Help, Fussy newly diagnosed 2yr old won't eat!

helenamc72

Member
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13
HELP Please!!!! I am a mum to a newly diagnosed 2yr old (9th March 2009) who is refusing to eat anything but salt sticks, butter keks (type of biscuit sold in Germany) and the odd bit of plain pasta and as I am new to all this I don't know what else to try her with. This counting carbs thing is more tricky than I thought I used to just cook the food and dish it out and now it requires far more thought before making dinner than just bunging something in the oven!

It's bad enough that I am still trying to come to terms with the diagnosis but now that we are home I am getting more and more stressed by the fact Grace won't eat. Her BG Levels are all over the place one day they will be quite low so she doesn't need much insulin (Humalog) then other days it's rocketed to over 200mg/dl. I am trying my best but we have so little support out here as we are serving with the British Army out in Germany and are cared for by the military day to day and we don't see the consultant until 5th May so I am feeling a bit lost to say the least! :? Any help from other mums would really be appreciated. Thanks

Helena (mum to Grace, T1 newly diagnosed using a pump, more technology to get to grips with :shock: )
 

hanadr

Expert
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Have you tried puttin a selecion of goodies in front of Grace, things like pieces of cooked chicken, german ham and little bits of fruit and veggies?
Give Grace a choice of "bits", finger foods and then leave her to it, don't show your stress
I'm definitely no expert. My own daughter still won't eat properly and she's nearly 28 and a mother herself.
If it becomes impossible, try getting some of the low carb foods. You might have to order on-line. there's "low carb Megastore and Avid. I buy ingredients fron LCM and bake Fergus's bread for us.
 

jopar

Well-Known Member
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2,222
Hi Helen

Welcome to the forum (I’m going to copy your post into the pump forum as well, so that other mums will see it and offer help)

It does get easier, starting off is difficult and time consuming as we change and adapt to the new way of thinking, and having not only to learn about what a carb is, what foods contain carbs and in what amounts then working out this into a insulin dose yesterday, can be confusing and frighten to say the least, but you may not believe it, but it does get a lot easier as you go along, you get to know the foods and there carb content that you use often… You won’t have to weigh every single item with time, you well learn to guestimate the carb content and only return to weighing everything on a regular bases to keep your eye in..

As your daughter is newly diagnosed she will still be in the honeymoon period, where the pancreas is still able to make some insulin all be it not enough and intermittently which isn’t helpful with blood glucose control and it’s can be a bit of a guess to when this period finishes, common consensus amongst Health Care Professional now stand this could last for anything up to around a year or even longer in rare causes!

I know that wth a toddler you must have a lot on your plate, but keeping a good dairy of what she ate, the carb content and types of carbs, along side whether she’s been active, feeling under the weather, teething (suspect a growing spurt) what dose of insulin or adjustments to basal rates (via the temporary basal rate +/-) even when she excited about a pending treat/advent will not only build a picture on how things are working for your diabetic team, but you will have a good record of what you did or didn’t do in a situation, and whether you might improve the out-come by changing what you did slightly…

I realise that it’s very hard work and time consuming, that thinking about how to achieve this might send you into the corner to weep, but I like to assure you that the effort is well rewarded and does make life a lot easier later on and also with getting the most out of your diabetic team…

Ask the question you want to know the answers to and someone will be along to either help or point you in the right directions..
 

helenamc72

Member
Messages
13
Thank you for your support and words of encouragement. I feel as if I am in a waking nightmare at the moment. Grace has to have her bloods done throughout the day and early evening where we get a 2 hour break before another round at 10pm, 2am and 6am before we start all over again at 7am with breakfast so John and I are still feeling like zombies :lol: Will give it a go with placing various foods in front of Gracie to see what she eats and take it from there. Due to her lack of eating I had to give her liquid glucose this morning as her blood glucose had dropped to 48mg/dL for two tests on the trot and was at my wits end as she still won't eat! Will also try keeping a diary of what she eats and when and how many carbs etc to see if we can maybe try to some recipes with those foods in them. Thank you again for your help and support it is good to know that there are people out there to help and answer questions and concerns as there is nothing for us within the military system. Will let you know how we get on. Helena xxxx
 

phoenix

Expert
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5,671
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Hi, Helen
One thought I had was if you are not already doing it, it might be better to bolus after she has eaten so that you can give an appropriate dose. I know I've read that other mothers do it and this study shows that it can be effective and safe. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/100/6/968
Toddlers without diabetes can be very fussy eaters sometimes leading to uncomfortable and stressful meal times, add diabetes and nowonder that you're worried. Hanas idea of finger foods is a good one. It can be anything that she likes, if she eats it then you can bolus for it. There are some nice recipes here but try not to make anything too complicated 'cos it will only add to the stress if you spend ages and she doesn't eat it.
http://ukfamily.co.uk/lifestyle/food/toddlers/

This site has several accounts of children who pump and has some email adresses of parents who are willing to answer questions.http://www.insulin-pumpers.org/pkids.shtml
 

helenamc72

Member
Messages
13
Thanks for the advice and links to recipe sites. I do give Grace her bolus after eating but her blood glucose still has been very up and down over the past few days although I think she has been feeling a bit off colour with a slight fever which I don't think has helped much. Maybe I am over worrying but this is all so new to both John and myself that we are feeling our way through this. I am going to have a chat with the paeds nurse when she comes to see us on the 9th and see if she has some further suggestions and some practical advice. Will have a good look at the web sites though and try and implement some of the advice. Many thanks, Helena
 

olliedig

Newbie
Messages
3
Hi

My son (now five) was diagnosed just before he was two and has always been a fussy eater - he still is now. We just fed him the things he would eat and tried to make a big thing of him deciding what he wanted. We have tried really hard to try and get him to eat a well balanced diet but sometimes it is impossible because he really doesn't like trying new foods. We try and give him foods that are really similar to the foods we know he likes and gradually (sometimes) he will try them. His diet is not brilliant- but at the end of the day he is very rarely ill and he is growing into a strapping big lad. His blood levels are all over the place some days and it doesn't seem to make any sense as we can do exactly the same thing the next day (and he can eat the same) and his levels will be perfect. I think with young children you just have to try and get the best you can and deal with the highs and the lows as quickly as you can but try not to worry too much about getting levels perfect because in my experience it's impossible.

I really understand your worries - we had days of only eating yoghurt and biscuits - it does get better - honestly. Good luck.
 

Stuboy

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Hi Helen,

How are things going now!?

I don't have kids, so I could be on the wrong track here... but have you tried giving her smoothies or something when she wont eat? You can put all sorts of veggies and fruit into a smoothie, with some milk as well would cover some of the carbs and vitamins and calcium that she needs... and a smoothie sounds like fun (to a child!?).

Cheers
Stu