7 Mo Old Won't Eat Formula

This is something I went through with my baby too. You must mix the breastmilk and formula. Start with just one ounce of formula to the rest breastmilk for a few days, then add 2 ounces of formula for a few days...so on and so on. It took about 2 weeks to switch, but it worked for my baby. Getting them used to the taste will work the best instead of throwing something new on them and expecting them to like it.
Good luck!

Mix some formula into breast milk in the bottle and slowly add more formula each day. I even mix formula in with my little one's cereal so that she gets use to the taste and it's not such a challenge to get her to drink it. Now she drinks 5 ounces per bottle of formula.

I've been told the best thing to do is to mix the two and increase the amount of formula each day to get him used to it. I would start out half breastmilk half formula and increase from there. I've done this with my son and it worked for him. Good luck!

If possible, I would continue to pump and give him breastmilk in the bottle. But I know that for some Moms and situations that is not possible or what is best for the family lifestyle. So you need to take into account your child's health, and your family's lifestyle and then make a decision that benefits everyone. Don't feel pressured to breastfeed or formula feed unless you know it's what is best for you and your child.

If you decide to continue with the formula, I would try another formula. Ask your pediatrician if he/she has any samples on hand, so you don't have to buy the formula until you find one that your little one likes/can handle digestively.

What kind of tummy issues does your son have? Both my kids were lactose intolerant for the first year of life. My son drank Similac Soy until 12 months and then switched over the Nestle Good Start regular with no problems. He is adopted and I tried to breastfeed him (yes it is possible to do this), but for medical reasons on my part, it was safer for him if I stopped. I was on a medication where they weren't sure if it passes through breastmilk or not, so we decided to take it safe and not continue breastfeeding. With my daughter (surprise bio baby), I breastfed her solely for 3 months. Then I had many clogged ducts which caused sever pain and they had to be lanced out by my OB twice and after each lancing it took about 4 weeks to heal so I could feed her without any stabbing pain. Because of that, my milk started to dwindle and by 6 months I was completely dry. So at 3 months I started feeding my daughter formula every other bottle. And by 6 months she was completely formula fed. I had planned to breastfeed both my kids for as long as I could, but health and other things prevented that. We tried about 3 formulas with my daughter before we found the one that worked for her (Similac Sensitive also known as Lactose Free). With both my kids, when they tried to formulas with lactose in it, they would be very gas-ey and fussy. So if your son is having those kind of symptoms, I would suggest trying the lactose free ones first, then the soy (some kids are allergic to soy, so our ped said to do the LF with my daughter first).

Thankfully our pediatrician had TONS of sample size formula cans so I didn't have to buy any formula until we found the one that worked for my kids. Those sample sizes cost about $15 a can at the store, so it doesn't hurt to ask your ped. You can also ask if they have some coupons/formula checks on hand too. The manufacturers give the formula and samples to peds and OB's (so ask your OB too) to help market their products.

OT: Try getting onto a Mommy board like www.mommysavers.com or even the one offered here to trade or receive formula checks/coupons for free. Another site would be www.kizoodle.com. There are lots of sites out there where you can trade or buy items from other Moms for little to no cost. And definitely sign up with the formula manufacturers website to get coupons and check directly from them.

Sorry this is so long!

Good luck. I hope you find the right formula for your little guy.

You've already received all the advice I had to give but reading through I noticed some laying on the guilt trip about your choice to discontinue breastfeeding. Do not feel guilty! I agree, as I'm sure you do too, breastmilk is better - otherwise you would have done formula from the start. However, sometimes our lives, or emotional state, just don't allow it anymore. My daughter will be 1 tomorrow and I just finished weaning her. I did supplement formula because she wasn't a year old when I started. Our plan from the start was for me to breastfeed at least 6months. I thought I would stop when she got teeth but I just enjoyed our time so much I didn't stop but around 10mo it was feeling like a chore. Nursing put all the nighttime/early mornings burden on me and it was wearing me down - therefore I was not the best mother I could be. We each do what feels right for us as moms and for our babies. Nobody can tell us what is right for our families. Some mothers make the decision to do formula before the baby is even born; I give you props for going as long as you have. Good luck with the transition and just know that it will happen and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Oh - actually I do have one idea that I used with my daughter. I mixed formula with her cereal - I think it helped her get used to the flavor gradually. You would also be able to figure out if there is an allergy this way as long as you don't introduce anything new during this time.

every family is different, but have you considered pumping your milk and continuing to give it to him in a bottle if you don't want to continue nursing? sounds like it might be better for him since you mentioned him having tummy issues.

children often find the flavor of formula to be strong. the taste is very different from breastmilk. sometimes it's the expectation. have you ever seen a glass of water and take a big gulp only to find out it's clear soda? our mind is very strong and can make something that we like taste bad just because we expected something different.

you might want to try mixing breastmilk and formula. you can gradually add more and more formula til it's all formula. another thing to try is to give it to him in a sippy cup. he'll see something different and may not expect the same taste.

have you been nursing him when he refuses the formula? you want to make sure that he is still getting either breastmilk or formula. and remember, if you don't offer anything else, he'll eventually take the formula. you can offer it to him first, when he's most hungry, then the other solids.

but there's nothing wrong with continuing to give breastmilk if you are able to.

Why formula? It's all synthetic and very unhealthy for the baby. Give the baby foods that are healthy and organic and vine ripened and also glyconutrients which are in breast-milk. The body was designed to go into a diet rich in polysaccharides after weaning but man has destroyed our food supply so by adding glyconutrients to the baby's juice or foods, you'll be able to keep the baby healthy and strong with a good immune system. Don't give your kid junk and formula is junk. Feed your baby foods from nature that will supply his or her body with what it needs to grow up healthy and you will NEVER get that from formula. Absolutely stay away from milk and cheese and learn about good healthy eating for you and baby. Go to http://www.HealthyAnswersOnline.com to see from that website how to care for your child for a healthy body all the way up to adulthood.
Use your common sense M.! A liquid in a can to give to your baby? Not when you have all the sources you need to give your baby's body what is required on the cellular level to function the way the body needs to function and only that comes from REAL food and REAL food supplementation. To find out more on how to get glyconutrients for the baby, you can email me and I'll send you a link.
Jackie

I suggest you keep breastfeeding until a year, it is the healthiest thing for your child. Babies are meant to have breastmilk, not formula.

My suggestion would be to start mixing the formula with with breast milk, if he won't take half and half then start with 3 parts breast milk/1 part formula. Honestly formula is horrible tasting, it is grosser than rotten milk. So he's just not used to the taste. I think it took about a week or 2 to switch my baby over. Good luck.

Have you tried soy formula? alternatively it might be worth it to try to combine breast milk and formula in one bottle and see if he'll take that, then slowly lessen the breast milk. Hope it all works out for you!

I just did the same thing with my 9 month old. My ped said to go cold turkey. That went over like a turd in a punch bowl. He actually threw the bottle at me. So you have to slowly add it in one ounce at a time over like a 2 week period. Every 2 - 3 days add another ounce of formula. I started with Enfamil and it made him throw up. So I switched to Nestle Good Start and have had absolutely no problems. Good luck!

Hi Mary Beth!

Have you tasted the formula??? I would turn my head and spit it out too! Compared to breastmilk...well there just is no comparison! Sorry you are having a hard time but maybe he isn't ready to give up breastmilk yet!

Hi Mary Beth :)

I get the feeling that your son just doesn't like the taste of the formula just as you don't like certain foods. Perhaps there is another kind you can try that will be gentle enough for his stomach issues? Have you actually sampled what you are giving him to eat? I did try some formula I attempted to give my son. After my own taste of it, I knew exactly why he turned it away and I never tried to give it to him again. I would stick with the breatmilk if you can... especially since the flu season is upon us. The antibodies in your breastmilk are better than anything to keep him from getting sickand with his stomach issues, it is the best most gentle for his little tummy, too (provided you eat consciensiously).

I also think that just because children are infants, some parents seem to forget that they have likes and dislikes, and have feelings, too. I'm not suggesting that you are this way. I would just ask your son and see what your intstinct tells you~ see what answer reveals itself. There's no one better out here you can ask who will tell you better than he can, as you two understand each other on a much higher level than this physical plane we're existing on right now.:) Hang in there. He also needs time to adjust to the change as well. I'm sure you're doing just great!! :)

Smiles to you both!
J.

Start with breastmilk in a bottle and only a little formula. Then after two days, add a little more formula, two days later, a little more and so on... it really works and they slowly get adjusted to the new taste.

Try mixing breastmilk with formula for a while. Decrease the amount of breastmilk and increase the amount of formula until he's just drinking formula. Good luck! :)

my baby would not drink the gentle ease either when i switched him to formula. He hated it and he too had really bad tummy trouble. I put him on the enfamile with iron ( i'm sure that i totally spelled that wrong:-) anyways he loved it and since he had gas problems i put mylicone drops in the formula. He is still on the same formula and hasn't had any problems. Ask you doctor what he thinks of that. Good luck to you and your little one!

Hi Mary Beth,

I'm wondering have you tasted what is in your son's bottle yourself? Breasfed babies are very smart, and your son is no exception! Have you tasted your milk? (Mine was like melted vanilla ice cream--delicious. Human milk is the sweetest of all the mammals).

A lot of people, including doctors, seem to think that breastmilk and artificial milk are interchangeable.
Consider whether you would want a blood transfusion with something to substitute human blood manufactured (from the cheapest ingredients available) and put into a can?

Your baby is smart to want what is normal; you've done a great job so far. There are risks to weaning early (such as increased chance of getting diabetes, cancers, heart disease, not to mention psychological risks, and an 8 point lower IQ), and our culture won't really come out and say so--because there is a lot of money to be made in artificial baby milks, and none at all in breastmilk.

~N.

Please don't take this wrong, but can you blame him? I'm not sure why you're stopping, but I hope that if it is possible for you to continue nursing you will. Your baby is telling you something. Best, H.

Hello. Have you tried using a different kind of bottle/nipple. I went through several kinds with my son before he decided on one he liked.

Hope you are not feeling guilty on the decision to make the transition. Please don't let anyone make you feel like a crappy M.. You are doing what is right for you and your family. GOOD LUCK!!!

With my second daughter, I had major issues with breast milk supply due to a nasty case of thrush, so I had to start supplementing with formula. What worked well for us was to do it very gradually. For example, start with 1 oz of formula mixed with 3 or 4 oz of breast milk in a bottle. Do this for a couple days and then gradually increase the amount of formula and decrease the amount of breast milk.

I did it very slowly, since I wasn't deliberately trying to wean her. However, I'm sure it would only take a couple or a few weeks to do it very gently, since he is already so receptive to the bottle. Congratulations on nursing for 7 months! It is one of the greatest gifts you can give your little one. Hope this helps!

First, I'd like to ask, why switch him at all? If you can last five more months you've given him a full years worth of the best nutrition possible. If it is possible , I would suggest hanging in there until his little tummy is able to digest foreign foods better. I hope this helps you decide what is best for you and your sweet son.

Don't switch to formula! Your son has had tummy issues already. Don't mess with his digestive tract by putting him on formula. Give him what he needs and wants - your milk. He is only 7 months old. Give it at least 5 more months. You can do that. He is your sweet and wonderful son. Give him the best you can by continuing to breast feed. You will never regret it, and your son will be healthier and happier for it.

With both of my children, I had this issue too. Start mixing the breastmilk with just a small amount of formula (1/4 formula to 3/4 breastmilk). Try this for a week or so. Then move to 1/2 breastmilk and 1/2 formula for a week or so, and just slowly move from there. Sometimes you have to give them the time to get used to something new very slowly.

Mary,

My son was the same way, here is what I did. Mix in 1 ounce at at a time. For example, if you are feeding him 6 oz per feeding. Try instead 1 oz of formula and 5 oz of breastmilk. He he takes that no problem, try 2 oz formula, 4 oz of breastmilk. And keep going until he takes a full formula bottle. If he starts to reject it move it back one ounce and try again.
Make sure you keep the formula the same temp as the breast milk. He might reject it if it's cold or even room temp.

Good luck! :)

You could pump and mix your milk with the formula. Start with one part formula and three parts breast milk. As your son get used to it, gradually increase the amount of formula and decrease the amount of milk. Good Luck!

What if you mix the breastmilk and the formula. That is what I did with my son when I was transitioning him. In an 8oz bottle I would give him 6 oz of breastmilk and 2oz of formula. After a day or so of him doing that fine I would do half and half. Within about 3 weeks he was completely on formula and did not know the difference. My son also broke out in hives from the formula and I put him on the soy. He loves that as well and we don't have as many tummy issues as we had before.

Why are you switching? Breastmilk is infinately better for your child than formula, nutritionally and developementaly on so many levels! Did someone actually recommend this to you? Please don't switch if you don't have to. I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but I implore you to really think this over again.

Mary Beth,

You can try mixing formula with breastmilk to get him used to the taste. Or you can keep breastfeeding.

T.

Hi Mary Beth. My second child had the exact same reaction when I tried to switch him to formula at 7 months. He had no issues drinking breastmilk from the bottle, but when I offered him formula he would turn his head away, close his lips tightly, or spit it out. I took him to the doctor who suggested all of the things I'm sure you've already heard.....mix formula with breastmilk, starve him until he's so hungry he'll drink it, etc. When I finally got him to drink about four ounces of formula he immediately broke out in hives all over his body. I took him to the doctor immediately and after allergy testing was done it was confirmed that he was highly allergic to milk! I started him on soy formula and he drank it with no problems. My little guy is two now and has finally outgrown the milk allergy. Perhaps he is resisting the formula out of taste or habit, but you may want to consider the milk allergy thing. Good luck!!

Many people have already suggested mixing formula with breast milk. Although I didn't have to do this with my son, since he thankfully was very easy going when it came to those types of drastic changes, I have had many friends have success with it.

I know a lot of people who have responded have encouraged you to continue with breastfeeding. Just to give you some reassurance.... I tried to go a full year with my son, but had to go back to work and my crazy work schedule did not allow me to pump as often as I needed to to maintain my supply. AT about 8 months my supply dried up and I was forced to go to formula. I was disappointed and worried that my son was not getting a good start to his first year and would have health issues. He didn't. He is 15 1/ months and has only had one real cold. He is in the 80th percentile for height and weight and he is growing beautifully. If you can go a year and want to, great.... but if you need to stop for some reason, just know that you gave your baby 7 months of the worlds most perfect food and that is more than a lot of women do.

i know this reply is late, but i wanted to send a note JIC it would help. try mixing the formula w/breast milk & changing the ratio over a few days. it worked for my daughter (nursed 1 year, then cow's milk) and son (nursed 10mo, then formula). start with mostly breastmilk & a little formula, then ease the ratio to 50/50 and on until it is all formula. took us about a week, but now he chows it down without a problem.

best of luck!

What kind of tummy issues? I have read that breast milk is the easiest to digest for babies, if he has tummy issues now, formula may make it worse, because cows milk is harder to digest.
Baby Bliss gripe water has done miracles for everyone I know that has tried it including my daughter. A book that helped me alot is The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. I do not know how serious these tummy issues are. Also, I had to change a lot of my diet because my daughter had horrible colic for months and it helped by 80%, I changed wheat bread to spelt bread and drank rice milk, no corn. Then I eased them all back in to my diet. Best of luck with everything. Your baby knows what is good for him, and Mommys milk is best.
Good luck.
E.

ask your doc if good start formula would be ok to try. my first had tummy issues and when i had to start supplimenting he had no issues w/it. it's also worked for many of my friends. it smells and I think tastes better than gentle ease/alimentum/nutramigen.

Sorry about the guilt you're getting about giving up breast feeding -- #1 started supplimenting at 3 months, weaned at 10. SUPER healthy, tall, smart, and he was a preemie. Misses most of the illnesses that blow thru preschool! #2 is 6 months and nursing as I type this -- have to supplement to give him all he needs -- also, healthy and growing great.

Call The Pump Station in Santa Monica for info on mixing breast/formula. Something happens nutritionally and you are better off giving all the breast milk you can, then following up w/formula -- good luck!

My first son had a difficult time with formulas too due to a very sensitive tummy...after trying ALL kinds & types I found....Nestle Good Start. It is actually lower in cost than the others but so great for the tummy. I used it later w/ my twins and had great results. Several of my friends have also tried and enjoyed! I hope this works! Also a quick tip...I found that the "ready made" formula was even better than the powder. I just store the formula in a tupperware container and pour into bottle when needed!
A.

Dear Mary Beth,

Probiotics will help your son with digestion and immune system. A good product is Right Start by Natren www.natren.com. Many children has issue with milk.Iit's hard to digest and mucus forming. I do not recommend soy formula or soy products for children because of estrogen in the soy.

The best solution next to the breast milk is diluted goat milk (raw is best). The composition of goat milk is very similar to breast milk and easy digestable. You can try giving it to him straight up or wean him slowly by mixing it with breast milk.

God bless,
O.

I suggest that you slowly add formula to his breastmilk bottles. start with and ounce at a time and after he takes it for a few days, add more breastmilk until you soon will have a full formula bottle.
Good Luck!

I dunno...I think he's smart if you are asking - and I guess you are asking. If you must use formula though, you should just keep on trying. I would have done anything to not have to use formula with my 3 kids.