help 6mth old refusing all formula!

[4madboys]

dd is 6mth, almost 7mth, she has always been a fussy feeder, for a long time she never took more than 4oz of formula but has gradually since 5mths built up to 5-6oz 5 times a day.

but the past week it has been reducing down to 2-4oz if i am lucky! the only feeds she takes okish are her 11pm dream feed and sometimes a feed at 5am but this 5am feed resulted in her having 2oz.

she then went back to sleep in my arms and slept till 8am, offered her a feed at 9:15 and she refused it totally! lots of crying and fussing and she eventually had maybe 2oz tho lots dribbled out etc.

she started on solids at 6mth but only has one meal a day of 2 cubes of mashed fruit or veg and some finger foods, doesnt alway eat all the two ice cubes and isnt that interested tbh. she will sip water out of a cup.

i have tried the formula in a cup as she drinks water that way but as soon as she realised it was milk she cried :(

when i am not trying to feed her she seems happy enough, will suck on her dummy and has had wet nappy and a big poo today.

she is currenlty playng with her elder brothers and giggling away, she should be starving, but has never really been a baby that gets hungry and cries for milk.

she will have nap soon and is due a feed at 1:30-2ish, i shall just offer it as normal i guess and then if she doesnt have it i though i could make up some organix baby porridge with 2oz formula and a bit of fruit ( i did this yesterday when she only had 3oz at lunchtime)

she seems well in herself, a bit of a cough, but nothing much and its mainly at night.

any ideas and how long can this carry on for, its been a week of fussing and the total refusal today.

i am seeing hv on wed due to the fussing and regarding weaning etc.

she is a big baby, about 19lb? despite never having huge quantities of milk.

it doesnt seem to help to offer her little and often, tried that, have let her sit and play wiht te bottle in her bouncy chair but as soon as any milk comes out she throws it away, tried feeding her in her carseat, she chewed on the bottle for a few minutes.

have tried walking round and singing to her whilst offering the bottle, that used to work... ditto getting her to suck on dummy and then doing a quick swop but that doesnt work at all now.

she either plays with the teat, clamps her mouth shout and refuses or cries :(

[4madboys]

she has just gone down for her nap absolutely fine, asleep within minutes and generally sleeps for about 2hrs now and then has a feed when she wakes ish, so will offer then and see how she does.

[gallicgirl]

What formula do you use?

We were using SMA and they've just changed the composition. DD doesn't like it and was only taking about half a bottle and therefore not sleeping well either. Took me 4 or 5 days to cotton on that the change in formula might be the problem. Have now changed to a different brand and she's back to taking a full bottle.

However, given that your baby has always been a fussy feeder, not sure if that will be the answer. Hopefully someone will be along with more experience soon.

[4madboys]

we use hipp organic and have done since she went onto bottles at 7wks, no change in the formula.

thanks for the idea tho.

[RitaMorgan]

Could she be intolerant to cow's milk?

[4madboys]

dont think so, no signs of it, never a sicky baby, generally VERY happy and still is despite not feeding!

she wasnt a very good bfeeder either (my first three were all totally bfed) no4 was bfed until i was ill and in hospital but she was always a fussy feeder. i i dont really have dairy in my diet due it eczma.

she doesnt have eczema, or any health problems at all, was 8lb at birth and has gained weight brilliantly (now about 19lb) despite always taking less than the recomended amount.

she has gone through phases of happily taking her milk and fairly recently was happily taking 5-6oz 5 times a day, its the last week that she has been fussy, to begin with she was just playign with the bottle and gargling! with the milk, which she thought was hilarious! but past three days she got fussier and started getting upset and now today total refusal but seems well in herself.

her nappy was wet again before her nap, not really wet but she had weed and she has pooed, she has never been a 'regular' pooer iykwim? normally only every 2 dyas, sometimes three days, but generally soft and she doesnt strain or get upset when pooing, she doesnt seem to suffer from wind or any tummy uspet, she really IS a happy, content, smiley baby, and sleeps okish, is in our bed and has a dummy, but will sleep for 4hr stretches, sometiems longer and even when she wakes in the night she isnt unhappy, just awake! and will lie in bed next to me or in my arm quite happily.

so not reflux or anything, nothing to suggest an intolerance at all!

[4madboys]

sorry for typos

and when she wants to she will happily guzzle 5-6oz in 5mins! so she CAN drink it and does so happily, when she feels like it!

[RitaMorgan]

I guess if she was breastfed though you'd have no idea how much she was having, you wouldn't know if the amounts had dropped - you'd just see a happy, healthy baby who is pooing/weeing/sleeping and gaining weight and have to trust her to know what she needs.

[4madboys]

but she isnt taking anything and i always had a copious supply when bfeeding and strong let down (one of the things she didnt like) so could tell how well they had fed (having bfed for 9 yrs i was fairly au fait with it iykwim?)

and whilst she has pooed and weed today she wont if she carries on not taking anythign or only taking 2oz etc.

i will see how she goes today and tomorrow and take her to the drs on monday to check for sore throat, ear infection, but she seems well!

and am seeing hv on wed so can discuss it then, hopefully its just a temporary blip.

but once i have seen the hv on wed i will look to try adn offer more solids, she likes finger foods, so will go down that route with a bit of mashed stuff which i can add formula to if necessary.

since 11pm last night she has had about 4oz? so in over 12hrs that is not a lot at all!

[4madboys]

but yes i will focus on the fact that she seems happy, however if she seems at all dehydrated etc i will take her to the out of hours dr if i have to over the wkend.

fingers crossed she takes her next feed!

[Mibby]

Is it worth trying a different brand of formula or a different flow rate teat, just to see. I have no idea why but my dd prefers the ready made formula to made up powdered stuff, both the same brand. Other than that will she 'eat' other stuff with milk in? Yogurt etc? Hope you get some answers soon.

[4madboys]

she is on the fastest flow teat for 6mths plus after having tried all the others she seemed happy on this one, i have some readymade formula but have never tried it.

i dont understand how sometiems she will take it fine and then others fuss and today refuse it.

its not like she knows there are diff kinds of formula?!! i use hipp organic as i used that for ds4 and i like that it is organic, i will stick wiht it for now and speak to dr on monday and the hv on wed and see what they suggest. i think all formulas are much of a muchness really arent they?

thanks mibby xzxx

[Wormshuffler]

I second the advise on cheese yoghurt etc, and wouldn't worry too much about it. My DS stopped drinking milk completely when I changed from a baby teat to a sippy cup at 9 months, he is absolutely fine. Another option is porridge made with milk?

[4madboys]

i only started weaning her at 6mths and she is only on one meal a day and will maybe eat two ice cubes of mashed fruit and veg and will play with finger food, she will suck on a lump of cheese but not really eat it and she will eat a little porride, but only enough to get one or two ouces of milk in her.
if she was eating more i wouldnt worry but she hasnt even got started on weaning properly at all yet!

[ihearttc]

Just to say they have changed Hipp Organic formula-they did it about 2 months ago I think because my DS did exactly the same thing. On the old boxes they came with a white scoop I think and then on the new boxes they've changed the composition and it comes with a blue scoop (although that might be the other way round!).

I kept on with the old boxes for a while because my local tesco's still had them (whereas in boots they were all the new boxes) but DH picked up a new box without realising and we tried it and he completely refused to drink it at all. He went from 6/7 oz to 1/2 oz each feed. Thought it might have just been coincidence but we tried another formula and he immediately went back to normal.

It might of course have nothing to do with it at all with your DD but they have definitely changed the composition of it.

[hazeyjane]

The new hipp first milk does taste different, you could maybe try the follow on milk (hipp 3) which tastes just like the old style first milk.

[4madboys]

we have always had the blue scoop ones as they did that in jan when they changed it ( i know as ds4 stillhas formula) so as she didnt have formula till she was 2mth she has ALWAYS had the hipp with the blue scoop!

some shops still sell the old stuff, you have to check the number on the bottom of the box, i know as i accidentally bought one with a white scoop and phoneed hipp who told me the number to look for to ensure i always got the one with the blue scoop!

[4madboys]

by jan i mean january of this year the blue scoop boxes came out, tho some stores still had stocks of the old one with the white scoop, dd has always been fed with the blue scoop boxes.

but thanks :)

i will discuss changing her formula with th egp/hv if she is still fussing/refusing but as she has drunk it fine i am warry to change and further upset her iyswim :)

[ihearttc]

Oh wow I didn't realise they changed it that long ago...my tesco's must have had loads of the old boxes then!

Hope you find out why she's not taking the formula-I know how frustrating it is when they don't drink.

[4madboys]

yes it depends on the store, some had old supplies! but as they will be in date etc its fine to sell them.

depends on the supplies i think, i only know because i phoned hipp and queried it as i was still buying it for ds4.

it is hugely worrying that she wont drink :( but she is still asleep and has been for nearly 2hrs and she wouldnt take her usual nap if she was actually hungry?

[4madboys]

and my tescos had loads of old boxes, we tend to get it from sainsburys or sometimes waitrose or boots depending on where we are.

i just dont want to change her formula without medical advice as i know people do but its not recomended is it? or at least i didnt think it was.

and i know she can drink it!! i am just trying not to stress...

[hazeyjane]

I don't think it is too bad to change formula, ds switched to follow on with no problems and dd2 used to drink any old formula!

[4madboys]

well i picked her up and fed her whilst still sleepy from her nap and she had 3oz and then refused.

so i gave her a break and then sat her in the carseat where she held and chewed/played wiht the bottle and maybe had another ounce or two, hard to tell how much went in and how much got dribbled everywhere.

she was happy to chew on the bottle etc and play with it, but just refused to suck!

she has just had two cubes of fruit and a drink of water and her nappy which i put on before he nap is actually pretty wet, so put a new one on and will see how she goes with weeing etc.

she is happy! thats the main thing! i shall just perservere with offerin git and letting her play with it, am wondering if its maybe teething she was a bit fussy ( tho not this bad!) when cutting her bottom two teeth and i am wondering if there is anther one coming through at the bottom? i was expecting her top two next but am thinking there may be some more coming at the bottom.

the main thing is she is happy and i will continue as we are today and tomorrow and see the gp just to rule anything out and speak to the hv re changing her formula and maybe just seeing if she will eat more and trying to make what she eats milk based.

she likes sweet potato and broccoli and thats good for calcium, i could give her broccolie and cauliflower in a cheese sauce, i could even make the sauce out of formula rather than regular milk? could i do a batch like that and freeze it do you think?

[AlpinePony]

My son went right off milk at 6 months which seemed to coincide with the introduction of tummy food. Now at nearly 12 months he's milk mad again, but it has been up and down. But he's always been happy and healthy. :)

[4madboys]

thanks alpine, i wouldnt worry so much if she was eating, but she is only on solids once a day and having 2 ice cubes worht, so not a lot!

i have been googling to see if you can make a cheese sauce with formula which you can, but there is conflicting advice on whether you can then freeze it or not

[Mibby]

We do a basic cheese sauce with milk, plain flour and cheese and it keeps chilled in the fridge for a couple of days. Not tried freezing it tho