Hunger

Hi T., I agree with the other moms on here--nothing is too minor to bring up with your child's dr. As a mother of four children, I have experienced a lot of this, and believe me, as they grow older, be prepared to do a lot of grocery shopping. You just have to get to know your child's eating habits and keep giving her healthy food options--this is an age of curiosity and exploring how the body functions, so no need to be alarmed. I would definitely talk to the pediatrician, though, to rule out any possible medical issues.

Hi T.,
I wouldn't worry a whole bunch (like we mom's always do)lol...My son could go a day or so and not want anything and there are evenings when he can't get enough in his tummy. He doesn't eat in the morning until we are up at least 2 hours so I stopped asking, we start with cereal and something else it varies. Then it is non stop. A full dinner, bath, yogurt, fruit, cookies, ice cream, and sometimes a peanut butter sandwich before bed. I would start offering something before the oatmeal. Cheese and crackers, cut fruit, well you know what she likes. Or if it suits the family schedule maybe a later dinner being the warmer weather.
Best of luck.

Hi T.,

Have you talked to your peds md? Has she only been requesting food or liquids as well? Does she pee a lot?
Not to scare you but she could be showing signs of something as simple as iron deficiency to early diabeties. Obviously you are concerned enough about it that you really should seek your mds help. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
V

Hi T.,

My daugther total, total went thru the same thing.
It is extreme hunger followed by eating normally, followed by not so hungry anymore.

I say feed her, let her eat as much as she wants but with rules. It has to be healty and she should stop eating two hours before you know she goes down for bed. The wee little ones can't sleep on a full stomach or they fall asleep and wake up alot.
1. Only healthy foods. There is no, I am so hungry I am gorging on oreo cookies. Cherios, raisins, sliced almonds, & granola in a plastic bag. Brown rice with red beans and steak cut up really small. Lots & lots of water or freshly squeezed apple juice with a carot added. Bananas for snack right after bananas in oatmeal. Wheat wraps with crispy chicken shredded carrots and argula cut into three sections.

My daugther is twelve now and she has legs like a race horse and she weights eighty pounds - she's thin. As they get older kids hunger become more evened out, but I know right before those long legs came in my daughter was eating two breakfasts, lunch and a snack and than dinner and than dinner again. She was drinking the soy milk down like water. And for school lunch snack she was taking an apple, plum and a orange. Apples are perfect for hungry kids.

I noticed that the parents who restricted their toddlers when faced with the hunger have chubby kids now who "sneak and eat". And than there are the over indulgent parents who if their toddler says boo, they stick a donut, bottle, cookie or juicey cup in their mouth.

This period does not last forever and when your toddler doesn't want to eat anything for a few days after you won't freak out.

Good Luck.

Going through a growth spurt the body has enormous nutritional requirements - perhaps she is not getting these from her food. NO matter how balanced we intend to feed our children - our food supply does not have the same nutritional value it had many years ago. Perhaps her body is crying out for some necessary nutrients.

There is a free presentation on children's health and videos of children's supplementation programs available at www.nosickvisits.com, a web site I put together to tell my family's story. You may find some answers there or spark some addtional questions.

L.

My son is just a little older than your daughter (39 months) and his appatite varies a lot--sometimes he eats everything and sometimes he just picks. He also just grew 2 INCHES in the last 4 MONTHS. Just keep offering her as much as she wants of healthy foods (friuts, veggies, whole grains, etc.) A good meal or snack is supposed to have a balance of protien, carbohydrates and fats. A snack with a little more fat helps a person feel full longer so maybe a beditme snack with fat and protien (crackers and cheese?) might be a good choice. Whole milk or butter and nuts in the oatmeal might work also. A good vitamin might help as well if she is craving some trace nutrient.

Hi T.!
I think you should give your doctor a call for your own peace of mind and because of the fact that your daughter wakes up crying asking to eat at night. Maybe she is having tummy pains and is confusing this feeling with hunger. Anyway, don't think you're bothering the doctor. Just give her/him a call, just in case!
I hope this helps!

No need to feel foolish asking; as a first-time mom you're going to run into situations in which you have absolutely no idea what to do.

Increases in appetite are normal for children going through growth spurts. My daughter's appetite went through the roof whenever she went through one and would level off when her growth stabilized. Even now, just eleven days shy of her tenth birthday, she still gets extremely hungry during a growth spurt. I can only imagine what puberty will bring.

Young children also thrive on rituals, which is why they'll ask you to repeatedly play a favorite DVD or music CD. They find the familiarity comforting and it gives them a sense of security. If your daughter is used to having a bowl of oatmeal before bed despite all she ate before, indulge her need for that bedtime ritual; just give her less than usual. If she's eating balanced meals and is very active during the day, I wouldn't worry about the little bit of oatmeal at bedtime.

Hi T.,
I have a 13 yr. old girl and a 30mth. old girl as well. Both have gone through such growth spurts. On some days they will eat everything and anything I put in front of them and on others they just nibble a bit. It is totally normal. My 30mth. old sleeps a lot, I mean takes 4-5 hour naps in addition to being very hungry during her growth spurts. Don't feel foolish about bothering your doctor, that's what he/she is there for. God Bless.