I would start with a countdown except that I have NO idea what day we're on in this current hunger strike. Elisa seemed to eat a bit better when we first got to North Carolina, but over the week, it all slowed down. At first, I thought maybe she was constipated and then a bit under the weather. But still, when she won't even eat fruit, I know we have a problem. Except that I keep hearing and reading that it's just MY problem. That in reality, she will eat when she's hungry and right now, she doesn't have an appetite. I try offering more and different foods, taking the untouched portions and saving them for another audition on her plate. But apparently, she's on to me because she looks at leftovers with a kind of icy disdain I would usually reserve for Fancy Feast. It ain't pretty.
So just to recap, today Elisa ate the following:
- one bite of Eggo waffle
- two ginger snap cookies
- one bite of banana
- one complete cheese stick (hallelujah!)
- 8 or 9 green beans
- 1/4 of a piece of bacon
- 2 dried apricots
- 1 date
- 10 or so veggie sticks (puffed chips)
Seriously. That's it. Apart from her bottles and a couple ounces of diluted apple juice, this girl has turned her nose up at more food than I care to recall. I guess it's just difficult to remember that food is not the only nurturing I give her. Perhaps my food=love equation could be the beginning of years of therapy for her, but I really have a hard time not feeling hurt when she won't eat. It's as if I am doing something for her and there is such a sense of rejection on top of her pile of scraps. It's stupid but deeply rooted in my maternal instincts to provide sustenance. Beyond that, I'm also worried about her health and her weight and whether she is getting enough nutrients out of the few things she does eat. It's a weirdly stressful situation. So I have to tell myself that it's a phase, and she won't wither away. And in the meantime, try to fix food with no expectations. Is that possible? I'll keep trying anyway.
4 comments:
For what it's worth, Anna probably doesn't eat that much more on any given day. And they'll she wolf down three bowls of yogurt one day.
I know that it's a change in habit of Elisa and that' what makes it so frustrating, but sometimes kids just don't eat for days at a time. Then she'll go crazy and eat a ton for a week. They go through these phases a lot more as they get older.
Besides, if she still isn't eating when I get there, I'll clean her plate myself and tell you how grateful I am for having a wonderful mother like you. I will balance out her karma.
Thanks, Maggie. I know this will come and go, but somehow it still frustrates me. Working on letting it go. All encouragement is welcome and you know I'm going to feed you when you get here!!
It sometimes amazes me that these little humans used to only drink milk for the first 6 months of life. Sometimes I feel bad when I don't give Hiro enough liquids. I always forget that he should be drinking water, now that he's eating solid food. I'm sure it's just a phase Elisa is going through, and every book I've read on this topic says dont worry, they amazingly do get their nutrients. Plus Elisa is a big girl, not a bit scrawny, so definately not to worry.
Also I've found in that if we actually sit at a table with Hiro and eat with him, he is more likely to eat stuff he usually wouldn't eat.
do not worry. it is so common and not a big deal. all the pediatricians say not to worry if your child is surviving on goldfish (slight exaggeration). my advice? give her a liquid multi vitamin to ease your worry. keep putting a variety of healthy foods in front of her to choose from, even the ones she regularly rejects. try not to think about the wastefulness of the stuff that's ending up down the drain. know that eventually she will dig in, even if that is YEARS from now.
(all of that said, let me just say that I completely understand the mental aspect of this. we were so lucky that georgia has been the most voracious eater I have ever seen in my life, and I know that if June ends up being more of a "normal" (i.e., super picky, small portion) eater that I'm going to have to fight the urge to think that we're doing something wrong or that there's something wrong with her.)
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