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Baby refuses milk



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amother
Orchid


 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 5:19 pm
My baby refuses to drink milk, ever. He has been on formula since he was 4 months, and now he is 11. At our last visit to the dr, he was in the 3% for weight and 50% for height, and she said he shouldn't eat or drink less than he is now, but I can't force him to eat. Now he is eating the same amount as before, but not drinking any milk. Today I tried giving cows milk since we're anyway near the 12 month mark, but he wouldn't take that either. Its been getting worse for about two months, and this week he really hasn't been drinking milk (or anything) at all. WHY? And what should I do?
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5*Mom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 5:28 pm
amother wrote:
My baby refuses to drink milk, ever. He has been on formula since he was 4 months, and now he is 11. At our last visit to the dr, he was in the 3% for weight and 50% for height, and she said he shouldn't eat or drink less than he is now, but I can't force him to eat. Now he is eating the same amount as before, but not drinking any milk. Today I tried giving cows milk since we're anyway near the 12 month mark, but he wouldn't take that either. Its been getting worse for about two months, and this week he really hasn't been drinking milk (or anything) at all. WHY? And what should I do?

Has he always been around the 3% for weight and 50% for height or is he falling off his curve? There's nothing inherently wrong with being in the 3%. Somebody has to be, that's the way percentiles work. My babies are like that and they've all been perfectly healthy, no concerns from the doctor. There's also nothing wrong with not drinking milk. Milk is best for baby cows, not necessarily humans. I'm not a formula-giver but why can't he continue drinking his formula? In terms of food, what do you offer him? What has he liked in the past?
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amother
Orchid


 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 5:31 pm
I guess I wasn't clear: he isn't drinking formula anymore. Or cow's milk. No milk, no water, no liquid. Only about 12 oz solid a day and that is it.
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5*Mom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 5:41 pm
amother wrote:
I guess I wasn't clear: he isn't drinking formula anymore. Or cow's milk. No milk, no water, no liquid. Only about 12 oz solid a day and that is it.

That is concerning. How long has this been going on? You should speak to your pediatrician and get instructions on how to prevent dehydration and how much fluid he needs in how much time, and what you should do if he isn't drinking that amount. How about an ice pop? Or those electrolyte pops?
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mille




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 8:02 pm
How are you trying to feed him? What size nipples do the bottles have? Is it possible he's frustrated and needs a faster flow? Have you tried changing the temperature of the liquids from cold to varying degrees of hot?

My gal now is still under a year but super independent. She won't let us feed her a bottle unless she's still basically asleep. She must hold it herself and feed herself! Have you tried that?

What about putting the milk in a sippy cup instead of a bottle? Or cup feeding?
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amother
Burlywood


 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 8:05 pm
How's his eating?
Would he have a smoothie?
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smileyfaces




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 8:26 pm
Does he not like the taste of milk? For my dd we transitioned from formula to cows milk slowly. First adding 1 once of milk to her formula bottle and every few days adding more cows milk till she was only drinking milk and no more formula.
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gamanit




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 8:54 pm
Is it possible your baby has a hard time breathing through his nose? Maybe sucking on a bottle feels suffocating. Have you tried spoon-feeding milk or giving in a syringe?
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imasinger




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 04 2017, 8:56 pm
It sounds like maybe either he wants more independence from his bottles, or he particularly likes eating independently.

Try either a sippy cup, or liquid on a spoon. Also, at that age, many kids can begin to handle a straw.

You can try different things, like diluted fruit juices, too.

And feed him foods with a high water content in the meantime.
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amother
Royalblue


 

Post Fri, Jan 06 2017, 7:18 am
Also, if he refuses to drink, give lots of liquid-ish dairy products - yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. These will supply fats and calories. Also, mix all his solid food with formula - make baby cereal or oatmeal with formula, mix jars of baby food with formula, mix yogurt with formula, make him scrambled eggs with formula - this way, the vitamins and nutrients from the formula will still get into him.

When I went back to work, my daughter was 6 months and would not take a bottle and couldn't yet drink from a cup, and was so under the charts for weight that the pediatrician said I couldn't leave her for more than 3 hours without getting formula or milk (and she was already eating solids) - so I pumped milk and the babysitter mixed it into all her food to make sure she was getting the vitamins and nutrients she needed. There is no rule that says that formula has to be drank as is.

You could also try a straw cup, it was the only thing our daughter would drink from, from about the age of 9 months. It takes some practice though.
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