My 9 month old son has always been a great eater. He will basically eat any baby food or finger food we give him and I am still nursing him. Recently he came down with a cold and is cutting 4 teeth on top, so needless to say, it has been rough. His sleeping is erratic but getting better as the cold goes away. My question/concern is he is not eating hardly any solid food. When he was at the worst of his cold, he didn't want to eat and all I did was nurse him to make sure he was getting something. Now his fever is gone, the doctor checked him out and no infections and his cold is subsiding, but he is still not eating like he used to. I keep trying but he just wants to nurse. Is he going backwards? Or do I just give him time to feel better? I know the teeth are bugging him based on his actions. I have no problem nursing but he is up a lot at night hungry because he is not eating enough during the day. Help!
Hi T.
I've heard (from both the pediatrician as well as other parents) that babies can lose their usual appetites because of the discomfort of the teeth coming in. I think it has to do with how the top and bottom gums hit together when they "chew" the baby food.
hope that helps
A.
Dear T.,
I think he may still be getting over his cold so just try to be patient. I know when you have a cold many times the mucus can make certain foods unappealing. I sometimes myself get a post nasal drip and it can make you feel a little queasy. I would try dry finger foods like cinnamon toast cut up, crackers, pretzels, chicken cut up, and then gradually start reintroducting his regular meals. I know when my kids were teething they did not want the spoon by their mouth. What I used to do was let them hold a spoon in their hand to distract them and put some finger foods on the tray and try to sneak some food in when I could. As long as he is nursing he is getting all of the nutrients he needs so he will be fine, and he may be getting up from his teeth. I would give it a few more days and I am sure he will be fine.
Don't worry! My doctor always says, "your baby will NEVER starve himself."
Trust your baby! He is still feeling badly- could definitely be from teething. His ears may hurt from that, too. Try giving him extra yummy stuff. Maybe a yogurt drink (Yobaby banana is my son's favorite!) or a smoothie that you make with bananas, plain yogurt, and frozen blueberries and/or raspberries. You can also try something he can really gnaw on- like a hard breadstick (keep an eye on him though) or a gerber teething biscuit.
He'll come back around. It's great that he's still nursing, and you may want to give him a bottle of breast milk as well. I found that my son really liked chewing on the nipple when a tooth was coming in!
Nursing is fine, but you need to feed your son. He's hungry. Try making pastina or mashed potatoes. Also, give him fruit (babyfood jars)but put it in the frig so that it's cold. the cold will feel good on his gums. I have given my boys pizza crust when they are teething and they love it. Keep trying different foods, try the cold and smooth foods. Good Luck.
