My 10.5 month old baby won't sit down and eat!!!

Question

I have a 10 and half month old baby boy. He is super high energy, to be honest, I've never seen a baby like him. I am very worried because he won't sit down and eat, I try to give him wheat or oat cereal every morning and night and I just end up freaking out on him cause he won't open his mouth, and he is always just trying to get out of his high chair. I end up putting his cereal inside his bottle every morning and night. He drinks 4 bottles a day 8 ounces each. For lunch I give him whatever we are having, little pieces of carrot or veggies or chicken and he eats some but I am worried it's not enough. He is a slim baby, and all of my friends babies are fatter than him. He looks healthy but these things keep worrying me! Has anybody had the same experience? Is he eating enough? What should I do?

Answer 1

my baby is 16 Mths and he does the same thing hes hungry and crying but he wont open his mouth one thing that works for me is either i give him smtng to lookat and touch then he opens up his mouth or i hold him and feed him ... but maybe u could try adding a lil bit of cinnamon to the oatmeal or cereal /b/c sometimes they dont like it b/c it tasted gougy...GOOD LUCK

Answer 2

Maybe he doesnt like the cereal..Have you ever ate that stuff? Its nasty...At 10 1/2 months he should be on a sippy..give him finger foods for breaksfast...Pancakes,toast.french toast. dry cereal...Maybe he will like feeding himself better and sit down..He will eat when he is hungry and he will let you know when that is...my son is 14 months at 22 pounds very slim but eats like a horse..all kids are different..good luck

Answer 3

Thin babies are fine. :) As long as the doctor isn't concerned you shouldn't be, either.

Sounds like mealtime has become horrible for both of you. I know those struggles and they are not fun. At this age, if he's hungry, he'll eat. I would stop putting cereal in the bottle and cut down from 32 oz. (not all in one day!). Right now, he's probably just not hungry after all of that milk and cereal. And then he thinks dinnertime is just keeping him from playing!

I have a 2yo daughter and I'm learning (slowly!) that she grows in and out of phases (sleep problems, eating problems, etc) and all I can do is try and help her through them. But if it's getting to the point where I am losing my cool with her, I realize it's just not worth it. That's not the kind of parent I want to be and it just makes us both unhappy. Much of the time, if I drop whatever I'm harping on, she'll end up doing the "right" thing anyway. I think all we can do is have expectations and try to help them meet those expectations. But if they can't meet them, well, we try again another time. :)

Answer 4

He is trying to become more independent.

Why isn't he feeding himself fruits, veggies and pick up cereal ?

You need to be able to settle this child down .He is only an infant now.

Make sure you sit with him and interact with each other.

If that won't work [ he is still very young yet] put small pieces of food on the place mat that he can eat off of when he wants to.

Good luck.

Answer 5

If he is drinking 32 ounces of formula each day, then I wouldn't worry about how much or how little solids he is eating. He is getting enough calories and important nutrients from formula, so solids are not crucial. If he doesn't like the cereal, then I would stop giving it to him. There is no reason why he needs it. Plus, putting it in a bottle is not recommended for various reasons - choking, overfeeding, etc...

He sounds like a baby who might just prefer to feed himself. And that is what I would let him do. Put some soft or mashed healthy food on his tray two to three times each day, then let him do what he wants with it. If he doesn't eat much, no big deal. He will still explore it, which is really what solids are all about when a baby is under 12 months. If he doesn't seem interested, then don't push him. Otherwise, you are going to have a baby that associates meals with bad feelings - not good.

I would try to relax. He is getting enough formula, so there is no need to push solids.  

Answer 6

Does he have teeth already? If so he does not have to have cereal. You can give him fruit, veggies, little bit of jelly on bread. Try some pancake, very little syrup. He obviously does not like his high chair... and if he does not, it is not a biggy. I would just feed him, as he is standing, sitting, playing with toys. He is to old to have his cereal in a bottle.

Super high energy ?? Have him checked for celiac .