Anxious - Rejecting milk

[Lisa78]

Now what? DS2 is 6 months old, been on formula for about 2 months and has been having solids for about the same time - mainly mushed veg, some jars, odd yoghurt etc
Last few days, he has been taking less and less milk, though there is no pattern to it, and today, he seems to be rejecting it altogether

He was having 9, 7, 7, 7 and 9oz bottles, with some solids with the 1st, 3rd and 4th feeds. Today he has had 4, 7, 0 and now 4 again

Whats he doing, why won't he drink his milk?

[emmatmg]

Hi Lisa, do you know if I knew the answer to this question I'd be a happy woman. DS1 and 2 both did that and DS3 is having odd days like it now(he's 7.5 months).

No advice really but DS1+2 had no ill-effects from it, and because of them I learnt that there is sod all you can do to make them drink it, just hope that tomorrow he'll drink it.

Not a great help am I?

[Lisa78]

oh emma, of course you are a help!! At least you replied
DS1 did it too but he was about 18 months old, DS2 is only 6 months and he will happily eat his little bit of solid (god forbid there are any lumps in it though) then refuse milk. He must be hungry but he's having none of it, it can't be good for him to reject his milk this young?
This child is aging me a year for every week of his little life
Oh God oh God oh God, stress stress stress

[emmatmg]

lisa, here's a confessionn that will get me struck off of MN forever.

I weaned DS1 early because he constantly refused milk.

early=11 weeks!

[Lisa78]

But I weaned DS2 a few weeks ago, do you think its the assorted solids he is now getting that has put him off milk?

[charlieplus3]

Lisa he has been off colur with a cold and he is teething isnt he, so maybe he just doesnt feel like it a mo.. My ds has really dropped his milk intake, but then again that prescription stuff is gross, however i feed him up with lots of food.

Try not to worry too much he is a healthy, big boy and if it carries on then maybe ask the dreaded hv's.

[charlieplus3]

Plus food does taste alot nicer than plain old milk

[gloworm]

just a quick thought...are you only offering him milk after his solids (when he is full) or do you offer milk at other times of the day?.

also I suppose it stands to reason he would need less milk if he is also getting solids?
appetite usually increases again when they start crawlng

and as long as he's healthy I woundn't worry...they go through a million and one phases that we will never understand

[Lisa78]

yeah, you're probably both right
He does get his milk after his solids, but he's only getting a small amount of solids and I haven't increased it
He only took 4oz tonight, god knows how that will see him thru till 6.30 - so altogether today, he has taken about half what he was taking last week

[tatcity]

Is he teething? Quite common for them to go off food/milk if they are teething or a bit under the weather - I know mine do......

[Spod]

my dd started doing that too... same age...she's 6.5 months... but it has returned to normal now after 2 teeth popped through... and starting solids helped.... dont know how much she was taking though as shes bf... perhaps they all do it... keep us on our toes

[Lisa78]

yes, I think he is teething, judging from the drool and the grumps, so maybe its just a "lets-stress-mummy-out-again" blip
Hope so

[shrub]

could you sneak some of the milk into his food? also cheese or yoghurt mixed in may help

[Mirage]

Hi Lisa78,

DD did this from about 15 wks & I started weaning her at 16wks for precisely the same reason as Emmatmg-it was easier to get milk down her mixed in with food.I spent weeks noting every 1/2 oz she consumed & got completely obsessed with it.

My hv said it was because she was clever enough to realise that there was something better on offer & to cut her down to 3 bottles a day.At first this made no difference,but after a month or two,she improved & now for the first time ever,will happily down an 8oz bottle.I never thought I would see that happen!

So sorry,no real advice,but it is quite common & they don't seem to come to any harm through rejecting milk.If you are worried,try cheese sauces,rice puds ect to make up the calcium.

[Lisa78]

Only 2oz tonight

So, if I start adding a bit of grated cheese to his veg mush, and giving him a yoghurt a day, that will increase his calcium. What else can I do?

I thought about starting him on half a weetabix for his breakfast, rather than mushed fruit, then I can add formula to that - weetabix is okay at 6months isn't it?

[kalex]

You are doing all the right things Its so worrying, but no child has every intentionally starved themselves, keep offering the milk, but try not to get stressed when he doen't drink it. I am convinced that they can pick up on this - or maybe that's my paranoia!

My friend had a baby who stopped drinking milk from a bottle at the same time and she gave him milk out of an avent bottle with the soft drinking spout, but he would only drink it with his thumb in his mouth. Her daughter was exactly the same.

Maybe you could try a different teat on the bottle?

[aloha]

Weetabix is fine, so is Readybrek. Have you tried giving him his milk separately from solids - ie an hour or two apart. Also is he teething? That can make feeding uncomfortable. If it is teething it will pass soon and won't do him any harm. I found my ds like very cold fruit fromage frais when his teeth hurt - he found it soothing. try not to stress.

[Lisa78]

thanks girls! Tried weetabix this morning - the look of utter disgust on his little face was priceless! And he has like everything until then!

[hercules]

wait for his nappy lisa

[shrub]

don't want to worry you but i read a couple of years ago that a baby died from weetabix because it was the adult version which has loads of salt in it. i think there is a baby version or a low salt version that is safer, or maybe weetabix have since modified the salt/sodium content. i don't remember how old the baby was but thought it was worth mentioning.