I'm a bit frustrated right now. Joaquin seems to have taken a step backward with eating solids. For a short time, he was doing great and eating solids about three times a day, about 16-20 ounces. Now, he is barely taking in a few ounces of solids a day.
He will open his mouth, making chewing movements with his mouth and then happily spit it out or let it drool out of his mouth. He does this all with the biggest grin on his face which is adorable but I'm still frustrated. He was doing so well before he got his ear infections.
Maybe he's teething, maybe he still has some residual pain from his ear infections, maybe his stomach is upset from the antibiotics that he's still on. Who knows?
He still nurses like a champ and we will continue to do this until he can eat solids consistently but at this rate, I feel like he'll be nursing forever. I know I need to be patient but feeding children is one of those basic needs things that a mother feels completely responsible for and right now I feel like I'm failing.
So....I'll keep trying. Every day. And I'll keep wiping up the green beens that have been sprayed all over my clothes, his high chair and the kitchen walls. I know he'll figure this out. Eventually.
Living life one day at a time as a family of six...3 busy and bouncy boys and 1 Ukrainian princess. Our third son Joaquin was our unexpected blessing who came to us with a little something extra called Down syndrome and inspired us to adopt Sofia an orphan we fell in love with through Reece's Rainbow. We hope that our story will help open people's eyes to the beauty and gift that ALL children are. We are all more alike than different!
Being a mom is like being a detective...but without any training... ;)
ReplyDeleteI know you're not a 'new' mom like me, but I find that trying to figure what's going on is like multiple choice, but without the answer at the end...
I hope that things start getting better with the solids!
Eventually! You're right though, he's so darn cute, so I'm sure looking at him making those messes still brings a smile to your face!
ReplyDeleteHopefully, it's not regression and just a residual from the ear infection.
My son isn't much older than yours and he too has Ds - when he does what your describing here it's because he doesn't want to eat what I'm feeding him. If I give him oatmeal but he doesn't want it he will spit it out or let it drip down. So, I'll make him eggs - problem solved. I go back to oatmeal the next day. Try it. This may just his way of communicating with you.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely could be teething or congestion. Or he just doesn't like the taste....Brennan refuses green veggies - so I add a little applesauce. The only other thing I can think of is reflux....I know kids will sometimes refuse foods if they have a bad association - like that related to reflux. Just something to consider. Otherwise, he may just be voicing his opinion and pushing your buttons at the same time.....ahh, the guessing game of motherhood continues!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear of your frustrations! I know I was frustrated at times with Whitney when she just would not latch onto the bottle (we had to give up nursing when she was 2 weeks old and in the hospital and too weak to eat - the Drs insisted that I pump and we give her milk through a bottle and then when she wasn't taking enough by bottle, an NG tube)... it was hard to keep trying time after time and not have success - but now at 5 1/2 months old she has been taking a bottle like a champ for the past 3 1/2 weeks and all of the hard work has paid off. I know you will have the same success --- I would say go with what you think is going on... maybe you are onto something with the ear infection/antibiotic suspicion? Or maybe it is what some of the other parents said... he might not like the taste/texture, maybe reflux, maybe showing independence??? It is a guessing game, but usually the mom can figure it out!!! :) Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteOk.....so I tried some of his favorite foods and warmed them up and he ended up eating like he usually does last night. So, maybe it was just a passing thing. We'll see how it goes today. Thank you everyone for your support.
ReplyDeletegosh, I so feel your pain. Gabby goes in spurts where she eats great one day and then not so great the next. I know it is frustrating but keep on offering...and mopping up your floors, lol
ReplyDeleteJen, we just went through this with John because of his ear infection. He would nurse but would not take the bottle or swallow any solids because it hurt him. You could be right in saying that his ears are still not clear. Anyway, goodluck with this. I know that this is something that is normally difficult for our kids anyway. As a matter of fact, my post today is about our experience with this.
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