if he was not feeling well, he only wanted to nurse. I say trust her body to know what she needs and if it's your milk, give it to her until she starts wanting solids again. Breast is Best. As long as she is taking the boob, she is getting everything she needs and you have nothing to worry about.

She could be teething. The desire to eat will come and go. Don't force it or she could resent solid foods. Be supportive and plan to continue nursing as long as possible. The World Health Organization recommends 2 years supplemental nursing. American Pediatrics recommend at least a year. As long as she's nursing she's getting the nutrients she needs. Some kids don't get really interested in solids until around a year. Good luck!

If she was sick recently, she is not going to want food. She finds comfort in nursing. My eldest daughter, who is now 4 yrs. old, got an ear infection when she was two for almost four months. In that time I got really worried because she would not eat. When she got better, she would eat almost as much as her daddy at one sitting, we had to make her stop. Most of the time, children will eat when they are hungry, and they go through stages of eating and not eating.

My son is 18 months old and I have now been through similiar scenarios with him several times. I have learned to quit worrying about his solid food intake when he is getting sick or even getting over being sick. The best thing for a baby or child when they are sick is alot of fluids so they stay hydrated. Nursing your baby will not only hydrate her, but will boost her immunities to help her fight the virus or infection that she has. It is also a source of comfort for her when she does not feel well. I nursed my son as well and I remember it was exhausting when he would want to increase the number of times he nursed. It didn't last for long. Soon, her appetite will be back to normal.
You are giving your baby the best and you will be glad you did!

It may be because she isnt feeling well, I get nausea and dont want to eat when I am sickly. Aside from that, if she is only 6 months old, she doesnt need to be eating food yet. The doctors told me no food until they are a year old, less chance of choking. I would continue nursing. And of course, follow the doctors orders. The extra sleeping may also be because she doesnt feel well, our bodies heal while we rest.