Please help - 8 month old refusing solids!

[smudge2]

I'd be really grateful if anyone could help me. My ds is 8 months old and has had reflux since about 4 weeks old for which he is on omeprazole. He was difficult to feed from early on but managed with mixed breast and formula (wysoy) feeds. He has been exclusively formula fed for the last month. I was advised by the paediatrician to wean him early at four months with babyrice which he took reasonably happily until 5 months when he started to have simple vegetable and fruit purees once or twice a day without too much problem. Since 6 months old he has only had a few days of eating well and most of the time screams and throws himself back in his chair and refuses anything on a spoon. He was taking fingerfood well but in the last month has stopped taking this and pulls any food which is in his mouth out. The health visitor has not been very forthcoming and I don't know if I should completely stop offering food for the timebeing as he gets himself in such a state each time food is offered. He drinks about 20 oz of milk a day over three bottles. He sleeps well most of the time but over the last month has been a really grumpy boy all day when a awake and hates being put down even for a moment. I have two other children who were no problem to feed at all, although both high maintenance babies!! I'm just desparate for some advice as he is so unhappy and I am getting more and more anxious and don't know where to get more help ... Thanks for reading. I am not this stressy most of the time!

[talktothebees]

Honestly, if that were me I'd get the GP to check out if there could be a physical reason why he doesn't want to chew, like an ear infection. You might get referred to a paediatrician but 20 oz milk and no solids doesn't seem much for an 8 mo. Is he still putting growing and putting on weight?

[smudge2]

Thanks for your advice talktothebees. He was weighed a week ago and is gaining weight. The HV advised me to cut down on his milk to try and get him to eat more so he was on another 8 oz bottle a day then. He has eaten less since then! I will make him an appt to see the gp. He is already under the paeds but next appt not until April. Follow up seems very hit and miss, and there is little continuity of care.

[AitchTwoOh]

what's he happiest with? milk or food, do you think? because if the answer is milk (in terms of his reflux) i'd be tempted to up those 20oz.

[smudge2]

Much happier with milk. Was starting to get tempted to up his milk as a lot of his crossness during the day could easily be frustration if he is hungry.

[AitchTwoOh]

dd drank a good 30oz per day until she was 13months, then cut it right back herself. we did BLW, so she was eating from 6 months (no reflux) and eating more and more, but never cut back so much as an ounce of milk. i dunno, if your gut instinct is to give more milk and see how much the baby wants to take when there's no pressure on either of you, that seems like a good starting point, doesn't it?

[smudge2]

Thanks AitchTwoOh. Will definitly up the milk as will stop both of us stressing. Both my girls essentially did BLW with great success and are brill eaters now! Guess I shouldn't gloat.. Any idea how best to manage BLW with a refluxy baby. DS is still needing quite large amounts of medication. Must do bath now or 3 v stroppy kids but thanks for help.

[AitchTwoOh]

this is what i have on the site and there's another few people on the forum with experience.