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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

11mth old, seems to have rejected breast/self-weaned - and won't take forumla. Help!

7 replies

gerbo · 22/01/2011 18:17

Around 5 days ago, coinciding with a bout of teething and a minor cold, my 11month old son, who has been exclusively bf, started to fuss about feeding.

After a couple of fussy feeds he simply would not latch on at all and became very irritated/upset when I tried (in lots of ways) to encourage him back on.

My instinct is that he's had enough breastfeeding and the HV seems to agree.

I offered warm cows milk on the second day in desperation as I felt he was thirsty at bedtime and he drank it hungrily.

I tried formula the next day (having flukily some in the cupboard) and he had only a few sips.

Since then I've offered Aptamil, slightly warmed, three times a day, in the very basic Tommee Tippee cup, which he can drink water from easily so I thought it best rather than a bottle.

However, he has pretty much rejected every cup offered and I'm trying not to panic! He has a great diet and eats three hearty meals a day - l,ots of cheese, yoghurt, etc. I'm also using formula on his cereal etc. now.

Please advise!!!!!!! I'm ready to move on from bf, and had planned to soon, even though this is rather sudden!

Should I:

  1. accept that he's not interested in drinking milk any more (has rejected warm cows milk too) and just put it in his food
  1. Skip formula which he pulls a face at when he sips and go for cows milk which has been marginally more successful as he's 4 wks away from being 1
  1. Plough on with formula even though stressful and worrying when he has NONE

Help! I know it's not a huge deal, but I'm at a loss, having been merrily bf the whole time till now. Sad

OP posts:
MoonUnitAlpha · 22/01/2011 18:31

I'd just go with cow's milk at 11 months.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/01/2011 18:33

As far as I'm aware it is very unusual for an 11 month old to self wean so it could just be a nursing strike.

If though as you say you are ready to stop bfing I'd just give the cow's milk too.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/01/2011 18:35

Oh and your HV shouldn't really agree on that one as she should be following the WHO guidelines.

AngelDog · 22/01/2011 23:19

Yes, it does soudnd like a nursing strike but if you're wanting to stop anyway it could be a good time to do so.

Have you tried using a Doidy cup?

MigGril · 23/01/2011 10:11

It's actually exctreamly unseal for a baby under 18months to self waen. Weaning is usealy a gradual process. A baby who stops suddly like this is on a nursing strik.

There is some help on kelly mom on this
www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html

Remeber millk it still supposed to be your babies main source on nutritian at 12months so it's importnat to get him taking some form of milk.

Foreverondiet · 23/01/2011 10:29

Keep adding formula to his food and let him drink cows milk (if you are happy to stop Bfing). Or maybe he'd drink half/half?

Bella2010star · 23/01/2011 23:34

I am so pleased to see someone else in the same position as me. My daughter has started to not seem that interested in b.milk and I started to give her full fat cows milk as well. I brought a Doidy cup online as I wanted her to also start to use cups as she is one in a few weeks. She did not drink the milk when it was warm but when cold she did! I would just go with cows milk. Also your baby has a good diet so do not worry :) Thanks for your post it has also put my mind at rest.

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