# Baby hunger strike **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2002, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011 "2002-03-31T03:22:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sophie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Sophie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophie)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/1 "2002-03-31T03:22:39Z")
I have this squirmy nine-month-old who won’t eat. So, obviously this isn’t a good thing. Here’s the low-down: He’s teething. We have one tooth poking out and that’s it. He is recovering from an upper respiratory virus, still a tee-ninsey bit watery-sounding when he breathes. He’s really not sick any longer. His nose is running, and this morning he blew out a gigantic, green, teaspoon-sized dollop of snot. After that, no more snot rockets. Just a slight trickle. He’s gaining mobility. He crawled for the first time (forward) today. Did I mention that he’s squirmy? I call him Weasel. This has nothing to do with it. He’s been taking his bottles just fine. When we go to feed him, instead of the baby bird mouth popping open, we get his head jerking to the side. So, does anyone want to wager a guess? Is he just not hungry? Is this serious? Should I give it another day? He doesn’t have a fever. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/2 "2002-03-31T04:59:56Z")
Mother of three here: Leave him alone, he’s fine. Offer him food, but if he’s not hungry, don’t panic. Do make sure to keep the liquids going so (a) he doesn’t get dehydrated and (b) to keep the snot looser. Fruit juice, etc. But watch to make sure he’s not filling up on fruit juice–all the sugar calories could make him not hungry for real food. You can thin the juice down with a little water so it’s not quite so much of a “sugar hit”. Having a plugged-up nose turns off your sense of smell and taste–I don’t feel much like eating when I’ve got a sinus/middle ear infection, either. What kind of solid food is he up to eating, usually? ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/3 "2002-03-31T07:00:22Z")
The doctor always told my mother that babies and small children won’t starve themselves. They’ll eat when they’re hungry. **DuckDuckGoose** ’s advice was great, AFAIC. (btw, mother of two-and-a-bit here) ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/4 "2002-03-31T07:19:12Z")
Ours started getting annoyed at the spoon, but if we give her small chunks of stuff she can eat herself she gobbles it up. If you haven’t started with finger foods, Cheerios are a good place to start. Ours is now doing small chunks of bread, soft veggies, tofu, cheese, etc. Be careful to make sure he can handle stuff (i.e. chew, not choke) before you go on to more complicated stuff. Cheerios are nice and safe because they have a hole in them through which one can breathe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/5 "2002-03-31T07:25:05Z")
Ours started getting annoyed at the spoon, but if we give her small chunks of stuff she can eat herself she gobbles it up. If you haven’t started with finger foods, Cheerios are a good place to start. Ours is now doing small chunks of bread, soft veggies, tofu, cheese, etc. Be careful to make sure he can handle stuff (i.e. chew, not choke) before you go on to more complicated stuff. Cheerios are nice and safe because they have a hole in them through which one can breathe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sophie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Sophie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophie)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/6 "2002-03-31T12:40:59Z")
Thanks, you guys. I won’t worry. I didn’t think I should but my mom likes to make me panic; it’s her favorite thing to do. Plus she quit smoking yesterday so she was extra-freaky. Thankie! ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/7 "2002-03-31T13:44:25Z")
To elaborate on **DDG’s** point, just make sure he doesn’t get dehydrated. Little food in the short term is no problem. But if your baby’s not drinking, he’ll quickly dehydrate (esp if he’s vomiting or diarrheaing). You can get an idea of baby’s fluid status by noting if he’s wetting his diaper regularly and if he makes tears when he cries (these are the infant analogs of your car’s dipstick). If you ever are concerned about dehydration, you should bring baby to the ER for evaluation. Sounds like **Sohpie Jr** is on the mend, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sophie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Sophie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophie)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/8 "2002-03-31T15:24:49Z")
Oh, I knows about dehydration. Trust me. When he had rotavirus a few weeks ago, it was _the only_ topic of conversation. If he ever quit drooling, I that think the moon would fall out of orbit. In other news, he ate half a jar of pears this morning, so I think he’s gonna live. What a Weasel. ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/9 "2002-03-31T16:56:36Z")
Sophie Little Y was also like that, right around that age. We had the mouth sealed shut and the head going back and forth for a few months. She would eat baby yogurt, from time to time, but nothing much else. It would take her about two or three days (though we didn’t stretch one jar that far, for safety reasons) to finish one jar of baby food. I tried making it myself, still, no go. The only thing that got her out of it, was herself deciding she was hungry. Some kids are just not “foodies”. Maybe he’s one of them. We should get him and Y together in facing highchairs to do the “Dance of the Head-shaking Babies.” Good luck. I know it’s hard not to worry, especially when you see all these other babies gobbling up their food like little baby birds. ---
**Author:** ![Nonny\_Mouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5e9695/32.png) [@Nonny\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonny_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-hunger-strike/101011/10 "2002-03-31T21:11:38Z")
Nine months old, you say? That means he’s been on baby food for a little while. Maybe he’s getting bored with the menu. I agree with the finger food suggestion. Cheerios, peas, little bits of soft cheese, goldfish crackers, tiny bits of soft toast… Nonny