Imagine you had to feed a friend who was a food gourmet but who for some reason, could not talk. You would try to imagine all the aspects of food that may make a difference to his enjoyment so you could get it right. You would think how discriminating your friend would be about the quality of the food, its taste, appearance, aroma, presentation, and so on. Now imagine this person is your baby. When we watch chefs describe the importance of getting the flavour, crispness, blending of textures, colour and flavour all exactly right to make a food particularly delectable for the discerning palate, we can appreciate how important each aspect is. When we watch our baby accept particular choices we can see that each baby is a food gourmet in the making! This can be fun or frustrating for you as the parents. The gourmet idea reminds us that food refusal is not just saying the baby is “fussy”. As a food sensitivity dietitian I have met many people who feel apologetic about having been called “fussy eaters” as children, when they are in fact discriminating people in whom some aspect of a food, such as its smell, causes distressing symptoms such that they would rather not eat anything than eat it! Looking at it this way is not giving your baby permission to make you into a slave. Thinking of baby as a gourmet means you can understand that the baby is perceptive in his or her own individual way. Yet you are still in charge of ensuring overall progress continues by focusing on gradual changes, as well as ensuring good nutrition and eating as the family does, at the same time.
Food is probably not causing your baby’s symptoms. That is what most people will tell you when you raise the idea. In a way they are right as food sensitivity is not the only reason your baby could be distressed. But you can be right too. You can have the answer to the question Is your baby food sensitive? There are many issues to think about when it comes to deciding. My book Fussy Baby helps you feel supported while you think.
It has a chapter providing information about what symptoms food sensitive babies might have, which babies are more likely to be positive diet responders, what foods are most often a problem, with a picture of what the diet investigation involves, especially if you are breast-feeding at the same time.
Fussy Baby also gives you help when it comes to introducing solids to your baby as each baby is different and you can decide with confidence what you are going to do. Good introduction of solids is the natural follow-on to good breastfeeding.
We all know children differ in just when they can manage speech, begin to walk, and catch a ball. Managing eating is also variable among babies. Fussy baby has a chapter explaining the idea of “eating development” as the way eating is managed differently in different babies. Some may manage new tastes, but not different textures or temperatures. You can read about the many ways babies can differ and fill out a questionnaire showing your baby’s progress. Instead of saying “My baby does not like thick food,” you will say “My baby does not like thick food, yet.” You will learn that what seemed like a problem is solvable.
Another important difference in food sensitive babies is that they are supersensitivity to many aspects of the environment such as changes in light sound, noise, or smell. They are not sensitive to all but each has his or her own supersentivities. Reading about this can help you plan your care to help your baby be comfortable and to gradually adapt to variation in their world.
Reading Fussy Baby gives you the confidence to help relieve your baby’s distress in the way that is suited to your own family situation. See book to read via AmazonKindle at https://www.amazon.com.au/Fussy-Baby-Food-Intolerant-ebook/dp/B00JI60ASE or to download and print or hard copy from this site https://foodintolerancepro.com/buy-food-sensitivity-products/
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