OK, so I have this wonderful 10 month old boy who is the light of our lives.
Yesterday, said light went on a hunger strike, eating no baby food at all, and only a couple of french fries from my lunch (I was desperate). He had been coughing a bit, so we saw the pediatrician who gave him Pediacare decongestant. I am also giving Infant Tylenol in case of fever. Breakfast this morning consisted of about six bites of oatmeal cereal, and he drank no more than 4 oz of formula last night.
Also, he barely slept last night. I finally ended up sleeping on the floor with him, as the guest bed is gone and hubby needed to sleep. He was never a great sleeper, but had only been waking up once for a bottle lately.
He is also very clingy and screamy, lots of crying. I don’t see any new teeth, but that might be it.
Any advise? Is this just a cranky age? Do most kids go through an “I hate food” phase? I am dying for some suggestions! I am at my wit’s end, as well as on a total coffee binge.
I’d just snuggle him and try to make him feel better. His teeth might hurt, or he may have a sore throat and swallowing might be uncomfortable. Kids won’t starve to death in a couple days If he’s still feeling bad in a few more days, take him to the ped again, as it might be an ear infection or the like, but I bet he’ll be much better very soon.
sheesh, 10 month old, that seems like ages ago to me.
It could be anything really, but it sounds like it could be teething, he’s at that age. the Tylenol should relieve him a little, my boys always liked those freezer teething rings, and zwieback toast. He probably didn’t sleep well because he was hungry, he was hungry because he was cranky and possibly teething so he didn’t eat. It’s a vicious cycle. That’s about all the advice I have, sorry, been too long. Good Luck!
Relax (I know it’s not that easy). Kids do this all the time, chances are he’s just got a cold or is teething. Just keep an eye out for any other symptoms of illness and don’t try to force food on him. Offer it, yes, but it’s really not a good idea to try and coerce a child to eat. Trust me, he’s not going to let himself starve. There have been periods when I honestly did not know how my son was surviving, he ate so little, but know he’s almost four feet tall and weighs fifty pounds! If he’s not better in a day or two or it gets worse, go back to the pediatrician, he could have developed an ear infection.
My son had brief periods like this on and off through babyhood. Like I said, most of the time it was just a cold (ever notice that when you’re sick food is much less appealing?), sometimes we couldn’t pinpoint it, but it always passed.
Does holding him comfort him? Go ahead and do it then, no need to worry about spoiling. On the other hand, if you’re at the end of your rope, there is no harm in putting him in his crib for a few minutes so you can take a break. Try offering him something hard or cool to gnaw on, just in case he’s teething. Frozen bagels or waffles worked well for my son. Sometimes a nice, warm bath will soothe a child. Or try pushing him up and down the streets in his stroller. Don’t worry about what the neighbors will think, they were once babies, too.
(Note: This is a mistake I made when my son was going through the colicy stage; I’d try something for about two minutes and then give up and switch to something else. This can be upsetting to a child. Give it at least five or ten minutes unless he seems really scared or upset. Kids can’t immediatly switch from tears to happiness. Well, they can, but not when you need them too.)
Keep in mind that this will pass. You’re doing all you can, so don’t feel guilty. Is there any chance that your husband can take the baby for a few hours tonight so that you can get away for awhile? Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.
Yep…that sounds like the teething/sick child story we used to tell. Since you went to the doctor already, I wouldn’t worry too much. We have a 3 y.o. and a 1 y.o. and both have gone through this before. It makes you nuts because they’re not eating…you worry that they aren’t getting enough fluids (check with your doc…I think last time we went through this we were trying to get in 12 oz a day minimum of water). It’s a little more scary if this is your first child and the first time he’s been sick. But if it is teeth, a little Tylenol was all we needed to get back on track.
For your own piece of mind, if you find something he is eating…crackers, pretzels, whatever, let him have as much as he wants. That way at least you’ll know he’s eaten.
Good luck! It’s frustrating, I know, but it’s not unusual.
You poor thing. (Him too!) I feel for you both. It’s no fun when little ones get sick. They can’t tell you what’s going on and it often isn’t clear.
So long as he is cranky and irritable, I wouldn’t worry. It’s when they get listless that I get scared. It’s very common for kids to eat little or nothing for a few days. A sore throat might make it painful to swallow, a stuffy nose cuts off taste sensors and appetite, a new tooth can be even worse. My kids, cutting a tooth, would often drool buckets, and then swallow that drool, ending up with tummy aches and mucousy stools.
My advice: hold him and sleep with him as much as possible. (Don’t try to get things done while he sleeps for a bit. You need your rest, too.) You’ll be there if he makes even the slightest indication that he is thirsty or hungry and you’ll also be aware if he should run a fever.
If he isnt eating or drinking, he might have ear pain, or throat pain. If he is still drinking, then GO WITH THAT, give him pedialyte, juice, etc - good stuff, no crap. Dont push the foods. If he has a mild fever, dont jump to the tylenol - the body uses a fever to fight the infection, let him simmer at a low temp, give him a popsicle, wait a while, then if the fever goes up - bring out the dope.
If its teething, I used to soak a clean wash cloth in water, freeze it, and then they chewed it - very soothing.
As long as he is taking in fluid - dont be too worried about the food. And at night, he might find it uncomfortable to sleep laying down because of the congestion. Find a recliner, get comfy, and hold him against your shoulder for the night…you will both sleep better.
Both my children went through phases of not eating (usually when teething). He will start eating again in a day or two. They also went through phases of clinginess every few months alternating with periods of independence.
When teething, all bets are off. My kid won’t eat, it a HUGE grump, very clingy, sleeping patterns disrupted, etc.
One thing we do is use painkillers liberally. For him, not us, haha. Tylenol alternated with Motrin so that there is not a time when the medicine is wearing off. Once pain starts, it’s harder to knock back than if you keep on top of it. You can overlap these medicines (that’s the idea). And before anyone flames me, I too was outraged when a parent told me this, I thought HOW DANGEROUS! But it’s true, doctors will tell you the same thing, this is a safe and accepted practice. It’s how they fight big fevers, too.
Do you have a sling? it’s the only thing that keeps me from diving off a cliff when our son gets like this. I get an arm or two free, but he feels snuggled in close like he’s craving. Also, movement of any type seems to help. We put in a lot of stroller miles during teething time.
Also: Frozen bananas slices and frozen grapes cut in half may offer some comfort. As for eating, over the course of most weeks, kids get adequate nutrition, even though any individual day is sketchier. He’ll eat more when he feels better.
I’m with ya, girl. Hang in there. Every tooth is a major battle in our house.
Thats excellent advice, if you are sure its teething. If he just has a cold and some congestion - he might just feel too icky to eat.
I use the painkiller combo when my youngest gets this weird high fever he gets sometimes(103-104 for 2-3 days at a stretch - doctors are baffled), but a low fever isnt always in need of tylenol.
If you think its teeth though, give him something for the pain, it wont hurt him if you are wrong.
As a mother of four, I think I can confidently say that it’s completely normal, as long as there aren’t any other symptoms to show that it may be something other than teething, or just a grumpy period.
Kids that age will not starve themselves. I find that my kids will follow a growth spurt (where they eat constantly) with a few days or so of hardly touching their food.
Regarding pain medication:
I do have to say that I don’t give my kids much Tylenol. It’s not good to over medicate, and some mild discomfort isn’t going to kill them. I usually let them suck on freezies and chew on teething biscuits for teething pain. Several members of my family suffer from chronic migraines, and as a result, everyone is very aware of the dangers of giving pain medication for minor discomfort, or small amounts of pain.
Here is a great article for information of the use of pain medication for children.
I remember the first time my daughter got sick (she was a very healthy baby, and didn’t catch her first cold until she was 2 years old), and the pediatrician told me to alternate Tylenol & Motrin. My daughter had a very high fever, higher than she’d ever had while teething. My first reaction was “I can do that? Really?” So, I went to the store, got her some Motrin (all we’d had was Tylenol–as I said, she was a healthy kid), gave it to her (husband had already given her Tylenol), and about an hour after giving her the Motrin and a tepid bath she was up & running again.
EJs, like everyone else has said, just be sure he gets plenty of fluids. He’ll eat when he’s hungry, and if he’s a normal baby (BTW, I have a son the same age as yours!), he’ll be hungry very soon. I’ve also got to back up what Shirley said about the french fries. They’re not always a bad thing!
You guys are lifesavers! It looks like some of both illness and teething. He was a little congested (pediacare seemed to do the trick) but we also think we spotted teeth #6 & 7 on top! No wonder the kid is pissed.
He seems to be back on his food, and we did clock a lot of stroller miles in the last day or so. Today he was even begging for table food at lunch- is 10 months too young for a taco? Ha ha ha, yes I licked all the sauce off.
Thank you for everything, at least now I know where to turn with my questions!
Next time this happens, you might try giving small homemade icepops. Make them from grape juice, that way the kid is getting some liquid. Most kids like grape flavor. And when I say small, I mean like about an inch square.
If he’s still feeling bad in a few more days, take him to the ped again, as it might be an ear infection or the like, but I bet he’ll be much better very soon.