I think my 8 months old son would happily go without a drop of milk all day long.

[Beoley2011]

I thought it was difficult to feed him while he was only on milk, but now he is eating some solid as well, it is even harder. Last week, while he was at the nursery he refused to drink milk all day (over 8 hours). He is having less and less milk, but I don?t think he is eating that much solid either. I?ve read somewhere that if a baby doesn?t have at least 20 oz a day needs vitamin supplement. Anybody has any experience or knowledge about these vitamin supplements?

I?m constantly offering him the milk, but I seem to throw away more than what he drinks. He doesn?t ask for it, but I just cannot leave him without milk for more than 4-5 hours. I?m not sure what to do, would it be better to let him to go hungry? Probably he would go all day without a drop of milk.

[addictedtofrazzles]

What is his eating/drinking routine in a typical day? Are you sure there is sufficient spacing so that he is actually hungry? Perhaps you can give us an idea?

[Nagoo]

I can rarely get my DD to BF during the day. I have to go to a dark room and do it when she's tired or she just won't feed.

She makes up for it at night

this is because I was smug posting when she was 7MO that she was night weaned and sleeping all night

[Beoley2011]

I usually give him his bottle about an hour or so before his solid. But the nursery seem to do it otherway around, giving him food before offering him bottle. I only give him the 3 main meal at home, but in the nursery he also have morning and afternoon snack. According to the nursery he is eating well solid food. So I'm not sure what to do to about his low milk intake. He might just prefer his solid food to the boring formula milk taste.

[Nagoo]

I still give the food before the milk. The HV said to me it was normal for them to be cutting down on milk, and to make sure they have milk in food, yogurt, cheese etc in their diet.

My sister had a problem when her DD wouldn't eat as she was given too much milk in the day, so I'm sticking with food first.

Baby goo seems absolutely fine, so I'm not worrying.

[girliefriend]

I wouldn't worry too much just make sure he has an otherwise balanced diet, some babies/kids just are not big milk drinkers. My dd was never a big fan of milk, loved her food though and is the same 5yrs on!!!

[addictedtofrazzles]

It is still a little tricky to gauge your milk/solids routine but I think at this age they need approx 20oz of milk a day. Milk is no longer required as a main source of food but it is a (average) source of calcium, which can be found in plenty of other foods. For example a petit filous = 2oz of 'milk'.

At this age, my DC were having the following:

7am Weetabix + cows milk + 5oz of formula (sometimes I had to give the milk about an hour after breakfast as they weren't hungry for it during breakfast) + fruit.

9.30 snack (rice cakes/fruit/raisins) + water

12 pm Lunch + water + yoghurt

(12.30-2.30 Sleep)

2.30pm 7oz milk

3.30pm snack + water

5pm tea + water + yoghurt

7pm 7oz milk

I also found that both DC 'went off' milk when teething - I think the sucking hurts.

Anyway, hope that helps.

[Beoley2011]

I thought he was cutting down too fast; he doesn't have 20 oz a day. Otherwise he eats normal food, not special baby food. And he loves yoghurt.

I guess I'm just over reacting. Thanks for the posts.

[Beoley2011]

Thanks addictedtofrazzles. He is actually teething at the moment, the top 2 front teeth is cutting through at once. But he is not really a milk drinker anyway. After month 3 his milk intake was going down fairly drastically. I try to give him either teething powder or gel before giving him his bottle and some paracetamol if he is in real pain. I hope he will be have more milk after the teeth cut through.