Baby refuses milk!!

[babymama12]

My baby is 6 months & has been weaning since 4 months. He was bottle fed, however never had much interest in milk. He’s doing amazing with solids & will eat anything given. He had cut down to a bottle in the morning & one before bed however now he is refusing both, having only about 3oz before bed 😩 he has “Well Baby” vitamins daily and eats a fairly balanced diet, but should I be concerned about the lack of milk?! I know guidelines say no cows milk before one but is it worth a try?

I'd keep with the formula and up cheese and yoghurt etc.

I believe the guidance is not to give cows milk as a main drink before 1. It’s fine in things, e.g. porridge.

What formula do you feed him, does he have it warmed up or room temp?

Its pretty important to carry on with formula or breast milk at this stage because it contains the calories and the nutrients they need to do lots of growing.

My (EBF) DC did the same at 10 months. HV said they wouldn't be concerned at 12 months but under a year I should try up the dairy as much as possible. We ended up giving up on formula and breastfeeding and going straight to cow's milk which she only started drinking just before her birthday.

At 6 months though I wouldn't want to do that yet. Up the dairy in his diet (there's a lot in cheese) and add formula to his food wherever you can (I found the ready made stuff much easier for this rather than having to make up the powder). Keep trying with the formula though. Have you tried a cup rather than a bottle? You'll still need to sterlise.

I'd ring your HV to find out how much milk he needs at that age and what they recommend. However, if they won't take it, you can't make them!

I'd be primarily concerned about him potentially getting dehydrated. Is he still having lots of wet nappies? Do you give him other liquids or just the two bottles?

Two bottles a day doesn't sound like much at six months old, but I didn't FF so I'm not sure if that's normal. Could it be that the baby is getting frustrated with the bottle itself, rather than disliking the milk? Maybe try a sippy cup?

Do you have a expert you can ask for advice about whether it's something to be concerned about? It's probably fine but just to put your mind at ease.

He drinks plenty of other fluids throughout the day, it’s just milk that he doesn’t seem keen with. I give him vitamins to make sure he’s getting what he needs in that respect & do add milk to his meals wherever possible. He just doesn’t seem bothered 🤷🏼‍♀️

He'll probably be fine, but speak to your HV so you know how much you should be trying to add to his food. And if he'll drink water from a cup give the formula a go in that if you haven't already.