My almost 7 month old just completely refuses milk

[HorseMadODP]

Hi guys. I’m a little worried and wonder if anyone can reassure me. The health visitors don’t seem to know what’s going on. So on Monday my almost 7 month old baby boy just completely refused any milk whatsoever. Nothing has changed about it or his routine. He will eat food and drink water from a sippy cup but will become agitated if I try to give him a bottle. He know will only take a bottle at bed time and downs a full 8 ounces. Prior to Monday he was having about 8-900ml of milk a day and 3 meals (purées and finger food) but since Monday everything has changed. I wondered if he was ill so I got him checked out but all is well. He’s teething but no teeth yet but we have been like that for a couple months now. He has teething gel and all the other teething aids. I’ve ordered him some multivitamins with iron as he now isn’t having the milk I’m worried he won’t be getting all the right vitamins. Can he thrive on just food and one bottle at night? As all the advice online says that milk should be his main nutrition until he is 1 years old?

Thanks in advance for reading my ramblings

No advice to why he's off milk maybe full from food, does he eat a lot? To get more milk into though I would add formula to his food.

Hi, my son stopped taking milk at 9 months. He was 8 weeks early so he was in fact 7 months old if that makes sense. I was really worried too. I carried on feeding him his solids and yoghurts etc for the calcium etc. At 12 months he started drinking milk again from a sippy cup. He’s 21 years old now, 6ft 2in and totally healthy and fine. Try not to worry. As long as they are growing and eating/drinking then they’ll be ok

Have you changed how you wash the bottles at all or sterilised? Any vitamins being added pre milk refusal? We were giving ours vitamins and I’m he started refusing milk and it turned out it was a bad batch - he then very quickly started associating milk with something he didn’t like.

No I haven’t given him vitamins up to this point as I was advised that he had enough from the formula as long as he was taking 500ml at least per day. I wondered if there was something wrong with the milk but he drinks his bedtime bottle. Also the tub is about midway through. I haven’t changed anything in our washing and sterilising habits either

thank you it’s just such a worry as a first time mum and also when all the information out there says he needs milk as a main food source until he’s a year old

I wouldn’t say he eats a lot tbh. He has 3 meals a day but when I say meals they are purées and some finger foods and if he loses interest I don’t force him to finish his portion.

that’s a good idea, I’ll make his porridge with formula in the morning

My DD totally gave up milk when I stopped breast feeding, my gp said it didn't matter, it's mainly fat anyway, she just drank water or baby juice until she was older and started having drinks like tea with milk. She was absolutely fine, I got some odd comments from other mums when I said she didn't have milk, 'What not even at bedtime!', nope never.

When you say baby juice what do you mean? Sorry might be a stupid question

I would try dropping breakfast and give him a bottle instead.
If he's having less than 500ml milk make sure you give him vitamins.

I stopped drinking milk when I was 9 months old. Refused to have a bottle, wouldn't drink it from a cup either.

I'm in my 40s now & have never had milk since- I absolutely hate it. I eat cheese but that about it. I don't have it on cereal, don't have it it in hot drinks & also don't like yogurts, cream or custard either.

My mum was also really worried but I was eating fine & would drink water so she kept on doing that & it caused no problems at all.

I breastfed my daughter until 7 months and when we tried moving her to a bottle she wasn’t having it. I remember being so worried but the GP and health visitor said to add a scoop of formula to her food whenever appropriate, give her vitamins and plenty of water and make sure there was calcium in every meal and she’s been fine. She’s 12 now and still won’t drink milk but is healthy and strong.