6 month old baby not eating anything and hates me...

Please don't force your child to eat. Talk to her paediatrician and he will tell you that no child will willingly starve himself/ herself.
Will you love someone if they force you to do something against your wish?
Please don't think the baby does not love you.

 

Dear Rams,

I too faced the same prob with my son at that stage. They will show interest to new foods when we introduce but will refuse to eat if we continue to give same food often so better change the food. Start on some fruits.

About milk, this is one stage where they will reject milk but soon when they cross around 8 months again they will get back to only milk. This is my personal experience. So dont worry unless and until your baby is abnormal in activities. The only time you should worry is when you noticed change in their activities.

So just take it easy they will change their habit soon.

 

@rams22 I went through the same phase with my dd and that was what her paediatrician told me.

 

rams, she is associating you with feeding like you rightly guessed and so, the moment she see's you, she thinks you are here to feed her.
At this age, just like in infant days, they go through low phases and growth spurts. How long has she been refusing food? Offer the food, if she says no, just leave it and try again in 30 mins. In those 30 mins, don’t offer milk. They are very smart, they don’t starve themselves. Yes, there may be loss of weight but they really won’t starve themselves.

Also, is there a feeding routine for her? Like breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner? Usually that’s the routine I follow unless she is sick. If you dont have a routine yet, I suggest that you start with one soon.

Its also possible that she is teething. Maybe her gums are hurting her and food is aggravating the pain. Check if her gums are swollen and see if you can give her any pain relief meds.

I also noticed that before or just after reaching a milestone, their behavior towards food and naps change temporarily. Has she reached any milestone like starting to crawl etc recently?

Don’t worry, she doesn’t hate you. She loves you as a person but hates the food. Don’t mix them up.

 

Your child might be teething. Apply teething gel on her gums.

Do not force feed her, or you will be having this battle for the next 5 years.

Regarding feeding, read up tips on the babycentre website. Do not distract her with songs or videos. Have a designated place in which she will sit for her meal. Have a routine in place, as well. During mealtimes, minimise distractions - put toys away, turn off TV etc.

You can try offering her finger food on a plate. Let her play with it, squash it, and make a mess. Just let her be. Take her away after she has been sitting for 20 min. She will eventually put it in her mouth. Offer her only healthy foods, like soft fruits and veg. Or small pieces of idli/ dosa/ roti/ bread etc. That way, whenever she chooses to eat, there will be at least a little bit of nutrition going in. (I say this because I have seen mums offer biscuits saying that's the only thing the child eats! Such items have absolutely 0 nutrition and it is pointless to start your child on unhealthy habits this early)

After that just make a point of playing with her without bringing food into the equation. The more she sees you stress and fret the longer she is going to go on like this because she is curious about the power she wields on you! Bless her!

Do this consistently and give it a week or two for your child to fall into routine. Avoid giving her extra formula at night because she hasn't eaten as that way she gets her calorific needs met during night and she resists during the day. Also, is she sleeping well and uninterrupted during the night? My daughter's feeding problems disappeared as soon as I sleep trained her.

 

aren't babies smart ? She is definitely associating you with force feeding and I don't think she hates you. Instead of you putting food in her mouth. Try giving her some finger foods. Like semi boiled carrot stick, potato fingers. Something she can hold by herself. Try something like munchkin fresh food feeder. If this is not available try to make your own with a mesh available locally. You can try distracting her with something visual. I would suggest you hold of on feeding solids for a few days. See how she takes it and try it again some time later. She is only 6 months.

 

maybe she is teething... and her gums are hurting thatswhy she is crying and not eating.. if she is drolling then thatswhat the indication...lets wait and see what others replies are...