No Longer Likes Milk Since Being Weaned

[Mummy2Amber]

Please help, I can no longer get my 7 month old to drink much milk any more. Her routine goes like this:

6am - 3 - 4 ounces
9.30am - 4 ounces
10am - ready brek and a baby yoghurt
Nap
12.30pm - homemade savory and baby yoghurt
3pm - 3 ounces juice, sometimes a baby biscuit
Nap
5pm - homeade savory and homemade fruit puree with custard
(has recently refused the 4.30pm milk feed so no longer give it)
7.30pm - bath
8pm - 4 ounce bottle which she often refuses
Bed

I am worried about her milk and liquid intake. I have tried to dreamfeed but she always wakes up! She used to take 30 ounces (5 x 6oz bottles) Omneo before she was weaned. I know she obviously doesn't need as much milk now she is on 3 meals but the amount she takes is hardly anything. I do manage to put about 8 ounces milk into her food but this restricts recipes if they don't contain milk. She was 6 weeks prem and was 14 pounds 4 ounces at 28 weeks, don't know if this has anything to do with it as she has never been a very hungry baby. The Health Visitors just tell me she HAS to have at least 20 ounces and to keep trying. Many thanks.

Can you swap the juice for milk? I'd be tempted not to give juice - I've never given it to DS.

The 20oz of milk can be made up from yoghurt, cheese, custard, etc.

Hi, I give the juice (she won't drink water) as I am worried about her fluid intake as she won't drink at mealtimes either. She is having about 20oz including things like custard, cheese and yoghurt. It's not really a problem if she has all her bottles and all her food, but like today, she only had about 15oz altogether. I know it can be balanced out over a week but she does this a few times a week and has just the 20oz the other few days so averages less than 20oz per day over the week!

Can you dilute the juice more and more over the course of a couple of weeks until it's plain water? It may be having a knock-on effect on her appetite.

Yes, good idea, I will try that, thank you. Do you have any suggestions regarding her refusing or only taking a little of her 8pm feed? I have tried giving it a bit earlier but she doesn't seem hungry, she must be a little hungry 3 hours after her dinner don't you think? Her lunch is bigger than her dinner so I don't think she is still full up from dinner...

Does she sleep all night? I think that if she was hungry, she'd take the milk/eat more food/wake up hungry in the night. Is she looking for more food at mealtimes?

Yes, she sleeps from about 8.30/9pm til I wake her at 6am. She then goes back to sleep til about 9am. She doesn't seem to be looking for any extra food at mealtimes, I can normally tell when she is full... Maybe she just isn't a very hungry baby...

She sounds very contented - I would say try diluting the juice and see what happens with the rest of her food/milk intake. What happens if you leave her to sleep in the morning? Why do you wake her at 6am?

I wake her at 6am because I am worried if I leave her to sleep in til say 8 or 9am she will only take 4oz then, I can't see her drinking 7/8oz instead of 3oz @ 6 and 4oz @ 9.30. She does seem to want both morning bottles though, just not any at other times of the day. She seems to only be able to take small amounts of milk at a time

That's fair enough - I suppose you could try leaving her to sleep longer and seeing if she'll have more, but I figure with this parenting lark that if it works for you, then go with it

Thank you for all of your suggestions, it really does help writing it all down you know. It has made me realise that she likes milk upon wakening so perhaps I will offer it after her naps (even if its only 2 -3oz) and forget the juice if I can, unless we are going out for example, but I will water it down as you suggested. Thanks again!

That's OK!

If it's any consolation, DD2 has never really drank much milk, even when little. The HV always reminds me it is a guide that they drink a pint a day, not a rule! She usually has 15oz a day, with water at mealtimes and plenty of cheese and yoghurt.