Difference between revisions of "Get an Infant to Eat More"
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===Determining Why She May Not Be Eating Enough=== | ===Determining Why She May Not Be Eating Enough=== | ||
| − | #Trust your baby to eat when she's hungry. If you are think that your baby is not eating enough, or seems to only feed for very short periods of time, there is not necessarily a cause for concern. There are many reasons why a baby might refuse food, ranging from simply already being full, to being tired, distracted, or a little ill. Try to trust your baby and avoid making feeding time into a battle. If you are concerned, and she if appears underweight or the change is dramatic or sudden, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor.<ref>http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/why-wont-baby-eat</ref> | + | #Trust your baby to eat when she's hungry. If you are think that your baby is not eating enough, or seems to only feed for very short periods of time, there is not necessarily a cause for concern. There are many reasons why a baby might refuse food, ranging from simply already being full, to being tired, distracted, or a little ill. Try to trust your baby and avoid making feeding time into a battle. If you are concerned, and she if appears underweight or the change is dramatic or sudden, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor.<ref name="rf1">http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/why-wont-baby-eat</ref> |
| − | #Don't be concerned by a picky eater. It is not uncommon for a baby to turn her nose up at a new and unfamiliar food. In most cases she will grow out of this, but that can take a while. Be patient, and if she rejects something, offer her something you know she likes. Return to the new food later.<ref | + | #Don't be concerned by a picky eater. It is not uncommon for a baby to turn her nose up at a new and unfamiliar food. In most cases she will grow out of this, but that can take a while. Be patient, and if she rejects something, offer her something you know she likes. Return to the new food later.<ref name="rf1" /> |
#*She might also be avoiding the food for other reasons, such as teething, tiredness, or just already being full. | #*She might also be avoiding the food for other reasons, such as teething, tiredness, or just already being full. | ||
#*Don't get restless and annoyed with her. Just set the new food aside and come back to it later. | #*Don't get restless and annoyed with her. Just set the new food aside and come back to it later. | ||
#Limit spitting up and reflux. Spitting up is a common occurrence for babies as they get used to digesting food, and tends to reduce as they become a year old. Frequent spitting up can interfere with your baby's diet, so taking steps to reduce spitting up will help her get into good eating habits. Be sure to burp her regularly, don't overfeed her, and keep her upright when you feed her. It is also advisable to avoid playing with her immediately after eating so she has time to digest a bit. | #Limit spitting up and reflux. Spitting up is a common occurrence for babies as they get used to digesting food, and tends to reduce as they become a year old. Frequent spitting up can interfere with your baby's diet, so taking steps to reduce spitting up will help her get into good eating habits. Be sure to burp her regularly, don't overfeed her, and keep her upright when you feed her. It is also advisable to avoid playing with her immediately after eating so she has time to digest a bit. | ||
#*To manage reflux, feed her a bit more slowly, and a little bit less at each meal. Keep her upright for half an hour after eating, by sitting her in a chair or buggy. | #*To manage reflux, feed her a bit more slowly, and a little bit less at each meal. Keep her upright for half an hour after eating, by sitting her in a chair or buggy. | ||
| − | #*If she spits up often, throws up violently, or is increasingly sick, you should contact your doctor.<ref>http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/reflux-babies/Pages/Introduction.aspx</ref> | + | #*If she spits up often, throws up violently, or is increasingly sick, you should contact your doctor.<ref name="rf2">http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/reflux-babies/Pages/Introduction.aspx</ref> |
| − | #Be aware of potential intolerances. Food intolerances or allergies could be one reason why your baby might not seem to be eating as much. Allergies can appear suddenly, and will often have very noticeable symptoms, such as vomiting, a rash, diarrhoea, sweating, or stomach pain. Food intolerances may produce less severe symptoms, but can result in your baby feeling bloated, gassy, and uncomfortable.<ref>http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/why-wont-baby-eat?page=2</ref> | + | #Be aware of potential intolerances. Food intolerances or allergies could be one reason why your baby might not seem to be eating as much. Allergies can appear suddenly, and will often have very noticeable symptoms, such as vomiting, a rash, diarrhoea, sweating, or stomach pain. Food intolerances may produce less severe symptoms, but can result in your baby feeling bloated, gassy, and uncomfortable.<ref name="rf3">http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/why-wont-baby-eat?page=2</ref> |
#*If she has a allergy or intolerance she will most likely not want to eat, so look out for any symptoms and contact your doctor. | #*If she has a allergy or intolerance she will most likely not want to eat, so look out for any symptoms and contact your doctor. | ||
| − | #*Your doctor will be able to run tests to investigate a potential allergy.<ref | + | #*Your doctor will be able to run tests to investigate a potential allergy.<ref name="rf2" /> |
#*Take your baby to the doctor or emergency room immediately if you see signs of wheezing, swelling, hives, or trouble breathing. | #*Take your baby to the doctor or emergency room immediately if you see signs of wheezing, swelling, hives, or trouble breathing. | ||
===Finding Ways to Help Your Baby Eat More=== | ===Finding Ways to Help Your Baby Eat More=== | ||
#Make new foods look like an established favourite. If you find that she is regularly rejecting a new and unfamiliar food without tasting it, you can try to put her at ease by making the new food appear similar to one of her favourites. For example, if she is big fan of mashed potatoes, but doesn't like the look of sweet potato, try mashing it up so it has the same consistency. | #Make new foods look like an established favourite. If you find that she is regularly rejecting a new and unfamiliar food without tasting it, you can try to put her at ease by making the new food appear similar to one of her favourites. For example, if she is big fan of mashed potatoes, but doesn't like the look of sweet potato, try mashing it up so it has the same consistency. | ||
| − | #*Try to ease her in with small portions that you gradually increase over time.<ref | + | #*Try to ease her in with small portions that you gradually increase over time.<ref name="rf1" /> |
#*Introducing new foods gradually, and not trying to force anything on her, will help her develop her tastes gradually. | #*Introducing new foods gradually, and not trying to force anything on her, will help her develop her tastes gradually. | ||
#*A completely new food can be a very strange sensation for a baby. | #*A completely new food can be a very strange sensation for a baby. | ||
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#Make the most of mealtimes. Your baby will copy a lot of what you do, so eating together can encourage her. She will watch you carefully and learn from what you are doing. If she turns away from the spoon, eat it yourself to show her how tasty it is. Talk to her when you feed her, and include her in family mealtimes. Having regular mealtimes can help your baby learn what time is food time. | #Make the most of mealtimes. Your baby will copy a lot of what you do, so eating together can encourage her. She will watch you carefully and learn from what you are doing. If she turns away from the spoon, eat it yourself to show her how tasty it is. Talk to her when you feed her, and include her in family mealtimes. Having regular mealtimes can help your baby learn what time is food time. | ||
#*You should expect some mess, and make sure you keep mealtimes fun. | #*You should expect some mess, and make sure you keep mealtimes fun. | ||
| − | #*Be sure to allow plenty of time for eating, and be patient. Go at your baby's pace, and don't try to rush or force her to eat something.<ref>http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx#close</ref> | + | #*Be sure to allow plenty of time for eating, and be patient. Go at your baby's pace, and don't try to rush or force her to eat something.<ref name="rf4">http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx#close</ref> |
| − | #*Don't leave the table until she has finished eating too.<ref>http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/fussy-eaters.aspx#close</ref> | + | #*Don't leave the table until she has finished eating too.<ref name="rf5">http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/fussy-eaters.aspx#close</ref> |
#Involve more people. Sometimes bringing in more people to a mealtime can encourage your baby to eat more. This can work well if you have an adult friend or family member who she likes. Get your friend along for dinner and your baby will often eat happily for someone who isn't mum or dad. | #Involve more people. Sometimes bringing in more people to a mealtime can encourage your baby to eat more. This can work well if you have an adult friend or family member who she likes. Get your friend along for dinner and your baby will often eat happily for someone who isn't mum or dad. | ||
| − | #*If she has some friends that are good eaters, inviting them round for dinner can also have the same effect.<ref | + | #*If she has some friends that are good eaters, inviting them round for dinner can also have the same effect.<ref name="rf5" /> |
| − | #Give her plenty of variety. It's important to provide plenty of variety so she has a healthy balanced diet, and gets introduced to all sorts of different foods at a young age.<ref>http://www.nhs.uk/start4life/solid-foods</ref> Generally, once babies get used to new foods they will learn to like them. Give your baby a good range of healthy foods at a young age to help her grow and develop, as well as get into good dietary habits. Giving her foods and drinks with added sugar, salt, or fat, will increase the chances of her wanting these in the future. | + | #Give her plenty of variety. It's important to provide plenty of variety so she has a healthy balanced diet, and gets introduced to all sorts of different foods at a young age.<ref name="rf6">http://www.nhs.uk/start4life/solid-foods</ref> Generally, once babies get used to new foods they will learn to like them. Give your baby a good range of healthy foods at a young age to help her grow and develop, as well as get into good dietary habits. Giving her foods and drinks with added sugar, salt, or fat, will increase the chances of her wanting these in the future. |
#*Providing a variety of foods, and allowing her to choose what to eat for a particular meal, can help her get used to a new foods. | #*Providing a variety of foods, and allowing her to choose what to eat for a particular meal, can help her get used to a new foods. | ||
| − | #*Babies like to choose foods themselves, so try to give her a choice every now and again.<ref | + | #*Babies like to choose foods themselves, so try to give her a choice every now and again.<ref name="rf4" /> |
===Developing Your Infant's Diet=== | ===Developing Your Infant's Diet=== | ||
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#*Once she is eating cereal regularly and routinely you can try bringing in other instant cereals, such as oats, wheat, or barley. | #*Once she is eating cereal regularly and routinely you can try bringing in other instant cereals, such as oats, wheat, or barley. | ||
#*Carefully control the new cereals and don't introduce more than one new cereal every 3-4 days. With each new one watch for intolerances and allergies. | #*Carefully control the new cereals and don't introduce more than one new cereal every 3-4 days. With each new one watch for intolerances and allergies. | ||
| − | #*There is some disagreement amongst experts about in what order to introduce new foods. Experts do agree that you should introduce your baby to a wide variety of new foods, but there is no scientific consensus about in what order they need to be introduced.<ref>https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/HALF-Implementation-Guide/Age-Specific-Content/Pages/Infant-Food-and-Feeding.aspx#none</ref> Some people begin with fruits or vegetables, while some even start with meats. Talk to your pediatrician if you are thinking about trying a different order of starting foods. | + | #*There is some disagreement amongst experts about in what order to introduce new foods. Experts do agree that you should introduce your baby to a wide variety of new foods, but there is no scientific consensus about in what order they need to be introduced.<ref name="rf7">https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/HALF-Implementation-Guide/Age-Specific-Content/Pages/Infant-Food-and-Feeding.aspx#none</ref> Some people begin with fruits or vegetables, while some even start with meats. Talk to your pediatrician if you are thinking about trying a different order of starting foods. |
#Bring in strained fruit and vegetables. When your baby is around 6-8 months old and has successfully mastered a variety of cereals, you can begin to introduce more variation to her diet with strained fruits and vegetables. As with the cereals, introduce them one at a time and wait a few days before adding another food so you can check for allergies or intolerances. | #Bring in strained fruit and vegetables. When your baby is around 6-8 months old and has successfully mastered a variety of cereals, you can begin to introduce more variation to her diet with strained fruits and vegetables. As with the cereals, introduce them one at a time and wait a few days before adding another food so you can check for allergies or intolerances. | ||
#*It's best to start with plain vegetables, such as peas, potatoes, squash, and carrots. For fruits, you can start with banana, apricots, apple sauce, and pears. | #*It's best to start with plain vegetables, such as peas, potatoes, squash, and carrots. For fruits, you can start with banana, apricots, apple sauce, and pears. | ||
