HOw much formula for 7mth old?

[atlastamum]

My ds is almost 7mths old and has just started refusing most bottles during the day - only wanting food. Today he had a 5oz bottle at 5am and only had his next bottle at 5pm!!!!!! in between, he did have porridge mixed with 4oz of formula for breakfast and then, after his lunch of chicken and veg, he had oats mixed with pureed apple (which had another 4oz of formula in it.) I have been told that babies still need 20oz(600ml) of formula a day though! He doesnt even have a bottle to go to sleep with, but goes to bed about an hour after his dinner. Because he refuses the bottles in favour of solids now, i tend to offer him food that has formula in it - like baby rice mixed with fruit or veg. Dont know how else to get the milk down him! Any advice welcome....

atlastamum, you could try rice pudding -
grease an oven proof dish. Add
1 pint milk (any kind - formula, soya milk, cows etc),
2.5 oz pudding rice (short grain white rice - you can get it in the supermarket)
Some sugar (if you like, depends on how sweet the milk is)
Stir well and sprinkle a little nutmeg on the top. Dot with a little butter / marg.
Cook for 2.5 hours in a low oven (about gas 2), stirring once or twice to separate the grains, until the rice is soft.
This freezes really well in small containers. I give it to my ds (who's allergic to dairy so I make it with soya milk) with a dollop of jam on the top but you could be healthier and mix in some fruit.

Other ideas, leek and potato or garlic mushroom soups made with formula - both big hits in our house.

thanks for starting this atalastmum - you echo my thoughts exactly. my ds is a bit younger but we have exactly the same issues except that he just won't take a bottle full stop (only a breast) so we are trying everything to get milk down him in preparation for times when I will be away...

I've had some exellent advice from mumsnetters along the lines of increasing the milk content of his food so we had 'apple milkshake porridge' and 'sweetpotato and courgette au lait' today!

have also tried

tipping a few oz of milk into the top of a bottle and letting him sip - messy but some goes down.
using quite a large spoon - deep dessert spoon for eg so you can point it into his mouth and get quite a nice gulp in in one go - works ok until he moves
trying a soft spout cup with or without valve. so far pretty useless though he loves gumming the squeaky rubber teat!

good luck

THanks for that Vivie,
Interesting ideas - never thought of soups for baby before. Will share that tip with our mums group.
Thanks

Hi squirmyworm,
THere are a few mums in our group that are battling with the same problem as you with their babies only wanting the breast, so you're not alone! We dont really have a problem with ds taking a bottle, as i stopped breastfeeding at 4mths, but rather with the fact that whenever he's hungry he wants food as opposed to a bottle of formula. Have had to become quite creative with foods that have a lot of formula in them, but maybe i am fuelling the problem by doing this? Its also a pain if we're out and about as cant really have our homemade concoctions in the mall!

atlastamum we went through the same problem with or ds and he's only six months all your baby is doing is weaning himself of milk on to solids which is a great thing the main thing is calcium make sure he's getting stuff like milk (normal or soya if he's allergic to normal) chease butter yoghurt stuff like that you dont need to worry about iron as you said he likes meat and he will get it from there if your still woried have a word with your gp and he can precribe if he feels the need vitimin drops but from what i read from your post going through the same thing myself and getting advice of mums net he's doing absolutely great good luck with weaning if any thing lik mine you'l have no problems