6 Month Old Refuses Formula

E.-
I agree with the other moms....6 mos old is way to young to cut out formula. Formula should be the main source of a babies diet. Babies should not be given whole milk until at least 1 year of age. Also, a 6 mos old should not eat what adults eat. We were highly advised not to start meats until 9 mos at the earliest. I hope this helps.

J.
PS. I also think you may want to get a second opinion from a different ped. office.

My almost 7-month old is doing the same thing. We mix her cereal with formula. Formula has iron, as does the cereal (which is important). He is getting other nutrients from the fruits and veggies. Her doctor said it is fine, too. After just eating formula for so long, it is a big switch for us. My daughter takes a bottle right before bed, more of a habit, I think! His gums may hurt because he is teething and sucking on a bottle makes it worse. Plus, with all the new foods he is trying they are much more exciting then formula!

Check with your pediatrician about giving him infant vitamin drops with iron if you are concerned he isn't taking enough formula but not necessarily eatting well either. Good luck.

In my opinion you should cut way back on the amount of food you are giving him. That is a lot of food for a baby so young. He is too full on food, and doesn't want the formula. The formula is more important at this stage. That's why everything you read says to give the formula before the meal. Make his meals much smaller, and cut out the meal sized snack in the afternoon. He'll start taking formula again within a couple of days once he realizes that's what he's going to get instead of the food. Also, 6 months is too young for meat. That shouldn't be given until about 10 months. You may also want to consider a new doctor. No good pediatrician would recommend that a 6 month old can eat the same foods you eat.

I think you should call the doctor again in my opinion. They NEED that formula for growing and developing and shouldn't be replacing it with water at all, even if he is at a healthy weight. You definitely want to make sure he's getting a good amount of formula daily. My son will be one year old on the 12th and he's still taking almost 30 ounces daily. We were also instructed not to introduce whole milk until he is one year old. And I agree with the other moms, switch pediatricians immediately. I'm no expert, but no 6 month old should be eating what you eat. My son was only eating small amounts of cereal once a day at that age, usually in the a.m.
L.

It sounds to me like he's getting full on the food he's eating. My children were breast fed and they were just being introduced to cereal at six months. I can't believe the doctor would encourage or suggest that you feed a 6 month old what you're eating. That shocks me. I definately would not give whole milk (or any milk for that matter) at this time. I think you are feeding him way too much for his age. He doesn't need all that food. THe average weight for a 6 month old is 15lbs. I know all children are different but that is an average. Your son is still 2lbs over the average child.

I don't know if you or your baby's dad are over weight but if you are then you must be extra careful with your son. Here is some information I found on another site.

"Solid feeding

Week 1:
Start with 1 teaspoon of cereal once per day after breast or bottle feed.

Week 2:
Give 2 feeds per day after breast or bottle feed.

Week 3:
Add pureed fruits to the cereal for one feed and the other feed only cereal.

Week 4:
Add pureed vegetables as a third meal per day.

Points to Note for Solid Feeding

Start solids slowly with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time. Increase the amount gradually.

When your child start eating 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, you can give the solid food at the second feed.

First start with a single food and watch for 4-5 days for any food allergy. Then give second food and watch for any allergy. If you observe any signs of food allergies, consult your doctor.

Give soils after a breastfeed or bottle feed.

Start giving water to your baby. (I disagree w/this)

No meat, chicken or fish before 6 months.
No eggs before 8 months.
No cow milk before 12 months."

So you see it does appear you are feeding your baby too much food. Personally I would drop down to just cereal at his hungriest part of the day. Maybe in the morning and before bed. And give him bottles again. Nothing wrong with going back and cutting these foods out for a while. And note it does say you should give the formula first and solids after so they get the nutrition they need from the formula.

Is the formula heated and the water cold. It may be to hot for him to want warm formula. Try giving it to him cold.

E.,

I would call the pediatrician. 6 month olds are just supposed to be starting to be introduced to solids. They are not supposed to have whole milk until they are a year for digestive reasons. I also thought the packages of baby yogurt I've seen say they aren't supposed to have that until 9 months old. Does your doctor know all that he is specifically eating? You may be overloading his system and causing havoc on his digestive track. Did you introduce all these types of foods and times at once or did you slowly introduce them?

My third son is just 10 months old and he doesn't even eat 4 times a day and my doctor has said he is eating appropriately at 3 times a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Please see what the doctor specifically says. If you are noticing him doing this around the start of food, I'd say it's related to the food and right now the formula is more important.

Best of luck,
L.

Infants really need to have formula or breast milk. The concern with providing whole milk before the first birthday is that an infant's intestines are not fully developed and the milk can lead to intestinal bleeding. The bleeding is microscopic and is not noticable but can lead to anemia and developmental delays. Cow's milk is also low in iron and other vitamins and high in protein and sodium. The composition also impacts the absorption of iron leading to further problems with anemia. Keep offering the formula, maybe try a different brand and you could also try a sippy cup or regular cup. Assisting with small sips from a cup is a good way to encourage him to make the transition now instead of later. Good Luck!!!

It sounds like he may be weaning off of the formula and be ready for more solid food. Did you speak with your pediatrician?

Try making his ceral with formula!!!! That way he'll get it in him. This way you know he's getting the nutirtion from formula. GOOD LUCK.......