We Put The Icky in Picky Eater

When it comes to being a picky eater I thought there was no possible way anyone could ever top my habits.  Food touches..... Welp that section isn't getting near my mouth.  Spaghetti with sauce..... No thank you.  That's not a color I like...... Ok I'll give it a lick,  nope can't do it.  That smells funny.... Definitely not try that.  Well now I have a picky one of my own and she puts me to shame. 

For as long as I wanted children I knew I wanted to breastfeed.  I hoped with everything in me that my little would latch and there wouldn't be any medical reasons not to.  I gave birth at a hospital who heavily promotes nursing so as soon as little miss Harli Belle made her debut they threw her on my chest and there she stayed until she began to root.  She latches right away and nursed for 45 minutes straight.   I couldn't have been more proud and excited. 

I went back to work when Harli was 4 months old.  The day I went back to work was the day she decided that she would not take a bottle.   1000 nipples and systems later,  freshly pumped or heated breast milk was not going near her if it wasn't coming directly from mom.   This is about the time people started telling me that she will eat when she's hungry.   So I tested this theory,  I lasted 8 hours before I felt like the world's worst mom and nursed her for 2 hours straight. 

At 5 months we started infant oatmeal and rice cereal.  She did great with both.  I was able to go to work and not worry that she was going 4 hours between feedings.  We transitioned to stage 1 and 2 baby food rather easily.  She had 3 servings a day while nursing between. 

At about 10 months old we tried stage 3 food.  The kind with chunks in them.  This is when all hell broke loose.  She could not stand the texture and threw up after gagging herself on the first bite.  She stopped eating oatmeal,  but would still eat the rice cereal and stage 1&2 foods. 

Harli self weened at 13 months old.  I wasn't emotionally ready to handle this,  but I was excited that she was ready to start being a big girl.  I bought all the baby snacks and toddler foods I could find.  She did great with the snacks,  but wouldn't even taste the foods.  I continued to feed her the puree food so I knew she was getting all of the servings she needed. 

Vitamin D milk became the new comfort after she stopped nursing.  By the time she turned 1 and a half I had began giving her a plate of what we were eating at every meal.  I never forced her to eat,  but she didn't get her puree until we were finished.  She never ate more than a bite or 2. I began researching how to get her to eat and tried a million things.  Nothing really worked.  I tried letting her feed me or a doll as experts suggest,  I ended up with filthy floors.  I tried letting her feed herself and ended up giving 3 baths a day to a hungry baby. This is also about the time she developed pica. 

Pica is where you eat or crave non edible substances.  It goes beyond a typical toddler putting things in her mouth.  I had a baby who CRAVED cat litter.  I spent 3 months playing referee just trying to keep her out of the littler box.  She would try anything I put inside of her mesh food feeder.  Steak,  chicken,  potatoes you name it she loved it.  The second I took it out of the food feeder she would melt down and refuse to try. Do you know how maddening it is to have a child prefer eating grass over pie?

Summer rolled around and we planted a garden. When the snap peas and tomatoes came in Harli Belle discovered that fresh fruits and vegetables were delicious.  She would snack on any fruit or vegetables I brought home as long as it wasn't cooked. She would devour a tomato in under 3 minutes. Finally we are getting somewhere right?!  Wrong!  I still couldn't get her to eat anything with protein in it unless it was puree. 

We are now 2 1/2 still being fed puree pouches as primary meals.  And by fed I mean I dip the spoon into the bowl and feed her.   She does not feed herself.  We get about 3 bites in before she tries finger painting the ceiling with her spoon.  I've read that children with failure to thrive have been told to let baby eat anything they want,  even if it junk food.   So I thought ok let's try cake and cookies,  because who doesn't like that?  Harli Belle,  Harli Belle is who doesn't like cake and cookies. 

When turning down a long drive because it interferes with harlis schedule,  I've been told to just stop at McDonald's and get her a happy meal,  it won't hurt once in a while.   Well no kidding it won't hurt,  but try telling Harli that.  She won't eat more than half a chicken nugget. I've heard C'mon mom just let her have the pudding,  ok here Harli have some pudding..... She runs away. 

This is one of my biggest worries about her starting preschool.  She doesn't eat.  I don't want to stop giving her the puree food because she will starve herself.  Habits don't break easy,  with autism you're in a whole new league of stubborn.  If we stop the puree food now,  then I fear she won't go back after a couple days of trying to break the habit.  Meal times are never easy in our house,  it's a constant struggle,  but it can't last forever right?