Eating Strike

I don't want to sound like one of those people who are constantly complaining but I cannot take it anymore...I have a child that doesn't eat. I don't mean that he's just picky, I mean he has days that he really doesn't eat much more that a couple handfuls of Cheerios! This is not a new development, either...this has gone on for almost a year!!! I have tried every trick in the book from "sneaking" food into what he WILL eat to just giving in and letting him eat junk by justifying it by telling myself that at least he's getting calories (howbeit, empty ones).

I did so good for the first year of his life...he was breastfed until 14 months (I would have nursed longer but he chose not to), I made all his baby food (and when I gave him store bought, it was all organic) and was a stickler for monitoring the ages at introducing new foods. Right around the time he went on strike from nursing is also when he gave up eating. Oh there are a few select foods that he will occasionally chose to partake of but that usually turns into a battle because I make him what I KNOW he likes and he still refuses to eat.

Tonight he decided he didn't want to eat anything we offered him until I pulled out a yogurt. He gobbled that up. I could tell he would eat more but I didn't have another individual serving. I did have a whole tub of vanilla, though. I know from previous experiences that he usually will refuse this kind (especially when it's in a regular bowl or if he sees me try to "trick" him and put the regular kind into the old one's container). I cut up, cooked and pureed a pear to add (while he was distracted), stirred that in and sat down to give it to him. He INSTANTLY refused after barely letting the spoon touch his lips. Jay suggested I throw some blueberries in (since this is on of the few foods he rarely will turn down) and again...refusal! I wanted to SCREAM!!! If this was just a phase or if he was not feeling well or something like that I could understand...but this has been going on for-ev-er!!! I have seriously exasperated every trick, tip, ruse and gimmick and so far nothing has worked. The only thing that has semi-worked has been pureeing veggies (like carrots, squash or cauliflower) into his mac and cheese but the poor kid obviously won't eat mac and cheese every day so that only works once in a while.

Proper nutrition is important to me. Ok, let's try that sentence again (LOL)...Proper nutrition FOR HIM is important to me - I am still working on applying the same standard to my life and it's not easy. I have battled weight and food issues for as long as I can remember and I just don't want my child to go down that same road. So often I fear that he is doing permanent damage to his young self by this self-induced food aversion. I scheduled his 2 year check-up for next week and will talk to the doctor about this and see what she has to say (though I'm very doubtful that it will be anything different that what I know and have heard for the last year). I'm not one of those moms that rush to the doctor for every little thing (he hasn't been in since he was sick a year ago because despite this issue, he is actually a very healthy little boy) but I just don't have any other options at this point.

So here it is, almost 9 o'clock at night and all my boy has eaten today was some Cheerios, blueberries, a Nutri-grain bar and a yogurt! Wish us luck in overcoming this!!! :)