Feel like my DD wants to eat all of the time!!! - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

Delia79 · 07-30-2008, 05:42 AM

My DD will be 13 months on Aug. 2nd. She has been off of formula and bottles since her 12 month check on July 7th. She is not a picky eater, but the problem is that I am starting to worry that she is eating too much. She seems to want to eat more than I expected and will actually cry when the food is gone sometimes. I just don't want to make the mistake of over feeding her, but I also don't want to deprive her of food if she really is hungry. Do kids have the instict to tell them when they are full? What I mean is, if she was full, would she just keep eating anyway if I let her? I just don't know what to think and don't want to go about feeding her the wrong way. Any suggestions? Could she be going through another growth spurt?

luckydarlin · 07-30-2008, 06:23 AM

My 15 month old daughter is like this as well so I'm glad to see this post. Unfortunately, I don't have much advice

- but personally I am going off the theory she knows when she is full and will tell me. I never force her to eat, and during the day if she wants a snack (a breadstick, some cheerios, rice cake) I give her one. Idefinitely opt for fruit or low fat/no fat snacks because I do worry about the fat intake in snacks.

I also agree that this is a growth spurt - sounds to me that you're doing the right thing. I'm interested to see other responses too.

Good luck!

Delia79 · 07-31-2008, 05:35 AM

Lucky,
Thanks for your response! I am glad to hear it's not only my little monster then who wants to eat a lot!

My MIL gave her a whole wheat cracker and now she is OBSESSED with them! She would sit and eat five if I let her. And I am talking about adult sized crackers, they aren't for babies!

I am trying to make her understand that she doesn't need to eat five at a time and that there are other things to eat besides just the crackers, but she is very persistent.

luckydarlin · 07-31-2008, 12:29 PM

Delia -

When I would take my daughter to the grocery store, I'd give her a teething toast or something to munch on if she got fussy half way through the store- problem is now EVERY time we are in the grocery store she is looking for her snacks or she's having a little fit! It doesn't help that at the deli they give her a piece of cheese whenever we are standing there. She thinks she's suppose to eat her way through the entire grocery store!

I definitely worry about habits like this because I don't think she "needs" to eat at these times, but then I kind of think 'well, it's not like she's eating a meatball sub' so I let it go. I'm hoping as she gets a bit older she'll get better at knowing when she is really hungry ---but she's a growing girl!

I'm so glad to know there's another little chow monster around

E1979 · 08-05-2008, 12:42 PM

I have one too!!! Tanner (almost 13 months) eats a lot. Right now he's obsessed with watermelon. I'm not kidding he could eat a quater of a whole watermelon in a sitting. It's like crack for him.

But thankfully it's something I have no problem with him eating a lot of. Strangely my son loves very healthy foods, things you would guess a child would hate: broccolli, beans, fruit, veggies, salad, fish, tomatoes. I have never given him a food that he hasn't liked. It's almost like a game for me and DH now to see if we can find something he doesn't like...oh wait, he tasted a lime wedge once and didn't like that!

I also worry about all this childhood obesity and I wonder if he's just eating because he likes food so much and who cares if he's full or not. The other thing Tanner does is he'll stuff as much of it in his mouth at one time. I have seen him put like 6-7 goldfish crackers in his mouth at once. I have to watch him because I don't want him to choke!