my 15 month old daughter refuses to eat "real food". ive almost gotten her off of it but she wont eat anything thats hard and that she has to bite or she will make herself gag and throw it up. ive tried showing her how to chew the best way i can but she still wont.i dont know what to do. her ped. says that its ok and shes just not ready but i think its beyond that.she wont feed herself either. for breakfast i usually give her oatmeal with bananas, for lunch she will have spaghtti cut up and ill give her some applesause and for dinner green beans and rice(stage 3) with either some jello or pudding and a juice box.i really dont know what else to give her or how to get her to eat and feed herself real food.
This may sound really weird but call her dr and see if you can get her refferd to a speach therapist(sorry bad spelling)
They teach babies to eat all the time and not just like how to eat but they get them to like new foods and all kinds of tricks(my best frieds doughter saw one and with in a week she was eating like a pig)or maybe look into it online
Sounds to me like she might have a texture sensitivity. My son has this and he's 4 y/o. He's had it since he was about 18 months. You can actually see a gastrointerologist for a referral to a doctor who specializes in this. There is therapy that she can go through to get her to try new textures. Good luck!
M.
You may qualify for free Early Intervention services from your state. Call their main number, explain the situation, and they will likely come out and evaluate her. If you qualify, you will receive free services from an occupational therapist or specch therapist in the home. My son has food texture sensitivities. After teaching him how to use his mouth muscles and de-sensitizing his mouth, he is finally biting into foods and self feeding at the age of three (we had a much later start). Good Luck,
C.
My oldest son was the same way. I thought he would never feed himself! But he is 5 now and the fear is gone!! Does she have any teeth? Does she like cheerios. Sounds like she just doesnt like the texture of the hard stuff. Gerber makes little wagon Wheel crackers that are crunchy but for the most part just melt and get gooey in their mouths. I would most likely not worry about it but still give her the oppotunity to try different textures. At least she is eating and sounds like she eats pretty well too. Just frustrating i am sure. As far as feeding herself, try incorporating some finger foods but she will come around when she is ready. Good luck.
