8 month old barely drinking any milk. What am I doing wrong?

[AnnaSparks]

My 8 month old has been EBF. I have been trying to introduce a bottle for months and transition onto formula. After different types of formula, bottles, teats, people feeding her, paced feeding (there is NOTHING I haven’t tried) she will now accept a small amount of milk.

My question is, is she getting enough? I’m going back to work so she has to have bottles in the day, but from 6am to 6pm she will drink about 200-250ml. Is this ok? She’s an absolutely huge baby so no worries with weight.

She seems to be trying to get most of her milk during the night when she can breastfeed instead and I’m exhausted. HELP!

It's known as reverse cycling and it's very common. As far as I'm aware there's nothing you can really do about it.

Is there a reason expressing isn't an option?

I tried expressing and it doesn’t make a difference. It’s the bottle she dislikes rather than the milk, so i was just spending a lot of time expressing, and then hours trying to get her to drink it only to pour it away anyway.

Formula at least cut one part of the excruciating process out.

Is reverse cycling ok health wise?

Theres no real issues health wise (as long as you can function on less sleep).

Have you tried her with a cup instead of a bottle? Either just an open cup or one of those free flow ones? DS was a bit of a bottle refuser but always loved a cup.

Is she eating milk in other ways like porridge for breakfast?

If she is eating well she doesn't need much milk, it's not the only source of calcium and vitamin D.

I’m not functioning well with the lack of sleep!

Tried cups and she loves drinking water from them (only sips though, so not very much) but she will throw a tantrum if it’s milk.

Yes she will happily have milk if it’s hidden in her porridge.

I’ve been told that I should just go “cold turkey” - stop breastfeeding completely and she will take the bottle. I’m worried that if I do this my supply will dry up and it won’t work

At eight months does she really need bottles or even so much milk? I say this as our DD was exactly the same once we tailed of breast milk. With a lot of support from our GP we survived. DD had a varied and reasonable diet but she wouldn't touch milk be it formula or supermarket milk. However she would tolerate some cheese and yogurt. I just offered lots of non-milk calcium foods and plain water to drink.

Turns out she had CMPA, we'd had no issues as I eat very little dairy. If your DD is eating well and drinking water go easy on yourself, maybe feed her either end of the day. Going back to work is hard, don't make it harder.

I think the same as Windy, she doesn't need bottles at eight months. Milk in cereal but plenty of other food available. Mine was a very good eater at that age and had been drinking out of an open cup/glass for a couple of months.

If her health and weight aren't an issue, you're trying to get her to drink formula and you're really struggling, why are you persevering with breastfeeding?

I breastfed my dd up to 18.5 months which included 9 months after I went back to work and I didn't get much sleep. I struggled but that was a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of my whole life looking back on it!

Apparently at 8 months they should be drinking at least 750ml of milk per day. The midwife said to start reducing milk feeds from 9/10 months. Definitely open to hearing what other docs/midwives have said though, especially if they recommended less?

I understand that it might sound strange that I want to stop breastfeeding, but I’m utterly exhausted with it. With going back to work etc I need to be able to have some help - e.g. husband doing the odd night.

My daughter was a little older at 10 months but same situation. From day one at nursery she would happily take milk from a cup but grimaces at expressed milk and never took any. I express for comfort and pour it away. She takes water and eats everything she’s offered. To start with she fed a lot at night but that settled in a few weeks. She then still bf lots during day at home but not fussed at all when away from me. I think as long as she can take fluid from a cup and is offered other food she will sort herself out.

Sorry just seen you want to stop bf

Moreismore - so does your LO only have a small amount of milk then? I wonder if I’m worrying about her intake unnecessarily?

So at 10 months during the day she would have no milk at all. I fed on drop off at 8.30am and again on collection at 5.30pm before we drove home (be prepared if you’re still feeding for her to be desperate for a bf on pickup) she just had water. Then fed quite a bit through the night.

Sorry I’ve realised my typo in first post confused you, it should read ‘happily take water from a cup’ not milk!!

They’re supposed to have 20oz at this age still but my boy is the same, much prefers food now! We do get enough down him I think including on his weetabix etc and sips with his meals (and he still wants his bedtime bottle) but I’m not worried. He’s fine. So long as she’s developing and sleeping and getting nutrients from food then she’ll be fine. My boy has just turned 8 months.

Sorry to jump on this thread... but we’re in a slightly similar situation.
My lo is 8months ebf after numerous failed attempts to get her on cmpa formula. But she barely breastfeeds.. maybe two smallish ones a day and one or two at nights (often small too).
I am literally beside myself with worry. I keep reading about 20oz needed - windygate how did you not loose you’re mind?! Seriously such a worry...

I’m giving her Koko yoghurt and oatly milk -
How is your lo one?
Any tips appreciated xxx

Hi windygatw tried to reply to your comment re breastfeeding...but it’s not linked to your comment...
I’d be so so grateful if you could let me know how you got on.. my lo barely feeds I’m so so stressed! Thanks xx

Sorry to jump on this thread... but we’re in a slightly similar situation.
My lo is 8months ebf after numerous failed attempts to get her on cmpa formula. But she barely breastfeeds.. maybe two smallish ones a day and one or two at nights (often small too).
I am literally beside myself with worry. I keep reading about 20oz needed - windygate how did you not loose you’re mind?! Seriously such a worry...

I’m giving her Koko yoghurt and oatly milk -
How is your lo one?
Any tips appreciated xxx

@jeano123 I’m sorry to hear you’re going through similar. I posted this over a month ago now and things are going great, so hopefully my experience can help. Is your LO doing well with solids?

To take a bit of pressure off myself I started giving calcium rich food like suggested above. I also have a portion of very milky porridge for breakfast (with 100ml of formula).

I found that my LO prefers the taste of Hipp Organic So I bought that and stuck to it.

Then I contacted a health visitor and asked for help. She suggested that I implement a strict schedule and include one bottle per day as part of that. It took two weeks of offering the bottle at the same time every day, while she was distracted in her pram at the park, spaced far apart from solid food. Eventually she took it! After that it was easy.

The schedule has been great. I think looking at timings can help a lot with lots of things, even promoting better breastfeeding (which I still do when I’m with her and not at work).

My schedule:

7am - milk
8am - breakfast
9.30am - 30 minute nap
10am - snack
12pm - lunch
12.30pm - 2 hour nap (we only ever manage an hour)
2pm - milk
5pm - dinner
6pm - milk
6.15pm - bed

On weekends when I’m breastfeeding, I skip the snap and breastfeed instead and give her a small feed after lunch (before her nap).

I hope this helps x

Thanks so much for your reply. That’s amazing she’s taking a bottle well done!

My lo is so fussy that getting her on a feeding schedule is so hard. I think I need to knock out the night feeds so she accepts a 7am feed which then sets up feeds for the rest of the day.

I had thought we’d missed the boat for bottle feeding this late. I’ll give it a go!

Hope she’s now sleeping better...
I am praying 🙏🏻

Thanks again xx

@jeano123 yes I slept in the spare room for a few nights and got my husband to do night time instead so she learned milk wasn’t coming.

I’ve also done a very gentle sleep training by using the Little Ones app and that worked well.

Small steps at a time