8.5 month old refusing milk & solids

[Vicky1989x]

My DD will be 9 months in a couple of weeks. Currently she has 4 x 6oz bottles and 3 meals a day (mixture of spoon and BLW) and that was going well until about a week ago.. she’s now only drinking 3-4oz of the first 3 bottles and refusing her bedtime bottle altogether!

I always give milk an hour before solids but she’s also been refusing solids too. I think she might be teething but she also suffers with terrible trapped wind (it’s driving me up the wall!) so that could be why she’s refusing.

Is it time to drop a bottle or is it to early? Should I be offering food first now or just continue as I am? I know food is fun until they’re one but she’s never been a big milk drinker anyway.

Any advice?

I wouldn't be changing things just yet, I think you need to look at why she's had a sudden change.

If she's teething, have you tried a teething gel like Dentinox before her bottles and solids and have you tried a dose of Ibruprofen half an hour before her main meal?

If she's always been gassy, have you ever suspected any allergies, is there any mucus in her poo?

@JiltedJohnsJulie I’ve tried teething gel, Calpol, nurofen, nothing helps.

CMPA was suspected as she has reflux but when I started weaning (at 5 months on advice from paediatrician) she seemed to settle down after a few weeks- it’s only been last couple of weeks that’s why I assumed teething (no teeth yet). I tried a faster flow teat today on a whim and it just made things worse so that’s not the problem. Her poo is normal.

'Food before one is just for fun" is a MN hoax. It is far from true. Food before one will shape food preferences

Does she refuse any type of food or only certain texture, certain flavours?

@Cormoran oh really? I only go by what I read since I haven’t heard from health visitors since my baby was 6 weeks old. FTM so I have no idea.

She refuses everything - even her favourites. She has a few mouthfuls then clamps her mouth shut.

How much milk is she getting a day do you think? And what treatment is she getting fir the wind?

It must be really hard trying to judge what's normal in lockdown. this guide from the Caroline Walker Trust is very useful. You'll probably need from page 39

@JiltedJohnsJulie On a good day, she probably takes between 20-22oz. I also make her porridge with formula so gets an extra couple of oz in that! Yesterday only managed to get 18oz into her.

Thank you, I’ll have a read.

@JiltedJohnsJulie also for the wind I give her gripe water if she’s really bad. Usually drinking water helps her a bit too.

Have tried giving her some calpol? If her mouth is hurting she won't want anything in it, give it time to work and then offer bottle or food. Are her nappies wet? Is there a chance she might be getting dehydrated?
My older DD didn't like any weaning foods and was breast fed so I have no idea how much milk she was having, she went straight from breast to stealing food off other people's plates after weeks to trying to find out what was wrong with her.

also for the wind I give her gripe water if she’s really bad. Usually drinking water helps her a bit too. If you've not tried it yet, you can add Dentinox to the bottles which can help a lot of babies. The Tiger in the Tree Hold usually helps too. If you're not sure how to do it, there are plenty of videos on YouTube

Thank you both. I’ve tried Calpol before bottle/food, didn’t seem to make a difference. Her nappies are still wet, but sometimes not as wet as normal but last 4 bottles she’s drank the full 6oz - turns out I wasn’t making them warm enough for her she’s always preferred her milk slightly warmer than normal but I started doing them at room temp lately and that’s why she hadn’t been finishing them. She brings her wind up so much better with warmer milk!

I’ve used Dentinox in the past but I think mixed with the gaviscon it gives her a belly ache so I stick to gripe water 30 minutes after a bottle. I do tiger in the tree too.