Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The strike is over

We are just emerging from the depths of another food strike.

This one lasted about three weeks during which C. not only refused to feed herself but often refused to be fed. This time around, as far as I could tell, there were no changes in her routine that might have triggered this - as opposed to the last such episode when I added lots of fat to her diet just before it began.

Mouth clammed shut much of the time, she was eating a mere fraction of her usual quantity, storing every mouthful for an eternity before swallowing. Much of what did break the barricades was, I'm ashamed to confess, sort of force-fed. But, in my defense, I was afraid she might suffer real harm if left to her own devices.

Hopeful all along that there would be a happy ending I persisted in having her hold her specially bent spoon and used it to feed her every one of those rare mouthfuls - just to keep her familiar with the idea of independent feeding.

The strike ended just as mysteriously as it started. Any ideas as to what caused it would be welcome.

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