Conference moira::parenting

    FWIW - my mother said that I gave up the bottle at 5 months...She
    said she tried everything to get me to take it and I just would
    not!  She still fed me formula (I was also on cereal/vegies/fruit)
    from a cup....Messy - but it worked!

    Kat lost all interest in the bottle once she got settled into
    solid food.  I think she was a bit older, about 7 months, but I
    don't remember exactly.  I know it was way younger than what kids
    are "supposed" to still be on the bottle...
    
    --bonnie

    Avanti (3.3 years) lost all interest (if she had any) in formula when
    she was 3 months old. We fed her formula with a spoon since she would
    not drink from a bottle. We started her on solid food at 4 months. She
    hated the bottled stuff (I would too!) so we would cook rice, lentils
    (typical Asian Indian meal) and veggies in the pressure coooker, grind
    the cooked combo in a blender to make it slighlty thicker than the
    formula and added some salt (very little) and butter to it and fed her
    with a spoon. She absolutely loved it. We also gave her bottled fruit -
    that she loved.
    
    She did continue to drink formula but it was always a battle to get her
    to drink it. I was glad when she switched from formula to milk.
    
    Shaila

    
    re:0
    
    Maybe she is teething - her gum will hurt when she sucks the bottle.
    She will also run a mild fever if she is teething.
    

    Thanks for the responses.  The Dr. said she is too young to give up
    the bottle and suggests that I push nursing her (I think that is a lost
    battle at this point.)  Both doctors looked for teeth and found
    nothing.  She ate the cereal much better than taking a bottle, but
    I've read too much cereal can cause multiple proplems later, so we're
    trying to give it to her only 3 or 4 times a day.  We're hoping she'll
    continue to get better with the bottle - she's better today than she
    was Saturday.  She wears most of what we give her in a cup!
    
    Thanks again for the responses, she's got us worried.
    
    Regards,  Sandy
    

    Re: Teething - you know, it doesn't seem obvious that teething may
    be the problem just by looking at the gums. While I was convinced
    Charlotte was teething at 3 mo, my doctor said she couldn't see
    anything, but with ALL the symptoms (as listed by "What to expect in
    the first year") appearing AT THE SAME TIME, and the baby being
    so very like me at that age (I had teeth by 4 mo), ....it seemed
    like a sure thing to me. Sure enough at 4.5 mo they're now out!
    
    Re: cereal - a friend of mine who's son is 5 weeks older than 
    Charlotte had a problem when she started him on cereal - he'd start
    screaming and would not eat properly (or drink). First she thought
    he might be lactose intolerant, and weaned him from the breast, but
    he continued to cry and loose weight. The doctor suggested that she
    had started him on cereal and increased the amount TOO QUICKLY.
    With this advice she started him again, and proceeded very slowly. 
    Since then, no problem.
    
    How about allergies??
    
    Monica

    Also, David and Kat both had a great deal of pain from their teeth
    long before they were visible at the gum.  In fact, the early pain
    from the teeth starting to bud (I think that's the term the
    dentist used) were worse than the later pain of the tooth breaking
    through.  
    
    A small dose of children's non-aspirin used to take care of it. 
    
    --bonnie 

    
    One thing that our Dr. told us is that Mitchell needs formula
    more than food.  The formula is complete with all the nutrition.
    
    He needes 30 oz a day.  If he wants more, give him more food. 
    If he gets in a habit of drinking less, cut down on the food.
    
    If you are feeding your baby cereal 4-5 times a day....she's
    probably just not hungry.  Have you considered stopping the 
    food and just giving her formula?  Maybe you started her too
    young on food and she can't handle that PLUS the formula.  (We
    don't eat that often...)  It's more important to give her the
    formula than the cereal.....does she act like she needs it?
    or are you *deciding* for her?  They'll let you know when they
    are hungry....and the bottle isn't enough.
    
    There is no rush in feeding food to your baby.  I waited until
    Mitchell was drinking 32-34 oz solidly before I started him on
    cereal.  Once I did, he cut down on his milk....so I cut down
    on the amount of cereal....so he'd increase his forumula again.
    He was over 5 months before I started.  He was 6 months before
    he ate cereal 2 times a day.
    
    I find it easier using the 30 oz method.  It tells me that he is
    getting his nutrition and liquids and lets me know when he is
    going through a growing spurt.  He gets hungrier and drinks more
    forumula.  Mitch has never been a big eater to begin.  He is 21 lbs
    now, 8 1/2 months and 30 inches tall. 
    
    Remember, there is no rush in feeding food.  Ask your doctor about it.
    
    Keep us posted Kristen
    
    

    Hello and Thank you for the replies.
    
    Michelle is gradually doing better.  She takes a bottle easier now and
    has nursed a little each day.  We still see no signs of teeth and she
    is not as fussy as she was.  We're almost where we should be with
    ounces of milk for her each day (sometimes substituted with juice). She
    gets cereal with fruit or veggie 2 to 3 times a day, but very small
    amounts.  It's mostly liquid with a little texture to it.  She gobbles
    it up.  We try to nurse first, then bottle, then fruit/cereal in that
    order when she gets hungry, lately we've been able to stop at the
    bottle except for 2 or 3 times a day.  She'll be 5 months old this
    week....the Dr. said she was old enough for cereal....
    
    Our main concern was that she maintained her weight and continued
    to thrive - otherwise they would have put her in the hospital on
    an I.V.
    
    All in all I feel that we are getting back on track again with her
    and she'll be just fine, she's starting to smile and giggle more
    and more each day.  Heck, maybe it was something bothering her
    ear or she's getting teeth early (her brother was 11 months when he
    got his teeth).  She's got a few more days on the amoxicillin and
    then we will bring her back to be checked again.  
    
    Thanks again for all your help and ideas, it was very supporting.
    
    Sandy
    

Have you tried a sipper cup (cup has top with a small spout).  It takes a lot
less sucking to drink from, and if her gums are sore it may be easier.  There's
no reason to give up formula yet....

Barb

    Well my little girl has most certainly decided that solid food is much
    better then what comes in her bottle.  She is just shy of 8 months old
    and started this behavior about a week ago.  I'm lucky right now if I
    get 16 oz of formula down her a day from the bottle.  I add about 4
    oz with her morning/evening cereal, so that makes me feel better about
    getting closer to her formula intake...which her doctor suggests at
    this age should be about 24 - 32 oz.
    
    I actually have to hide her cereal in the morning and evening...because
    if she sees it she won't even take her bottle.  She eats atleast 6 oz
    of cereal mixed with fruit in the morning....could be a little more...
    I fill up a coffee cup with it and its near the brim and she usually
    finishes it up.
    
    She also takes a daily vitamin...a new one with Fluoride and Vitamin B
    added to it.  I've tried the sippy cup to add a new attraction to
    bottle time, but it only lasts a few minutes (most of it going on her 
    instead of in her!) and then she starts crying for her food.
    
    From reading these notes it seems like this is normal behavior for some
    babies to lose interest in the bottle early...just wondering if anybody
    has some more input or ideas on what I could do to keep her interested
    in her formula a little bit longer.
    
    Could be the teeth...but from the way she acts it really seems like she
    is saying "Mom, you gotta be kidding...drink that liquid stuff when I
    could have that yummy cereal!".
    
    Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
    
    ...Lori

    Lori,
    
    Can I relate!  Sarah's going through the same stage. The only thing
    that I've found to help is feed her her bottle first and then use the
    remainder of the formula for her cereal.  I'll only make her meals
    after she's had her fill on the bottle.  Also, I've found that she'll
    drink about 3 oz and then seem disinterested in the rest.  I'll let her
    play for a few minutes and then try the bottle again.  Alot of times
    it's worked.
    
    I think it's just a phase, teething, finishing up a growth spurt, etc.
    
    Good luck,
    Susan

	Lori,

	Shortly after I started Emily on two meals a day, she started
	skipping a bottle.  She was down to nursing in the morning and
	night, and solid food only.  I discontinued the second meal
	and substituted a bottle of formula.  When she went through
	her next growth spurt, I added back the meal and she still
	drank the bottle.  She didn't go to three meals a day she was
	seven months old.

	I'd guess she gets 18oz. of formula/breast milk a day, plus
	6 oz. mixed in her cereal throughout the day.  I add some
	plain yogurt to her meals a couple times a week when she's
	having fruit.

	If it were me, I'd try to cut down the amount of food you offer 
        her.  Offer some formula right after a meal, once she's partially 
	satisfied.  If she isn't interested in the bottle, try a cup (even 
        without the "sippy" lid; Emily seems to prefer drinking from a regular
	cup, though she still doesn't swallow that much!


	Good luck!
	Karen
	

	re .12

	Notes collision!!!

    Whats the flow rate on the nipples? Perhaps the babies are just tired
    of having to suck so hard.
    
    bld
    

    No problem with our nipple flow rate....when Chelsea is hungry and into
    her bottle, she can down 8oz in 15 minutes.  I honestly think she is
    just really into her food, and I can't see cutting back on it just to
    get her to take more formula.  Since she gets formula in her cereal
    day and night (about 8oz) and is drinking atleast another 12 - 16 on
    the bottle, I'm not going to worry to much about it right now.
    
    If I keep on pushing the bottle in her face after she refuses it she
    just lets out a ear curdling wail and starts looking around for her
    food.  She gets upset...Mom tries hard not to get upset and it seems
    like a no win situation....so for now, she can eat as much solids as
    she wants...which is mainly cereal and her veggies for lunch.
    
    Don't you love seeing them show these wonderful signs of early
    independency!  
    
    so for this round....Chelsea wins!
    
    ..Lori

    Same here, the nipple flow rate is fine, Sarah can inhale a bottle in
    no time flat when she wants to.  This morning she drank 5 oz quite
    easily.  I don't think there's anything to worry about, she wets plenty
    of diapers and is growing like a weed.
    
    Lori, speaking of independence, the past couple of days when I've
    picked Sarah up at the babysitter's she's been on the floor playing
    with the babysitter's daughter, who is 6 and absolutely adores Sarah. 
    I'll walk into the room, Sarah will see me, flash me a huge smile and
    flap her arms in excitement.  I'll go pick her up and give her a hug
    and a kiss, within 10 seconds she's pushing me away and trying to get
    down so she can play some more!  I guess I should be thrilled that
    she's having so much fun at daycare 8^)
    
    Susan

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody has had the same experience as me. 
Rebecca just turned one.  For about the last month or so she 
hasn't been eating food.  She only wants her bottle
or sippy cup.  The doctor says she's a milk baby and will
eat when she's ready.

I have tried not giving her a bottle when she first 
gets up (in morning or from a nap).  I sit her in her high
chair (also tried sitting her in my lap) but she takes one 
bite of whatever I'm trying to feed her and  then locks her
lips closed!  So I put her down and in about 15 min she's 
wining for a bottle or sippy cup.  She actually gets
a bottle or sippy cup and brings it to me!  I give in to
her because  I feel she has to get nutrition.  

The Dr. also said I can start giving her milk but I've been
apprehensive about it because she doesn't eat and I feel as
though she needs the vitamins in her formula 
(I do give her about one serving of whole milk/day)

Other than this she's a very happy healthy baby. (31 inches/ 23lbs.)

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Marybeth

    marybeth,
    
    Right now I have no recommendations, except to keep offering solid
    foods of varying varieties.
    
    I am going through the same sort of problem with an older toddler. 
    Atlehi had the flu from hell and quit eating (again) for about a week. 
    the real kicker this time is that she also wouldn't drink except for
    nursing, and unless I stayed home with her, she wound up dehydrated. 
    (Scary stuff and some pretty panicked phone calls to the DO for a few
    days)  
    
    Currently she is eating grapes, sour cream and onion potato chips,
    cheese crackers, water, mommy, blue jello(ick) and today, she finally 
    ate a few bites off my sandwich.  Right now for starters, getting 
    calories into her is far more important than worrying about the whats,
    but I am trying to get her back into eating "normally" again.  
    
    The one thing I have learned on the third kid is not to get upset about
    it, but to just keep offering until I find something she is interested
    in.  She saw the grapes in the grocery (On day three of panic mode) and
    went nuts, so we started back in with that.  Sooner or later you will
    hit her magic button.
    
    meg

	My 10 month old just spent a couple of days preferring liquids
	or mushy foods over his usually favorite - toast!  

	I fed him applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and chicken
	soup w/pastina.

	He looks to be in the early stages of cutting a molar, so
	perhaps he just didn't want to chew (he'd actually put a chunk
	of toast in his mouth then spit it out).

	Could she be teething ?

	Karen

re .19:
    When you say you feed her, do you mean you provide the food for her to
    eat by herself, or you feed it to her with a spoon?  I think many kids
    are doing a lot of self-feeding by 1 year, and some will *only* eat if
    they do it themselves (I think my oldest was like that around that age).
    Just casually providing finger food when she's getting hungry might
    work, where sitting with her and feeding her doesn't.  We had a pretty
    loose definition of finger food - whatever the child wanted to eat
    by hand (in one son's case, that included oatmeal and yoghurt :).
    Protect the floor and furniture, allow plenty of time for cleanup, and
    set her loose...

			cheryl

- I've tried both, feeding her from a spoon and also letting 
her do it herself (small pieces of fruit, cheese, bread etc).
I've also tried letting her try to use the spoon herself.
Mostly she plays with the food.

Thanks for the comments.  She may be teething, though she
doesn't show any other signs of it.

Its actually my husband who is more worried than me.
I think its just a phase.

Marybeth

    Atlehi stole my sandwich today and took several bites before giving it
    up!  I dont know if she just finally got really hungry again, or if
    whatever was bothering her about food has run its course, but this is a
    relief after almost three wees of nothing eating.  
    
    Believe it or not the kid loves liverwurst, whole wheat, mustard and
    Frank's hot garlic dills.
    
    I don't know if it was trying to ignore the wierdness and then when she
    started eating again the serious food wierdness (potato chips and
    grapes), and pretending not to see her eating other stuff off her tray,
    but i  am really thankful.  Maybe we can start getting back up to the
    -5 percentile again.
    
    meg

    Aaron, almost 4 1/2 months, has been taking less and less (breast) milk 
    at daycare recently.  I started giving him 1 tbl cereal with 2 oz
    pumped milk in the mornings before daycare and in the evenings before
    bedtime when he started taking up to 18 oz of milk/formula at daycare,
    about a month ago.  When I took him to his wellbaby checkup for shots
    the nurse practitioner recommended I try giving him his cereal with
    juice.  We tried apple juice Memorial day weekend, he just didn't like
    it so we quite trying after the 3rd attempt.  Last weekend we gave him
    pear juice, which he does like (sucks that stuff down!).  So as of last
    Friday night he's had 2 oz juice and 1 tbl cereal for dinner (7:30is)
    and for breakfast (again 7:30ish) and will nurse if he wants.
    
    Well, when he went to daycare on Monday he only took about 10 oz's of
    milk (as opposed to his usual 13 - 15 oz), I figured he was just hot
    that day.  Tuesday he only took 8 oz, this sort of alarmed me.  But
    yesterday he just took 4 oz all day (until he got home around 6:00 and
    nursed heartily).  The only changes he's had recently is the juice and
    the heat (he's a winter baby), and yesterday wasn't that hot...
    
    My husband and I discussed it last night and decided that he would have
    milk with his cereal for the rest of the week to see if that makes a
    difference.  He also hasn't been sleeping through the night like he did
    (8:15pm to 4:30 am is what I consider sleeping through the night).
    Monday he woke up at 1:30 to eat, Tuesday at 1:30, and Wednesday at
    1:30, went back to sleep but wanted to eat at 2:30).
    
    We started with just milk and cereal last night and he slept until
    4:30, and I just about had to wake him up to eat!  Aaron's in the
    75 percentile, so I'm not that worried about 2 or 3 small meals, but I
    don't want to see it happen very often.
    
    Has anyone else gone through a period like this with your child that
    you attribute to juice or heat?  The 4 oz's really threw me for a loop! 
    My son has his father's appetite and that's definitely not enough to
    satisfy it!
    
    thanks,
    
    sandy

    A couple of things come to mind right away:
    
    1. Has your diet changed, could you have eaten something that
       makes your milk taste different?
    2. Could he be coming down with a cold or infection?
    3. Is teething a possibility.
    
    My baby (10 mos old) seems to eat a lot less in this warmer weather,
    so you aren't alone.  She has also been waking up at night to nurse.
    I am attributing it to the weather.  Last night was cooler and she
    seemed to sleep much better.
    
    Nancy
                    

    My diet has stayed the same, he's eating when he's with me, but isn't
    nursing quite as long.  When I eat something Aaron doesn't like, he
    let's me (or Bonnie at daycare if she's giving him a bottle) know about
    it immediately.  Instead he eats a little and just seem to be
    uninterested.  He's his usual self, laughing and playing the usual
    amount and grumpy around the same time, though he has more gas than
    usual (but he's not constantly screaming).  He's also gone from 2 good
    bowel movements a day to 1 a day.
    
    I called my doctor's office and the recommended just what Steve and I
    decided to do, take him off of the juice for a week or two and then try
    again slowly.  I just hate the thought of him not eating (though he's
    very glad to see me at the end of the day!)
    
    sandy
         

    Natasha (3.5 months) has decreased her formula consumption over the
    last week or two. As soon as the weather her in the northeast got hot
    she ate less. They told me at daycare many of the babies are eating 
    less in this hot weather.

    Sandy,
    
    According to la leche, most kids go through a period called a "nursing
    strike" between 4/12 months and 6 months.  Their nutritional needs are
    changing, they are learning new things and your milk is changing
    from  very high-fat infant milk to lower fat older baby milk.  since
    you are also feeding some "solids" the milk consumption will also
    begin to taper off.  
    
    I could also say that this is the first of many eating pauses kids will
    go through untill they hit 15 and you can't keep them filled up no
    matter what you do ;-).  
    
    Now I would cut back on fruit juice as it really is largely empty
    calories and has enough sugar in it to keep a child feeling unhungry
    when they need more real nutrition while your child is going through
    this.  
    
    meg

    Thanks folks!  Aaron took 12 oz at daycare yesterday and acted starved
    when he got home (as usual).  I feel better now.  One of my concerns
    about him not taking my milk (or formula) is a fear of him getting
    dehydrated.  He had to stay 3 extra days in the hospital after birth
    because he had a temperature that was eventually credited to mild
    dehydration, and if it hadn't been caught there's a chance it could
    have become a (very) serious problem...So I probably go a bit overboard
    in the worrying department.  I'm cutting out the juice for the next
    week or two and then will start with only one 2 oz feeding (juice &
    cereal) per day (plus one feeding of cereal with my milk).
    
    Now he seems to be constipated, he hasn't had a bowell movement since 
    Wednesday afternoon!
    
   sandy

    Sandy,
    
    If he doesn't seem to be uncomfortable, I would watch it, but not worry
    too much.  You could see if your daycare provider might give him some
    extra water.  
    
    Atlehi was a first on this for me, but she was one of the breast fed
    babies that uses her milk so efficiently she didn't need to poop more
    than about every 4 days.  When she did, of course it was a head-to-toe
    cleanup job.  
    
    meg

Our daughter was the same as Meg's (-.1).    She was breastfed and 
evolved to only one poop every 4 days (I forget when this started).  
Only thing was that she seemed uncomfortable days 3&4.  So our pedi 
suggested 1oz prune juice and 1oz water in a bottle, every other day.  
Did the trick.  

    Actually Aaron is very regular.  For the first couple of months he'd go
    3 or 4 times a day, since then he's gone twice per day, until this
    week, he went once a day up until Wednesday, and hasn't had a bowell
    movement since that afternoon.  I just hate knowing he's uncomfortable. 
    He's his usual happy self for the most part, but he was straining so
    hard when I fed him this morning, with very little results!  He's not
    screaming, but he's grunting and groaning and quite frustrated.
    
    Well, if it doesn't clear up today, I'll give the nursery room at the
    hospital a call to see if they have any suggestions (I hate calling the
    emergency number for my doctors office, the nurses in the hospital are
    quite happy to answer any questions at any time of the day or night).
    
    
    sandy
    
    

    Aaron feels better (I know I feel better!).  He had an extremely messy
    diaper on Saturday and a couple yesterday, and a couple in an hour this
    morning (now if I could just train him to wait until his father is
    home and available for diaper changing...).  I'm a worrier, anything
    out of the ordinary starts me off.  I've decided to give him juice and 
    cereal again, but less juice and a little more water.  That's only at
    night time, in the morning I'll stick with my milk and cereal.  I'm
    hoping he'll like juice as he grows up, rather than preferring soda
    (like his mom).
    
    Thanks for your sanity checks, this notesfile is great.  Of course I
    kind of hope Aaron never works for this company...can you imagine your
    embarrassment when you grow up and discover your mom has been
    discussing your bowel movements with the world! Of course by the time
    he's an adult this will be very old (antique!) technology, they'll be
    doing something much more interesting.
    
    sandy

    
    My son Patrick, who will be *1* on the 26th, has stopped 
    eating his dinner and has become extreemly fussy, everything
    sets him off.
    
    Here's what's been going on.  We pick him up from daycare at
    5:30, bring him home, give him our undivided attention and 
    at 6:30 we feed him his dinner play for a bit and he's in
    bed by 7:30.  
    
    The past three nights he's been fighting us about getting
    in his highchair and refuses to eat - won't even take his
    bottle.
    
    Another thing I've noticed is that he's become more fussy.
    He won't let us put him down, hates his playpen lately and
    he just seems so miserable - nothing makes him happy.  
    We've taken him to the doctor and everything is fine physically, 
    but something is bugging him and it's really starting to upset me.
    
    He's fine at daycare.  He eats like a "little piggy" and 
    averages a 2.5 hour nap.
    
    What's starting to happen now is that I'm feeling terribly
    guilty.  I think the reason for his behavior is because I
    work, and he want's to stay home with his mommy.  If I were
    home with him every day, things wouldn't be like this, etc.,
    etc.  He's not excited to see Frank or I when we pick him up
    from the sitters where before he would go off the wall when
    he saw one of us....
    
    Any suggestions on what to do?  Or what may be bugging him?
    
    My happy, beautiful little boy has turned miserable. *8^(
    
    Thanks,
    Kristin 
    

    
    I'd suspect his teeth (or ears) and also the possibility
    that it might just be his age.   If he has some pain 
    associated with his teeth, he may be just fine when he's
    kept busy (daycare usually has a lot more distractions/
    entertainment than home with mom & dad).   When there's
    less activity, the pain is probably more noticeable to him
    and he gets fussy.   Teething could be a reason why he's
    less than interested in his food also - as could be just normal
    changes in food/calorie requirements around the 1 year 
    mark when growth slows down signficantly.   
    
    I'm sorry that you're feeling guilty - that's a hard one to
    deal with.   I don't think that your son is capable of the
    complex thoughts that you describe, however.   It helps to
    have a daycare provider whom you really trust that can provide
    you feedback from the day so that you'll know that he feels
    happy and comfortable during the times you aren't with him.
    It sounds like you have that.       
    
    Good luck and hang in there!
    cj/

    Kristin, I could have written your note! My daughter Lisa will be one
    on the 29th. She to has been fussy lately, unhappy to be held and
    less happy when put down. Actually it's more like mode swings! And
    the last couple of nights she's not wanted to go to bed, she's always
    very good about that. Eating diner has not been her strong suite this
    week. 

    I have no words of wisdom but I'm write it off as another stage. One
    thing that I have tried to give her a change of venue. Maybe she's
    bored in the living room, so we go up to her room to play. When she
    really crabs out, I strip her naked and let her run around before
    and after bath time, that always does the trick! She giggles and
    screams as I chase her around and everyone feels better. (she's been
    walking for a couple of months). 

    good luck!

    Gail

    It may be the age!  Aaron will be 1 on Jan. 27 and he's been a little
    more difficult than usual.  At daycare he's trying to refuse taking
    naps, Monday he took a decent nap in the afternoon, Tuesday he would
    not go to sleep, yesterday he finally went down around 3:00...  He also
    isn't eating as well as *I* think he should (unless of course it's
    something fun like banana's, yogurt...).  He's taking at least 24 oz of
    formula a day though.  I'll be switching him to milk starting this
    weekend.  He also started to cry a couple of times last night for no
    real reason, but stopped pretty quickly when we got him interested in
    doing something else.  He's going to sleep at night without any
    problems, of course he's worn out from battling taking a nap through
    the day!
    
    I think it's teething and some kind of "stage" for him.  I'm keeping an
    eye out for signs of another ear infection (he's on maintenance dosage
    of antibiotics), but I don't think that's what his problem is.
         
    sandy
    
    

    Kristin,
    
    This sounds like a stage my daughter and the various children in her
    playgroup also went through at this age.  For what it's worth, I work
    and the other mothers do not.  
    
    Katie was miserable in the late afternoon/early evenings.  She used to
    CRY when I showed up at daycare to pick her up.  I was just heartsick
    about it.  With my daughter this stage lasted about a month.  I
    couldn't get a thing done when I got home, as she needed ALL of my
    attention until she went to bed.  And ofcourse even when I completely
    devoted myself to her, she still was very whiney and miserable.  When I
    checked in with the playgroup mothers, I found they were going through
    the same thing with their children.  
    
    Katie did still eat well (nothing can stop her appetite), but my friend's
    son refused to eat anything but pizza and breastmilk.  The doctor assured 
    her he wouldbe fine and he would start eating again when he was ready.  
    And he did.
    
    It's so hard to see your child so miserable.  But if he's okay
    physically, all you can do is give him lots of love and attention and
    ride out the storm.  It will get better.
    
    Kristen
    

    
    Try feeding him earlier than 6:30.  I remember something similar
    with Lauren around that age and feeding her earlier helped. 
    Perhaps giving the child something when you come in the door
    to tide him over till dinner might help.  If I have to give a
    snack close to dinner time that I suspect might wreck dinner I
    usually give fruit or veggies.  Lauren loves canned green beans
    as a snack food, even cold!  I'd rather wreck her dinner with
    something healthy rather than giving her a cookie!
    
    Karen

    I too vote for the "stage".  Also, could we be talking the one
    of the dreaded "growth spurts" here?  
    
    I also second the boredom.  When I complained to a fellow noter
    sometime back, in words quite similar to yours, about my daughter.
    She came right back with, "hey she's bored!".  She suggested all
    kinds of new antics and activities to do with her.  Some very 
    simple changes to games and toys and routine.  
    
    As far as eating, I've moved Angeline's supper to a little later
    for similar reasons.  She went through a (very brief, trust me :-) )
    no-eating stage.  Plus a change in some foods.  Like, adding BBQ
    to her chicken, etc...  I think she was just getting bored with
    the food too.   Plus, she got more attention from MaMa when she
    wouldn't eat.
    
    						cj *->

    
    Thanks everyone!  It's nice to know that I'm not alone 
    in this and the way me and the baby are feeling seems to 
    be just normal "stuff".
    
    It very well could be his teeth.  I spoke to daycare
    and we talked about his behavior (of course he's really
    good for her) and she assured me that it's just a phase
    and because he has a minor diaper rash, which he never
    gets, it's more than likely his teeth.
    
    I think the thing I'm having a really hard time dealing
    with is the guilt.  It's almost as if when we pick him up
    from daycare or my mothers, he's "angry" at us.  Like I 
    said earlier, he used to go off the wall when he saw Frank
    and I now, it's like "oh, hi mommy".  Ya know what I mean?
    
    Anyways, thanks again and I'll keep you posted.
    
    Kristin
    
    

    Hi Kristen,
    
    I know exactly what you mean!!!  Aaron went through a stage recently
    where in the morning he would cling to me when I tried to hand him over
    to Bonnie (is daymom) and when I would come to pick him up he'd cling
    to her when she'd hand him over to me!  Now he'll give me several hugs
    when I leave and when I come back he just looks at me for a minute,
    figures things out and then comes to give me a hug.  But he whimpers a
    little as I put his coat on to leave.
    
    As far as the growth spurt goes...  It became a joke between my husband
    and I that when Aaron would be fussier than usual over a day or two
    we'd decide it was a growth spurt (if that were the case he'd be at
    least 4 feet tall by now!).  He feels like he's gaining weight quickly,
    again.
    
    I have a question now.  Aaron usually has a bottle (formula) 1st thing
    in the morning after a diaper change, about 6 to 9 oz.  He has another
    9 or so ounces through the day, and last thing at night he'll have
    another 6 to 8 oz.  When you switched to milk did you have the morning
    and evening bottles?  Aaron won't hold his own bottle.  He's perfectly
    capable but he wants to be cuddled and he wants us to hold it (which I
    have to admit, I enjoy as well).  He handles a cup perfectly well, he
    loves water from it and tolerates juice, but if I put formula or milk
    in it, he spits it out or tries to suck on the cup like he would a
    bottle.  I guess I just have to decide how I want to do this and would
    like to know how other parents do it.
    
    sandy
    
                                         

    
    I'm in the process of taking Laura off the bottle. She's 13 months now
    so I think that's about right. How old is Aaron? He's a couple
    of months younger isn't he? That's how Laura was until recently, now
    she has a bottle in the morning and one a little before bedtime and
    will hold it herself. I still like to cuddle with her but it does make
    it much easier to be able to just give it to her.
    
    I know she's ready to go to just a cup, it's just so much easier (and
    neater!) with the bottle. I don't want to wait much longer because I
    think that's when they start to become really attached to them.
    
    We also are going through a clingy stage. She's ok about my leaving her
    in the morning but at night she wants my undiveded attention. If I'm
    trying to do something in the kitchen she comes in and places herself
    between the cabinets and me and then pushes against me with all her
    might! I've been trying to prepare things ahead of time so all I have
    to do is pop something in the oven. This has made a big difference. I
    try not to get annoyed because she's growing up so fast and I know soon
    enough she'll be off doing her own thing and I'll be remembering when
    her whole world centered on me.
                                   
                            Barbara
             
    

    
    I think they're bored ... they're learning LOTS of new stuff ALL the
    time (especially at daycare) and they come home to the same old boring
    parents, and the same old boring toys, and the same old boring routine.
    
    Try some different games.  "Chasing them around when they're naked" has
    ALWAYS been a big hit in my house ... maybe just cuz it doesn't happen
    too often, but it always puts us all in giggles
    
    Try some toys/games that you think are 'too old' for them.  You may be
    surprised.
    
    Consider dropping a nap.  If I remember right, this is about the age
    that the morning nap goes away, and it's down to 1 after-lunch (couple
    hours) nap.
    
    ALSO, when Jonathan dropped a nap, he added a snack at around 5:00.  he
    couldn't stay awake all day and the afternoon and 'last' till
    suppertime.  And when he gets REALLY REALLY hungry, he's completely
    unmanageable and WILL NOT eat.  I have to be careful to not let him get
    too hungry.  If he DOES get that bad, I have to start in with something
    lik a cup of chocolate milk (since he's usually thirsty from the
    crabbing), before I can get him back to "normal hungry" to be able to
    sit down and eat.  He won't eat if he's really starving.  Weird, but
    it's like he's too grumpy/weak to make the effort.
    
    But, personally, I think that it's because they're learning SO MANY new
    things, so FAST, that when they get home and aren't learning anything,
    it's almost aggravating to them.  Being cranky gets you to try
    different things, so in a way gets what they want.  
    
    PICK ME UP!!  Let's DO something!!  Well, geez, don't just HOLD me!!! 
    Let's GO!!  Hey!!  Why are you putting me down?!?!  I want to DO
    something!!  Dramatic distraction .... dancing seems to be a wonderful
    cure.  Music and giggling/ticking too.  Teach them how to pull off
    socks (though you may regret that).  Empty/fill containers.  Feed the
    dog.  Take the silver out of the dishwasher.  Yeah, it takes longer,
    but how much do you get done when they're whining their brains out??
    
    And when all else fails, jump on the furniture (it's still fun!)

    In our house chasing the naked baby has become chase the diaper only
    baby. 
    
    sandy

    Ah yes, chase the naked baby (toddler),  it is a very popular game at
    our house.  When Alyssa seems unagreeable (which doesn't happen too
    often), I'll say, do (whatever) and I'll let you run around naked...
    and the task will get done in a flash!
    
    Nancy

    Chasing the naked baby is just another name for trying to change
    the diaper in my house :-)
    
    						cj *->

    re. several back, child not wanting to eat
    
    Have you tried swopping the bottle for "real" food?
    
    James gave up bottles of his own accord at 10 months. He lost interest
    in milk at around the 9 months stage, and we persisted for a longer,
    but he just wasn't interested in feeding that way any more, and I
    realised I wasn't interested in having a baby in the house any longer.
    He's now 14.5 months, and hasn't had a bottle since he was 10 months
    old. 
    
    Once I gave up trying to force him to take a bottle and offered
    Weetabix for breakfast and 'grown up food' for supper, no more
    problems.
    
    Jacquie
    

I hope this is the right place for this...

Justing is 8months old. Recently she's decided to boycott all veggies. 
I'm feeding her stage 2 baby food and she loves the fruit and eats the 
dinners but won't eat the veggies. She gags and turns her head and spits 
it at us. I have tried different kinds of veggies too. I haven't tried 
"real" veggies yet. She's not on any adult food or cheerios or anything 
because we tried her on zwieback and arrow root cookies only to have her 
break off a piece and choke on them which was so scarey. Her pedi 
suggested we hold off trying the solids until she's 9months old and said 
some kids just don't do well with texture before that.  So, I guess I 
have a bunch of questions here:
	- will her palate change and will she acquire a taste for 
	  veggies again?
	- should I keep trying or give it a rest for a while?
	- She watches us eat and is putting lint and other things in her 
	  mouth now all the time, so is it time to start her on finger foods? 
	  If so, what will she least likely choke on?
	- Is it a common thing for babies to choke and gag on food at 
	  this age, none of my immediate family or friends seem to think so
	  and make me feel like I should be concerned. The dr assured me 
	  it's not reflux.

Right now her diet consists of:
	5:30am  8oz formula
	8:00am	1 jar of fruit mixed with cereal and sometimes juice
       12:00pm  1/2 jar fruit & 1/2 jar veggies (fighting veggies, 
		though) sometimes cereal
   2:00-4:00	8-10oz formula
	6:00	1 jar of baby dinner (likes chicken and egg noodle or 
	   	something mild like that best)
	8:00	8oz forumula

They try and get her to take formula at daycare or apple or pear juice
with breakfast and lunch (& in between) but she's usually not 
interested. Does her diet sound normal to you? 

She just had tubes put in her ears for a number of ear infections that 
were not responding to antibiodics, but I didn't think that could effect 
her taste buds, but maybe being on antibiodics for so long could have????

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
thanks
donna

    Donna,
    
    Have you tried "hiding" the veggies?  What I mean is, put a little bit
    of vegetable on the spoon and then put some fruit or cereal ontop or
    in front of it.  This way the initial taste is what they like and by
    the time they realize that the veggie is there they've pretty much
    swallowed it.  
    
    My 10 mos old sometimes doesn't want to eat her vegetables and this
    method seems to work.
    
    /Susan

    I am having a similar but more extreme problem with my almost
    10 month old.  She doesn't want anything to do with baby food.
    She refuses all jarred foods... the dinners.. FORGET IT!  She eats
    cut up fruits, bagels, cheese, (not crazy about cut up veggies).  Its
    almost as if she would prefer not to eat.  Anyone experience this?
    Doesn't seem to have teeth coming in.  Is it a phase?
    
    

    
    Have you ever tasted that jarred stuff?  Sounds to me like your
    daughter is exhibiting remarkably good taste.  I mushed up everything
    with a fork for Atlehi and Lolita.  Carrie had some freeze-dried fruit
    and veggie poweders as she was in daycare, but usually Lorraine would
    give the littles overcooked macaroni, and mashed or cut up fine regular
    food, so she didn't get much of that either.  
    
    There weren't convenince baby foods in the not too distant past in this
    country and they are largely nonexistant in most of the world.  Kids
    still grew/grow up healthy without them.
    
    meg

    
    My daughter never ate baby food.  From 7 months on, she was on 
    table food (cut up real small).
    
    I've got quite a few notes in here about it... can't remember
    which note it was under though.
    
    Karen
    

    Both of my girls did not like baby food.  By about 7 or 8 months, they
    showed a very strong preference to table foods.  We chopped up
    everything and they used their fingers (sometimes a spoon) to eat.  It
    was messy but it was worth getting them to eat!
    
    It also makes it easier for you because you can feed her whatever you
    are eating.  Just chop it into small pieces.
    
    Good Luck!

    
    I'm on my third child and if he's like his brothers, baby food other
    than the cerals and the fruits, they will be refused.  What I did is as
    a few others mention grind,mix/whip/mash or whatever using a portable
    hand mixer sold usually to mix those frozen drinks I used to have time
    for in my pre-children days.  I would put veggies, pasta, cut up
    chicken or beef or whatever in a mug, add water, formular/breast milk, 
    or juice to help with the consistancy that was age/baby/teeth
    appropriate and my kids loved it much better than food in jars.
    
    I also used a hint from earlier in the notes file that once a week,
    cook up veggies (carrots, potatoes, etc.) pasta, meat and mash as
    directed above, and fill up ice cube trays with the food, and freeze. 
    Once frozen, remove from tray(s) wrap in plastic wrap individually and
    place in a larger freezer bag by food type in the fridge.  Based upon
    your child's eating volume, 1 or 2 cubes reheated would do it and 
    the cubes are easily transported to daycare.
    
    Beth

    I've tried mashing/smashing and mushing... HATES IT.  The only thing
    so far that she likes is bite size pieces of roasted chicken, pears
    and bananas (and cookies, cheerios, of course).  This weekend we had
    a scare at the mall.  Gave her a bite of ice cream and about 5 mintues 
    she was covered in hives.  Luckily, they were short lived.  But
    needless to say we are very careful what we experiment with.
    
    At almost 10 months, she has mastered walking and has started
    running, so she is burning a lot of calories, I just want to make
    sure she is taking in what she needs.
    
    

    
    If your baby does fine with small pieces of soft foods, then there's
    really no reason to grind/puree it.    Some babies have more of a
    gag tendency than others.  Does she still take formula or milk?   
    I'd imagine that would still be the major source of calories/fat
    in a child under 1.  
    
    Do get a list of the things that frequently cause allergic 
    reactions and/or are best held off until after the 1 year 
    mark though.   
    
    cj

    She is on formula now.  Nutramigen.  The champagne of formulas!!
    
    Dr. called and said because of the allergic reaction, no milk products
    at all until after a year and then we will take the opportunity to
    experiment.
    
    I'll just keep up with the chicken and pears.

>                     <<< Note 345.59 by USCTR1::BAKSTRAN >>>
>                             -< no milk products >-
>
>    She is on formula now.  Nutramigen.  The champagne of formulas!!

    except I like the smell of champagne!

    And Champagne is cheaper!!!!!! haha