Mealtime : Finding tricks that work
Vai now eats his solids twice a day. Carrot. Rice Cereal. Banana. Papaya. Apple. Spinach. Etc (strained / steamed / pureed)
Thing is … when it comes to his mealtime, this number Two kid of mine somehow shows not much of an interest (he breastfeeds fine and well though).
You see. It was all okay in the beginning. But since some 3 weeks ago it all got pretty … difficult. He’d refuse to open his mouth, turn his head and push the spoon away. And almost always, he’d cry and complain.
Then I found out that he apparently had some whitish-looking thingy just under his tongue (an ‘oral thrush’!).
Though it’s not dangerous (an anti-fungal oral gel will fix the problem within a week or so. Vai’s doctor gave him Daktarin Oral Gel), it apparently is really painful to the baby. No wonder he complained and cried a lot during mealtimes.
And so I waited for the pain to go away, hoping that it’d be much less of a struggle when he’s all well. And in the mean time, I still tried my best giving him some solids (even a little bit).
The thrush’s gone for sometime now, but mealtimes continues to be a battle.
Okay. It’s not that he always cries and fusses. There are times when it all goes VERY smoothly and my smile goes from cheek to cheek!
But really, … I can say 70% of the time this little guy cries and complains (read: the reason why I prefer giving him his meals ‘at home’ and not when we’re outside).
And I’ve tried and tested sooo many tricks to keep him interested (and somewhat ‘distracted’ so he’ll eat without fussing).
I’ve offered different home-made food and fruits. Tried various baby food in jars. Kept him entertained by making super-silly sounds, body movements and overly-exaggerated facial expressions (read: better if performed in the presence of no one other than the kids and my hubby! For the sake of my own image and reputation, I mean. Hehe).
I dangle house keys, a packet of crackers, basically anything that makes interesting sounds so that he’d look up and gulp his food while trying to reach for it.
Even Anya sometimes becomes his ‘mealtime entertainer’.
These tricks, used in different combinations at different times, work usually. For A LITTLE WHILE.
And if he really fusses and cries a lot, I just end his meal there and throw the rest away.
Sigh.
I know all the theories in my head. Mealtimes are supposed to be fun. If we continue to give food to a crying baby it will make him see his mealtime as something ‘negative’. If the baby fusses and is not interested, we should ‘try it again later’.
The thing is, Vai may cry and complain in the first 3 minutes, but he may be completely okay after that (read: eating well). Hmm. Or vice versa. Come to think of it, he has no specific eating patterns actually.
Good thing I somehow am not frustrated or go all angry at him for making most of his mealtimes a challenge for me. I’d usually just smile, shake my head, take a deep breath and keep on trying to find a way to get him take up another spoonful.
Last night I browsed the internet trying to look for ideas and tricks that work. Just any possible ways to get him eat without fussing.
I then came across quite a good one from babycentre.co.uk and got some useful input from there.
And so this morning, I gave him a little plastic bowl, put some of his rice cereals in it and let him ‘play with it’. Oh it all got VERY messy.
My left hand held onto the bowl (cause otherwise it’d be flung all over the place), while my right hand did the feeding. AND, he ate all his food with very little fuss! He’s so busy playing with the cereal using his little fingers!
I guess he found the cereal’s grainy-feel interesting. Another new discovery!
[Not sure if it’s because this morning was one of the ‘good days’ or because the trick worked. Hmm]
Anyway.
I guess I have to keep on trying to find (or invent) more ways (well, unless things gradually and consistently get better. Oh what a great day that’d be!)
This little guy sure wants me to exercise my brain and keeps me on the ball all the time *smile*
