food fights

Every meal seems to result in a food fight...but not in the traditional sense of the word. She's not eating, so the fight is to get her to eat...and to find something she's willing to eat. It's become very stressful for her mother, who wants very much for her daughter to be healthy and to gain some weight. Every meal I sit in hope that she'll eat the whole...whatever it is...whole piece of cheese, whole graham cracker, whole dish of applesauce, etc. Rarely does it happen.

At her doctor appointment last week she had dropped to the 5th percentile for weight. I keep trying to tell myself that someone has to be in the 5th percentile, and that she's happy and developmentally doing well, so her weight isn't a huge problem, but I still stress about it all of the time, particularly at meal time when she eats a few bites, fusses, and declares, "Ah dah!" (baby speak for "All Done!"--the only two words she can say!)

The doctor is sending us to an occupational therapist to try and help her. I'm not quite sure what she'll do, but I'm supposed to take food with me that she likes to eat and food that she won't eat, plus utensils, bottles, sippy cups, etc. She's going to evaluate her eating and then give me some tips on how to get her to eat better. I'm willing to try anything. Eating has been a battle since day one, when I couldn't get her to nurse for days. If anyone can help me, I say, bring it on!!! I'm getting tired of this battle. We go next week.