No Interest in her Bottle ... will she starve ?!!!

[cords]

DD has just started having baby rice and some pear ... She was doing fine on bottle and the above for about a week but over the last two days, she has suddenly gone off her milk. Is this

a) OK ? For example she had
11pm : 4oz
7:30 :3oz
11:30 : 3oz and was not interested in her baby cereal.

b) Could she be ill or constipated ? (she did do a big poo this am after a day and a half without.

She seems also to really fuss when the bottle is given to her as well ... jsut when I though things were getting better as it has taken a couple of weeks for her to get into it after I stopped breastfeeding.

I just wanted reassurance that this does happen and that I need not panic that she is putting herself on a diet at almost 5 months !

[emmatmg]

Cords, I'm in the same boat. It seems here the our DS3 would rather have proper food than milk so getting him to drink is milk is a nightmare.
The only way he will drink it is if he's asleep and I sneek the bottle in, he's not a big baby by any means so he can't really afford to not drink it.

I'll be watching this thread with interest.

[clairabelle]

no suggestions but just want to bring this to the top again as I'm having the same problem with my ii week old. AGHHHHH!!! We don't ask much of them you'd think they'd play the game with the few things we do ask

[clairabelle]

.

[Beccarollover]

10oz a day doesnt sound much at all at 5 months - are you giving her her milk first before the solids? Which feeds are you giving the solids and how much?

[aloha]

Cords, could she be teething or have some other discomfort in her teeth or ears or be unwell in some way? All these can make it harder to eat normally. As Beccarollover says, how are you spacing the feeds and the solids?

[cords]

ok ... so total so far before her dreamfeed is 17oz . She has been taking on ave 22-25 oz the past week and a half whilst I have started intro solids, and before then she was mainly b/fed.

I am only giving solids after her milk , so no chance that her appetie will be ruined. Her weight is great though, although it will be interesting to see how much she has gained whilst being totally bottle fed.

Do u think that I should completely stop solids until her milk intake is much better ?


B/Rollover ... yr DS is same age right ? almost 5 months ? Is he on solids yet ?
EMMATMG ... how old is yr DS ?

[EmmaKB]

My DS is exactly the same. Sometimes he will take 3 or 4 ounces at each feed then he will eat all his solids. I think that some babies like milk more than others. I tried mixing as much milk with the solids as I could. Some packet foods tell you to use water to mix but I used milk instead sometimes making it a little runnier. Altogether including the milk in his food he is now taking at least 22oz. I think that the recommended amount is 20oz. I also found that he lost interest in his last feed (10.30pm) sometimes only taking 1oz. I cut this out altogether and he seems to sleep ok and sometimes takes a full feed when he wakes in the morning. Talk to your health visitor to make sure that she is putting on enough weight each week and if she is then she is probably just not a big milk fan.

[Beccarollover]

Yeah my DS is almost exact same age as your little girl but he is a biggun so please dont be put off but at the moment he is having 36-40oz a day plus 2 solid feeds.

He feeds at about 7-8am (9oz), 11 (9oz) followed by pureed vegetables - small amount, 2.30 (9oz) 5-6.00 (9oz) followed by baby rice and pureed fruit.

He did go through a stage of taking less in his botles but he was having at least 5 bottles a day then so although would take less from each one ended up taking a decent amount over lots of bottles if you see what I mean!

Not sure what you should do about stopping solids to see if milk increases - could be worth a go - why did you start solids? Could you cluster feed at night to get more in? Feed when she is more awake/more tired to see if any of it changes anything

[emmatmg]

Cords, my DS3 is 18 weeks.
We've had a good day today and he's drunk all his milk and had 2 meals. It's very rare that that happen.

[Evita]

Beccarollover!!! No way!! 36-40oz a day!!! I begin now to see why b/f was such hard work for you in your previous threads.

cords, my dd is a v. small milk drinker. I think she was even when fully b/f as she'd only ever feed for 5-10 minutes after about 3 months old. And she's fairly petite in general. Now she's mostly on bottles she only ever has 3 4oz bottles a day and only actually finishes one of them. But she's 15 months and has more 'real food' now than milk. Still, I know other babies her age that drink loads more milk than her. But she's never had anything wrong, it's just the way she is.

[Beccarollover]

I thought that this was fairly typical of this age - GF certainly thinks so (sarcastic smiley here)

When do you start to shift the balance - I know that babies need all the goodness from milk until six months but is there a transition? Do you start reducing it gradually from weaning until 6 months?

[cords]

ok ... so how much do yr respective DD/DS's weigh ? DD is abt 7kg nnow.

As EMMAKB says , at 4-5 mths GFsays 20oz min if they are taking solids as well . I have started weaning under the "guidance" of GF ... I guess that since she is taking solids, that what she is drinking is enough. I will take her to be weighed on Friday and see how she is .

Makes me laugh that I am worrying that she is not taking enough when she has chunky thighs and a set of cheeks !

[EmmaKB]

My DS weighs 16lb 3oz now. He was a big baby (9lb 1oz) when he was born but has not has much interest in his milk right from the start (probably due to failed breast feeding)and has never taken more that 7oz at anyone feed. I have also followed the GF method and found that letting him have a break during a feed sometimes helped get an extra ounce or two down him. However since weaning him this usually only works at the feeds where he is not having solids but I think that it is to be expected.

Let me know how you get on on Friday.

I thought that I was the only one having this problem so it is nice to know that it is happening to others too.

[cords]

today DD has learnt to throw a tantrum when I try and give her more milk after only downing a measly 3 oz !!!! urgggghhh !

Will let u know what weight gain is from Fridays visit !

[Evita]

My dd has just turned 20lbs and is 15 months. She's not big but she's certainly not skinny.

[Mirage]

And I thought I was the only one with a baby who didn't like milk!I have been a longtime lurker on mumsnet,but this topic gave me the courahge to join.

DD is 22 wks & has never been a big milk fan,she too was a failed breastfeeder (would rather scream with hunger than latch on).I can count the times she has drunk a 7oz bottle on 1 hand.We have tried different bottles,teats,cups,formulas,nothing worked.

Last week,there was one day when she had 4oz at 6am,then only had 1oz until 1.30pm!I have had my HV round,who says there is nothing wrong with her & to try & add milk to hers solids.I had already been doing this,but to get the reccomended 20z a day down her I had to dilute her solids so much that she started refusing them too.

Cords,she too now throws a wobbly after 3oz,my mum witnessed it & was amazed at DD's iron will!

DD luckily is a fab sleeper & we never hear a peep out of her after she is down & regulary goers 9-10.5 hours before waking.Surely if she was hungry/thirsty she would be waking?

She is a very happy lively little girl,but got so upset at the sight of the bottle that she screamed & at one stage even started to look apprehensive when I sat with her on my lap,in case I tried to feed her!It breaks my heart to see her so upset.

I have discovered that if the milk is frozen ,like a slushie,she will gobble it down with no ill effects.She has always refused warm milk,right from being tiny,a thing my HV finds very odd.I also resort to feeding her when she is asleep.She has lots of natural yoghurt,cheese sause,custard rice pudding ect as I am worried about her weight.

However HV doesn't think it is necessary to weigh her until next clinic in 2 wks time,so I just hope she is gaining.

Sorry this is a bit garbled,I am just so relieved that she is not a freak & that not all babies like milk.

[Debbiethemum]

My ds also went off milk but was a bit older (I think about 6 or 7 months), instead I used to give him yoghuts, and cheese sauce on everything. Broccoli & cheese sauce was a particular favorite.
I don't know how early you can introduce yoghurts these days but Danone do some baby ones made with either formula or follow on milk that you used to be able to use from 4 months.
I believe you can count the milk from everything such as yoghurts, cheese etc to get the pint a day.

[Beccarollover]

When does the pint a day come into play ? - 6 months?

[Debbiethemum]

The pint a day or 20 fl oz is what I remember from my HV (who wasn't that bad) when they were weaned onto solids. Not sure how accurate that is though, but was definately told that milk used in cooking/yoghurts could be counted towards their intake.

[cords]

Mirage ... yr story sounds so familiar ! Today she made me lose my temper as at her 11am feed she only took 2 oz , after a meagre 3oz at 7:30.

At tthe weigh in today, from being around the 90 percentile, she is now down to 50 ... so gaining weight but obviously slower . HV said not to worry too much at the moment ... She is now 6.83 kg .

[Mirage]

Hi again,

Cords,are our 2 sending 'be awkward' vibes to each other?We are the same,3oz at 6.30am,1.5 oz at 9.30am,very little since.It is so hard not to lose it,I was nearly in tears yesterday afternoon after she refused yet another feed.

Have you bumped up her solids at all?I had to as it was the only way I could get any milk down her.Not letting her have solids just resulted in her not eating or drinking at all.

I had a minor triumph last night,by pureeing banana,seiving it & letting her dring banana flavoured milk.She drank 6oz at 5pm & 5.5 oz at 8.30pm!!!!!!!!

Debbiethemum,thanks for letting me knowe that sauces yoghurt ect can be counted.DD would eat yogurt til she burst if I let her.

I took her to the Drs today,as I was getting so worked up about her.She sat on my lap & smiled & 'talked' to the Dr,who says she is fine & if she is eating solids,she will gain weight.He suggested I give her milkshakes using syrup!!! No way,they are full of sugar,additives & colourings.He also said that if she won't drink water (she used to but not now),to put Ribena in it.That took my breath away-Ribena for a 5 month old?

She had some water with a spot of orange juice in it,but I don't want to encourage a sweet tooth.Are there any herbal teas babies can drink?

She seems to have stopped sucking & chews the teat on her bottles-could she be teething do you think?

Best go & sort out somer yoghurt for her tea.She is asleep & I am going to try & get some milk down her before she wakes up.

Cords,let me know how things are going.When will DD be weighed again?

[EmmaKB]

Have any of you tried dropping the late feed (10pm/11pm). I have found that this makes him take about 4oz in the morning instead of the usual 2oz. I have also changed the tea time feed as he usually can't stay awake for his solids after a bottle at 6pm so I have started giving him about 2-3oz at 5.30 followed by his rice and fruit mixed with 3-4oz then after his bath when he is really sleepy at 6.45 I wait until he is just starting to fall asleep then I shove the bottle in his mouth and he takes another 4-6oz. If he starts to stop drinking I sit him up and burp him which wakes him slightly then put the pottle in his mouth just as he closes his eyes again. This has tripled his intake of milk at this feed and we are now seeing him have just over 20oz a day

Hope this helps.

[Mirage]

Hi EmmaKB,

Wow Well done,I would be over the moon if DD drank that much.I only got 2oz down her after her nap,but another 2.5oz of banana milk after that.

She dropped her late feed months back & I did ask my HV about restarting it & she said not to,but I am thinking again now.

She now has a feed at 6.30-7am,
Solids plus as much milk as possible at 9am,
Solids plus milk again at 1pm,
Milk at 4pm
Solids at 4.30pm
Last milk feed at 8pm then bed.We don't hear a peep from her again until 6.30-7am,so am reluctant to start feeding her at night.I did try it,but she kept her lips tightly closed & wouldn't take anything at all.

It is infruriating & I daren't feed her outside the house because of the performance she puts on.Screaming,squirming,kicking ect.I sat next to a 11wk old baby at mother & toddlers yesterday & watched him happily down an 8oz bottle.Made me want to cry......

[EmmaKB]

Hi Mirage,

have you read Gina Fords Weaning book. I have followed some of her advice and it seems to work. There are some interesting tips in the book. It's worth a try if you are desperate. I don't follow her regime to the letter but it works for me.

[cords]

Mirage ... what is her weight on the percentile chart ? I know what you mean abt feeding outside of home ... people must look and wonder what we are putting in their bottles to make them spurn it so much !

I am flying tom for 4 hours with her, which includes two feeds ... am being a nut and wondering whether I should bother making up 6oz bottles to only throw it away or else carry the left over around ! Do you make up formula for the day ? It seems sucha waste to throw away so much formula . Anyway, ggod luck ... I will be back 8th Feb so will check in with interest to see how you are doing and to see if there are more tips .

EMMAKB ... am nervous abt dropping the late feed. I only started waking her up for it when she consistently woke anywhere between 1-3am for a feed ... I decided that it was better to wake her than to be woken by her and not know whether to feed or not. I do agree that that is the next step and one which should encourage her to feed more during the day ... She does tend to drink the most at the 6pm and 11pm feeds ...