I have Selective Eating Disorder and I'm pregnant with my first child. I'm trying my best to eat as healthy as possible during the pregnancy, but I'm never going to be an "avocado and quinoa" kind of person. I don't eat fruits at all because the textures are just revolting. I'm really worried that when bub comes & turns into a toddler, s/he will learn from my food habits! I don't want to pass this on to my child. Any advice/someone been in the same situation? (PLEASE no comments about growing out of fussy eating/"they'll eat when they're hungry" etc. I've heard it before, and I've been in ED from malnutrition because I'd starve myself until I passed out as a child rather than eat certain foods & my dad often tried the "you can't have anything else to you eat x,y,z" method, which obviously didn't work.)
6 Replies
You won't know until you get there. She might just love her food like most kids do. If she shows real issues, youll be more aware than most that professional help is needed early.
Have you seen an Occupational Therapist? A good one will be able to help with sensory issues :)
Honestly my son will eat foods I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, and vice versa!
He chomps through apples and bananas which I can't stand! The only fruit I eat is pineapple.
The trick is to be able to prepare the food. If you can cut it up and put it in front of them without having a negative reaction to it and without fuss, your child probably won't notice you don't eat it unless you start to force them to eat it. Which sounds like you won't.
I can't help you with your fussy eating, but I don't eat meat and I have to hide my husbands vegetables to get him to eat them - and our son eats absolutely everything! Well, except for cherry tomatoes and olives, haha.
Look up baby led weaning. It's basically skipping the purees, and allowing your little one to eat bite sized version of what you're eating.
It was the best thing I did for my sons diet. He's almost 2 and I can sit him down to a salad or veggie stir fry for lunch and he'll be a happy little cookie.
I'm not quite at your level but I'm pretty limited in what I eat and my daughter likes a LOT of things I won't touch: eggs, tomatoes, fish, peanut butter etc. My husband eats far more widely than I do and has been a good influence on her, plus she now goes to daycare and gets given things I'd never dream of making for her. Remember that there are other influences on your child than just yourself, even if you're the primary caregiver :)
My mum pretty much lives on cups of tea and fried chicken from only one shop.
Growing up we never noticed as she did/does make a deconstructed dinners, she would make for example 'fettuchini' on the table was pasta, white sauce, bacon and tomato in separate bowls. We still help our selves.
She never made a big deal about food infront of us.
My brother lives on nothing,
me on the other hand am a qualified chef and the only food I refuse to eat is ham.
It wasn't till we were much older we worked out she doesnt like food that much.
My dad ate/tried everything maybe I take after him, they never made a big deal about my brother not liking food.
He is lactose intolerant so maybe it stems from there and a bit of mums personality.
But she never talked about not liking food infront of us she just chose not to eat things. We never noticed.
Looking back our meals were very plain, but she made them well.