Baby refuses milk, takes water

[Newmum1219]

My baby is 7 months old and I've just returned to work. He's refusing milk out of any bottle or cup. We've tried pumped breast milk and we've tried formula but the only thing he'll take is water from a cup.

He has previously taken a bottle of formula on occasion but since he realised it was a replacement for breastfeeding he's refused completely. It's not an issue with the formula because he's fine when it's mixed with food. He also refuses expressed breastmilk in a bottle/cup.

We've tried experimenting with temperature, time of day, who gives it etc and it's making no difference. Been trying to get him to take formula from a bottle regularly for 3 months.

Nutritionally I think he'll be fine because he's eating solids and we're upping the formula mixed in, plus he's breastfeeding extra at night, but he's hungry for milk during the day and really distressed. Plus I'm struggling with the extra night feeds while working. Any ideas?

Is he at Nursery during the day @Newmum1219?

No he's at home with his dad

Sorry for all of the questions. Are you working from home?

If he’s eating solids and drinking water from a cup what makes you think he has figured out formulae is replacing breast milk?
They don’t taste the same. If you give it to him in a cup then they won’t be any more similar to him than his other foods or drink. It’s just a different drink as far as he’s concerned and he seems up just not like it

He was taking formula ok from a cup and a bottle until it started regularly replacing breastfeeds. When it became regular he started refusing it from any cup or bottle.

Not WFH.

I think you need to speak with a professional, as far as I'm aware up until one a baby should be getting its main nutrition from breastmilk (or formula), supplemented by solids so if your baby is only having water I'm not sure they'll be getting all that they need.

Yes I agree with this. Sorry OP this must be extremely stressful however a 7 month old still needs most of their calories from milk and weaning won't be established yet. When were they last weighed? I would reach out to your health visitor for some advice. I presume work isn't something that could accommodate some breaks to breastfeed if your DH could bring baby to you/meet up nearby?

Just to clarify - he's still breastfeeding at least 5 times in 24 hours. He's also getting around 100ml formula mixed with food and eating very well. That's part of the issue though, he's feeding all night.

Sounds fine? He sounds like he’s getting plenty of breastmilk at night and a mixture of formula and solids during the day. As long as he’s gaining weight at a reasonable pace and seems happy I’m not sure I would worry

I think it sounds fine too, if slightly exhausting for the OP. Both of mine were bottle refusers and seemed to adopt of policy of “I’ll just wait” if I wasn’t around.

Were your babies crying with distress frequently throughout the day though due to lack of availability of breastfeeding? As that's what OP initially described.

Yes he's distressed at not being able to feed in the day. But he's happy and full by the morning after night feeds. My paediatrician is not nutritionally concerned, but it's just not a nice situation, so I'm looking for any ideas to get him to take a bottle or cup so we can space his feeds better.

Hi I’ve just landed on your post after being in a slightly similar situation whereby my ten month old has for the last few months consciously refused milk during the day but will still wake for a feed in the night which she happily receives (formula feeding). I’m in the habit of having to feed her just after she’s gone to sleep for her nap in the day but it’s not ideal as I have to cuddle her to sleep so am unable to practice any self soothing! It’s not an ideal situation as I’m trying to get out of it but I’m just thinking it may help top your little one up more in the day to save you having to feed so much still at night?