Dearest Bubby,
You helped once before regarding motherhood issues when my daughter was freshly born and I needed some help with my mother-in-law. Well, now the baby is one year and eight months old, and everything is fine.
But my happy child gave up eating abruptly after her nanny left (to have a baby of her own). She had been so easy to feed before. But now she refuses her solid food, and eventually accepts fruit and milk.
Everyone says you shouldn't push a child to eat, but it's been a week now and I am seriously nervous about it. It's hard not to demonstrate how eager I am to have her eating happily as she did before.
I asked the nanny to visit and show her affection, and I noticed how moved my baby was. I am a film editor and can't always be around... Do you have any advice on how to get my baby eating again?
Love,
Hungry Mum
Dear Hungry Mum,
I know how you feel - that your baby refuses to eat. But don't worry. If she gets hungry she will eat and not starve. Get an attractive dish, put some of her previous-liked food into the dish, give her a spoon, get some music on, or sing to her and see what happens.
My son was a poor eater and the doctor assured me that he will eat if I make eating time interesting. And it worked. You can change eating time for a change - that often helps. Do you give her any junior food? She may be ready for that now.
I doubt that she misses her babysitter to the extent that she refuses to eat. If you change the food and make it attractive she will soon be eating for her "mummy" as well as for the "sitter".
Your baby was born to eat and she will eat with a few of these changes.
Try it -- she will like it.
Good Luck.
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