8 month old - not drinking milk!

[Tammy78]

My 8 month old baby has been underweight since 4 weeks after birth and has never been a big fan of formula. He had to be started on mixed feeding at 6 weeks and has been on formula exclusively from 3 months.

Now he's 8 months old and is eating solids well but has recently started totally refusing milk - he has one little sip from the bottle and then starts crying!

He'll have it mixed with porridge but he isn't getting enough milk that way and is only having around 12oz a day.

I can tell he's hungry but he refuses his milk - it's really upsetting - any suggestions would be very welcome!

It might be as simple as switching around the time and order in which you offer milk and solids. I'm guessing that he has milk first thing, mid morning, mid afternoon and before bed?

If he's not wanting it at these times what about giving it to him in a sippy cup while he's having his solids as well. Then he has more opportunities to drink it and many babies like a big drink at the same time as eating.

Thanks! He's having milk first thing then 14:00 and then bedtime - I will try to give it to him with his solids and see what happens...

Now is refusing all milk - he won't have it with his meals either - I'm getting really worried about dehydration - can anyone help? I'm desperate!

Mine has a bottle on waking, a bottle after her afternoon nap - she often only drinks 5,6 oz and then one before bed

As long as he's having plenty of calcium through yoghurt, chees. And drinking water don't worry too much
mix milk into weetabix for breakfast too

Tammy78 I empathise - I had almost this exact scenario wiht my LO and I was absolutely desperate and miserable. She droppped the bottle at 9 1/2 months and never again took any milk via the bottle (I stopped BFing at 8 months). She is just now (15 months) FINALLY taking small amounts of milk from a cup (max. per day 100mls). I just made sure she had loads of wet and calcium rich food - purees, custards, yoghurts etc alongside the normal cab/protein foods and she has floursihed. She is lively, healthy, maintained weight doing all the right stuff and is happy. So, I know how worried you are and I just want to say he and you will be fine. I did keep offering bottles but tbh with hindsight I think I would have concentrated more on teaching him to use a cup as it's taken mine AGES!
Good luck!
p.s. Ella's Org stage 1 sachets are a lifesaver.

P.S. forgot to say, the signs of dehydration (forgive me if you know this already) are:

dry nappies (or strongly smelling or very yellow wee)
Sunken eyes
dull hair
dry lips
sunken fontanelle
If you press your finger gently into the skin (say back) and it takes a long time to go back to normal colour

Thanks everyone for your responses - much appreciated! I will persevere and try to get him drinking out of a cup!

Do you make your own food or jarred?
My ds is off milk at 6 months I add milk to absolutely everything. Yoghurts. Cheese anything dairy you name it!
He has water from a cup throughout day and milk first thing and in eve but not much at tbh.
He has continued to gain weight and not lost any yet so can't be that bad for him.

Just make up for milk in every way you can and try to relax about it.

Also around here they do vitamin drops?