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Infant feeding

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

1 year old suddenly refusing bottle...

10 replies

Seryse · 27/03/2023 19:58

Apologies if this is scattered, tearing my hair out here 😅I have a 19 year old so it's been a while since the baby stage for me, little guy turned one on the 9th of March and I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant so I may be being a little hormonal and driving myself round the twist.

My little guy just turned 1 a few weeks back, he's cut out pretty much all bottles (formula) except one during the day around the afternoon nap (cows milk) and the one before bed. Since yesterday he's been refusing and crying at the bottle, putting him down to bed at night has become a bit bothersome the last week or so too (since about 2 months he's always gone down at 7pm after his bath, feed, cuddle and bed no problems whatsoever apart from the odd night here and there if he's had a cold or something). He'll do laps round the cot, be generally unsettled , doesn't always cry but just doesn't want to settle and sleep so we tried moving bedtime an hour later to see if that helps, it remained the same. He drinks lots of water and milk from a cup during the day, gets a varied diet, I've upped the yogurt and cheese a little to compensate for the bottles, I'm just at a bit of a loss and looking for some advice. I've read a bit about sleep regression around this time which I think it might be, I remember my daughter dropped the bottle pretty close to this time too but again, it's been a while since I did this with her so I guess I'm just feeling a bit lost on what to do, I tried a different bottle which didn't help.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

OP posts:
FlounderingFruitcake · 27/03/2023 20:06

They’re not supposed to have bottles after 1 and they don’t need formula either. If he drinks some milk from a cup during the day and eats diary products then nutritionally he’ll be getting what he needs so I definitely wouldn’t be continuing to push the bottles. As for bedtime I’d presume regression, possibly linked to learning to walk, so I would keep going with your routine and hopefully he’ll come out the other end soon.

Seryse · 27/03/2023 20:16

FlounderingFruitcake · 27/03/2023 20:06

They’re not supposed to have bottles after 1 and they don’t need formula either. If he drinks some milk from a cup during the day and eats diary products then nutritionally he’ll be getting what he needs so I definitely wouldn’t be continuing to push the bottles. As for bedtime I’d presume regression, possibly linked to learning to walk, so I would keep going with your routine and hopefully he’ll come out the other end soon.

We're in the process of phasing the formula out, for the last week he's been getting cows milk but still the formula at bedtime to try, he only just turned one on the 9th of this month so we were in the process of phasing out the formula and bottles (has cows milk during the day in one of the munchkin 360 cups which he will still take without protest) so I was just wondering if perhaps he's phasing the bottles out himself... I remember my daughter doing the same thing, not long after her birthday she just refused it a few days in a row and I didn't try after that as she was happy without it.

I guess I'm just panicking and needed a bit of reassurance that it's alright if he does come off bottles at this time and its not some problem.

The sleep... he protested tonight so I went in, reassured him and stayed for a moment til he calmed down, he's asleep now so you're probably right and it's just sleep regression - it just threw me as sleep wise he's always been awesome and went down great, I may also be a little hormonal and precious too lol!

OP posts:
Ragwort · 27/03/2023 20:22

He doesn't need a bedtime bottle, just let him have milk with his meals ... I never got into the 'bedtime milk' routine, even when a newborn I never 'breast fed to sleep'. Too difficult for them to settle without milk (IMO).

Whatisthisanyidea · 27/03/2023 20:25

When my twins turned one, I was washing the bottles and thought ‘What am I doing this for?’ And binned the lot! Neither asked for a bottle and they’re adults now!

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 27/03/2023 20:27

I imagine it's his teeth hurting.
The test could be irritating the gums.

Also at night time everything is worse as there's no distractions from the pain etc

Glitterstars · 27/03/2023 20:28

My little girl stopped having bottles at one as was always a struggled also never had much milk after that as hates it so we compensated with a lot of other dairy. Wasn’t ideal as I know they should have milk but it was a nightmare trying to get her to have it. She’s now 3 and a half and fine , still hates milk though ha

FlounderingFruitcake · 27/03/2023 20:41

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 27/03/2023 20:27

I imagine it's his teeth hurting.
The test could be irritating the gums.

Also at night time everything is worse as there's no distractions from the pain etc

Good point, could be the first molars. Mine cut his the week of his first birthday and we were on holiday which was less than ideal. Any of the other teething signs OP? You could try a Nurofen before bed to see if it helps.

Seryse · 27/03/2023 20:49

FlounderingFruitcake · 27/03/2023 20:41

Good point, could be the first molars. Mine cut his the week of his first birthday and we were on holiday which was less than ideal. Any of the other teething signs OP? You could try a Nurofen before bed to see if it helps.

He does have the first molars through (there's a gap for the incisors then a new one that's fully through the gum ... thats a molar i think?) I thought it may have been that too.

He had his year old immunisations the day after birthday and was absolutely fine with them this time, the nurse did say up to 10 days later he could be a bit off but we're past that 10 days now so at a bit of a loss and just feeling like a bit of a crap mum lol.

OP posts:
Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 27/03/2023 21:03

It could be a mix of things tbh. The effects of vaccine but I'd put money on it being teeth pain.
Poor soul.
Don't feel bad op, this is just the phases we go through.

24HoursFromTulseHill · 16/04/2023 20:17

Hey @Seryse , how did things work out with your little one?
My 12.5 month old DS has just refused his bedtime bottle for the second night in a row. It's a week after his 1 year vaccinations so I'm unsure if he's feeling unwell or just doesn't want a bottle of milk before bed anymore. He's been sleeping fine and doesn't act unwell in tje day time so I think he's suddenly gone off milk.
He won't drink milk from a cup or straw (it was bottle or nothing) so now we're just making sure he gets yoghurt & cheese in the day time to get the calcium in him.
I'd love to know how your situation is going.

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