6 Month Old Refuses to Eat Formula!

Your milk supply isn't 'lower' it's more condensed for her because she's older and nursing less in terms of time. She needs YOUR milk made FOR HER.

Hi-
I had this problem too, right around 6 mo. I was trying to give my son 1 bottle per day of Similac Organic. It is natural to reject it b/c formula smells and tastes horrible compared to breastmilk. Your baby will eat it when they are hungr enough, but you may start by mixing for a few days. I did 1/3 formula(mixed with water) and 2/3 breastmilk 1 day, then again the next, then 50/50, then built up to all formula. It isn't the best to mix the two (b/c you could waste bmilk), but for a short period, our dr. said it is fine. My son regressed a few times, but now he takes formula or breast just fine. It just takes patience and time I think--and probably someone else giving the baby the bottle a few times. Good luck!

Nurse her more and your milk supply will adjust. By giving her a bottle you are lowering your milk supply even more. Supply and demand.

I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to try another brand, I remember my son being particular about the brands when I started supplementing. Just buy the smallest containers possible until you find one that works. Also, try mixing the formula well ahead of time and putting it in the fridge to let it settle. My son didn't like all the "foam" if I tried to give it to him fresh (and some brands are foamier than others) . Another possibility - are you able to pump enough to save up in the freezer and give her additional breastmilk from a bottle at night?

My 8 1/2 month old hated, refused to take the Enfamil Lipil (this is the one the doctor also recommended). I asked around to see what my friends used and finally settled on Earth's Best. They have "milk" based and "soy" based versions. I used the milk based.
The Enfamil is a funky brown color and always smelled weird! The Earth's Best hasn't been a problem at all.
BTW - I still breastfeed as well and only supplement one formula bottle per day.
Good luck!

Try putting 1/4 formula and 3/4 breast milk in the bottle. If she takes it then with each bottle add a little more formula a little less breast milk until she is exclusively drinking the formula. This worked with my first son. I also did the same thing switching from formula to milk when the time came. Hope it works for you!

I know this sound kind of mean but you might just have to wait until she's hungry enough to eat it. That is what I had to do with my daughter when she was about 8 months old. Once she got hungry enough she took the formula and after a few days of that she was used to it. The hardest part was for me to hold out until that point. You can try a different kind of formula and see if it helps but she'll probably still fight it for a while just because she's used to the good stuff :)

Also, sometimes the formula is a little stronger/thicker than breastmilk so you can try making it half or 3/4 strength the first few times and see if she is more willing to take it then. I hope this helps and good luck!

Both of my children, now ages 30 and 35, were breastfed. I also pumped my breast milk and placed it in bottles for those times when I was at work. The interesting fact about breast milk is that it is very sweet. So, as my breast milk started to lessen, I gave the kids apple juice in their bottle, and finally in their sippy cup. Apple juice is also very sweet and they took to it like fish. The kids continued on apple juice until they were about 4 or 5. My pediatrician stated that this was fine because the kids received their needed calcium from other sources. Give it a try.

Before you give up - try giving her a bottle during the day instead of before bed. Most babies who are breastfed prefer that at night because it's comforting. But if you can get her to take the bottle during the day then that will allow you to build up your milk supply before bed and have enough to give her for bedtime.
Good luck

Hi L.,

Can you pump when you first wake in the morning or after the first morning feeding and give her that milk at night? After a few days of pumping you might start making more milk and will have more milk for the evening feed or to store for another day. If she seems to be eating less, it might be because your mother's milk changes in nutrients and caloric levels as she grows and she might be getting what she needs with less nursing.

In response to some of the posts you've received I have to stick up for babies and for development of their self-esteem and say babies are smart little human organisms. Their internal impulses (like saying yes or no to a certain food) are an important way through which they come to know who they are. When they're forced to do something that is out of synch with their internal impulses, the message that is sent is that who they know themselves to be is wrong. Forcing a baby to get too hungry to follow her/his own sense of what is right and wrong for them is cruel and demeaning. I hope you don't mind my pulling out my soap box to speak to the community on your post.

I hope you can pump enough or find a formula that she likes to solve your problem!

Best of luck to you,
K.

I tried to give my then 9 month old formula and he wanted NOTHING to do with it so i dropped the idea. It smells horrible and tastes like quarters!!! If the baby is only used to bm, its really hard to introduce formula that far along- i would just work on your supply. I found that there is really no link between being really full and sleeping more at night- it seems to just happen when the baby's ready. Good luck!!

I'm a grandmother now, but none of my 5 children would take formula, they were exclusively breastfed. Mother's milk has been proven to be best for your child for at least a full year, and pediatricians are beginning to say they should have breastmilk into the second year. I hope you are beginning to give your daughter other foods by now. If you fear she isn't getting enough to eat, be sure she has something like cereal at night. Not only will she not be hungry, but she will probably sleep better during the night.
Good Luck.

If she's happy, why change things? And if there's no need for the formula, why give it to her?

I'm pregnant and still nursing my 20-month-old. My supply (as far as I can tell, but I don't know since I can't see what's going in) has been dwindling since I got pregnant, but she's perfectly happy with it or she wouldn't still be nursing. Yes, she's older and doesn't *need* my milk anymore. But so many studies have shown that child-led weaning is best for children in all aspects. I urge you to go with that.

What about solids? My son is 6mo and has been eating cereal for a month oatmeal, not rice. After we did that for a couple of weeks we introduced Gerber Organic Puree's. We started with a nightly feeding-supper. It worked well to give him a bath after, topped with breast feeding, then off to bed.
How can a baby like formula after having your wonderful formula for so long : )
Good luck!

I had the same problem too. I mixed the formula with breast milk first. And I also had to switch formulas. He did not like Enfamil or Similac, but he does like Earths Best.
Good Luck

Hi L.,
I've never been able to get enough supply for my almost 5 month old, so I've been supplementing formula since she was about a month old. I've never given her a bottle of just formula. Right now she is taking 6 oz. each bottle, so I put in 2 oz. formula and 4 oz. breastmilk. You can definately mix the two together and perhaps slowly increase the formula and decrease the breastmilk. You could always try a different formula if you think that my be it. My daughter takes the Enfamil Lipil. Hope everything works out!

Hi L.,

Its just my opinion but I think formula is gross. Have you tasted it? Its disgusting especially compared to the sweet vanilla cream taste of breast milk. I'd go for cereal and table food now that she is 6mos. 2 of my kids were eating straight from the table once we established solids. Just go slow when introducing solids so you are clear if there are food sensitivities. All the best!
S.

Hi L., when my son was six months we had that same problem because i was only breastfeeding up until then, but someone told me to put half formula, half breastmilk, lets say they drink 5 or 6 ounces, you can start off with maybe more 4ounce of breastmilk and 1 or 2 ounce of formula and see how she likes it, and then slowly decrease the breastmilk and add more formula. by the time you know it she'll just start talking the formula fine.
I wish you the best of luck,
M.

Hi, I had the same trouble at 5 months old. I ended up making forumla and putting a breastmilk floater in the bottle, so the first thing in the nipple was breast milk mixed with Enfamil Lipil. She didn't love it for about 10 trys then she was totally fine after that! Also, Calleigh ended up staying wtih the Enfamil Lipil but I know a lot of people who had to change formula multiple times. It was worth the effort as then, her grandmas and Daddy could feed her on occassion and I sometimes got to sleep in: )