Comments on: Attachment Parenting and Toddler Nutrition

By: Shen-Li

Shen-Li — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:59:10 +0000

I find how much a toddler is eating (or rather not eating) is such a big issue in an Asian culture, albeit mostly from the older generation. I hear all sorts of horror stories, such as children who are threatened to be smacked for not eating (I was raised rather similarly and would get placed in a time out for not eating when I was a child).

As a mother of a picky toddler who is still nursing at the age of 2, I would get a lot of pressure to wean because of the belief that breastmilk was putting my son off solids. They felt that my son was drinking too much breastmilk which made him too full to eat solids.

I’m glad I read Kelly Mom because her site reassured me that I was doing the right thing so I persisted with the breastfeeding – although there were times when I was wondering if my son would have eaten more if he wasn’t still breastfeeding. Interestingly, I met a mother who weaned her nursing toddler for the same reasons only to discover that his solid intake hasn’t increased at all, but he now drinks cow’s milk to replace the breastmilk he used to drink…

There are lots of reasons why toddlers don’t eat as much – my son’s case was because his molars were very late out and he had a lot of problems with teething. There was also a rather unrealistic expectation on how much my son should be eating (the quantity was pretty much equivalent to how much I would eat as an adult) and he was falling way short of that expectation.

Although I had grand plans to keep the junkfood off the list, I succumbed to the pressure from the grandparents when he wasn’t eating. Perhaps this isn’t the right place for this question but I’m wondering what are the thoughts – if your child won’t eat, is some calories from junk food better than no calories at all?

Personally, I’ve felt that if he wanted to eat he would eat. I relented with the junkfood after being made to feel like I didn’t care for my son’s well-being. But now I’m worried that the junkfood consumption is getting out of hand.

By: jessyz

jessyz — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:26:46 +0000

I loved this post, I am planning to breastfeed until my daughter is 2 years and then decide if she is ready for weaning. My sister in law nags me all the time that my daughter is not eating enough but I’ve been watching my daughter and she’s almost one now and is growing steadily and happily. I offer lots of food choices but she’s still more dependent on breast milk. My mother is a nutritionist and always points out that if you don’t worry too much about the quantity of food but about the quality of food offered to toddlers you could be helping them combat life long diseases like diabetes and obesity.

By: Annie @ PhD in Parenting

Annie @ PhD in Parenting — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:47:37 +0000

I really appreciate all of the great feedback on my guest post here. I’m glad to see that the topic resonated with so many parents of toddlers and that you found the information useful in assessing your child’s eating patterns.

By: jane

jane — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:30:19 +0000

Thanks for this. I need this kind of reassurance sometimes. I am tandem nursing my 3 month old and my 3 yr old, and my 3 yo is still very picky with solid food. I know she is healthy and thriving, but I worry sometimes about her pickiness even though I know it is normal.

By: Rita

Rita — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:17:19 +0000

This is a great article! I think more health professionals should look into this type of information, as I’ve heard from many mothers whose pediatricians recommended that they wean because breastmilk doesn’t provide any nutrition in the toddler years — which doesn’t make a bit of sense! With my toddlers, I’ve learned that they’ll eat when they’re hungry and not to worry if they eat less during some meals than others.

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:32:40 +0000

Thanks so much for this insightful article! This made me feel so much better about my 16 month old’s eating and nursing patterns. After reading this, it put so many things into perspective. Thanks!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:58:19 +0000

What a fantastic article!!
It makes me feel so much better about my picky eater (although I’ve recently found a way to sneak the healthy foods that I’d like him to eat, into the foods he’d like to eat).
I was feeling a little self-conscious about my skills in toddler feeding department but this article definitely made me feel a lot more confident in my decisions. Thank you.

By: Carla (MamaHeartsBaby)

Carla (MamaHeartsBaby) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:02:37 +0000

What a fantastic article! I have been lucky enough to discover AP & Dr. Sears and both play a huge role in how my family approaches nutrition. At 25 wks pregnant with a 19 month old toddler, I continue to nurse and look forward to nursing both my children once our new baby arrives. I approach food as Dr. Sears suggests, we watch the child not the plate. I think for many parents it’s difficult to remember that a toddler is still developing in his/her unique way and that includes tastes and appetite. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information.

By: Dominique

Dominique — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:56:25 +0000

I too am slowly weaning my toddler(2yr 1mth old now) as he has been into biting and am tired of him constantly waking up at night to nurse. Watching the toddler instead of the plate works for me as I believe if they are hungry they will automatically look for you for food.

By: Family Anatomy

Family Anatomy — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:10:20 +0000

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding up to the age of two years and beyond. Both of our kids breastfed up to 18 months to 2 years. Once they started biting, all bets were off!

By: Rob A

Rob A — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:53:35 +0000

Watch your toddler, not the plate. If your toddler is growing well and is in good spirits, don’t worry if he isn’t eating very much as he may still be getting most of what he needs from nursing.

Yes! Our 16 month old is weaning himself at his own pace – he’ll devour some things (porridge most notably) and others he’ll just put in his mouth to taste. Most of his nutrients come from breastmilk, and he’s a very happy little boy!

By: Half Pint Pixie

Half Pint Pixie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:37:56 +0000

oops hit "submit" too soon, I have a little helper here! We have had great success with muffin tray meals, Littlepixie finds them to be great fun!

By: Half Pint Pixie

Half Pint Pixie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:34:54 +0000

Thanks for this! We are very slowly starting to wean, my daughter is 2 years & 3 months now, up until now I have been very confident knowing she is getting lots of goodness from nursing, but I find now that it is so easy to get caught up in the “what are they eating” hysteria which seems to get worse the more online (non-AP) info you read!

I found Carlos Gonzales’ book to be so reassuring and yes, I agree with watch your child, not the plate. I just have to stop eating her leftovers now

By: Feeding with love and respect | PhD in Parenting

Feeding with love and respect | PhD in Parenting — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:51:11 +0000

[...] Attachment Parenting and Toddler Nutrition [...]

By: Jamaise

Jamaise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:26:24 +0000

Great article! I too like that you said to watch the kid & not the plate. That is true with most things – if the child is healthy & happy that is what matters.
I also like that you mention extended breast feeding. In most cultures it is the norm, that’s what we need to work on here.