9 Month Old Refusing to Drink Formula

I would try rice cereal mixed with the formula or water and a teeny bit of baby food. This is how I started my daughter on solid food and then I gradually worked up to baby food in a jar and table food etc. I started my daughter on solids at around 5 months. She loved it and the bottles decreased over time. I would take a 6-8-9 oz bottle and use some of it for the rice cereal and give her the rest after until she moved to sippy cups around 10-11 months. Some kids just need more food or solid food at different ages than others. I was always worried about her weight as well. She was and still is teeny as far as her weight goes but she was always and still is hitting the height, motor, and mental development milestones like a champion so I learned not to worry. Now I am thankful she has a good metabolism...it will make her life easier when she gets older.

Relax, it's really ok. In fact at this age, my pediatrician assured me that a child will not dehydrate themselves. She knows just what she needs and is happily moving on to solid foods instead of milk. Really it may seem early but every child is different. Just make sure she's eating well-rounded meals. I would put a sippy cup with water or milk out on the high chair with every meal. Eventually, she will decide to have a drink...may take a few weeks, but she's just testing out the world around her. Best Wishes!

I would not force the issue of bottles. I would push solid foods but I would give her pedialite or somthing like that. there is no reason to force "baby" bottles on her. at this time of year it is not that important to make sure she is hydrated. I would treat your baby as a toddler. there is no reason to force formula on her. feed her good food and that food should be anything she pleases that is nutritious for now stay away from "junk" foods because you really do not want that to be the food she prefers at this point of time.

when my daughter was about 9 months old she weighed that much but for other reasons and the doctor told me to push high calorie foods for example: bananas.

I would say your best bet would be to treat your baby not as a baby but as an older child.

and remember your baby will not let herself starve or get dehydrated, I would not worry about all this unless of course she is sick acting. if she is developing on a normal pace for example if she is at least trying to walk (standing along the couch, etc)

Hi R.

My daughter will be 27 months on December 25th and she is only 24lbs. She is quite slender for her age but that is her make up. Her pediatrician has said she is fine. She will eat when she eats and she will stay picky for quite some time.

My daughter started drinking whole milk when she was 8 months and she just finally over Thanksgiving weekend gave up her nap/bedtime bottle.

I have offered her Pedia Sure in the past and let me tell you we went thru every flavor they had and she would not drink it! Now she will drink about a 1/4 of the Vanilla flavor! LOL She is very picky about what she eats. She loves Sweet Potatoes!!!

She is still on whole milk per her pediatrician and also because I choose to give her whole milk. I was raised on a farm so I was raised with whole milk and I am also slender.

Go with whatever you feel is right for your daughter!
Good luck!

Hello!
My daughter did the same thing around the same age during the day and then wanted a top off during the night. That did not really work for me, so for a while I gave her a bottle right before I went to bed, basically while she was asleep. I just got her out of bed in the pretty dark room and we sat in the rocker and she would accept the bottle without issue. When done, I would hold her upright for 5 or so min. so she could burp if needed, but really, the drinking at that point is so relaxed, that there is nothing most of the time. Then I put her back to bed. Maybe this helps you too?
Otherwise, I also noticed that she was really interested in solids and would down a whole jar for dinner. I left cereal out so she would get the benefit of the moisture in the babyfood without adding something dry.
We got through that time this way.
She is now starting to choose a cup with water over a bottle with formula before going to bed, no coaxing possible. So I think that it is entirely possible that they just know what they want and need and that we just have to listen to them.
Maybe your daughter does even better on food than on the formula? One of our daughters favourites is babyfood-fruit mixed with yoghurt - sweet for her and calcium/protein for me : )
The library usually had a good selection of meals for babies books if you want to get creative.

Good luck!
D.

My son did the same thing at 9 months. He would arch his back and refuse to take the bottle. I then tried a sippy cup with formula and had no success. Then I tried a bottle with milk and he drank it. Since he was under the one year mark, I decided that I would add formula to his milk so he got all the vitamins. Give it a try, can't hurt.

Good Luck!

My son does things for others that he won't for us. However, at your daughter's age, I had him eating semi-solid food-basically baby food. She just cut the bottle off. According to my mother I would only eat the baby food once I turned 3 months old! Your daughter is just ready for the next step. The bottle is probably not satisfying to her anymore. There is a trick I learned. I used the baby cereal at first and instead of mixing water, I put in formula and my son loved it. Try a few things. She's old enough for the next stage.

Try weaning her to whole milk (their brains need the milk fat during the first year) and fortifying it with her formula for the vitamins. During the weaning process, you will want to gradually add the whole milk to the formula. Say 1 part whole milk to 3 parts formula for a week, then 2 parts whole milk to 2 parts formula for week and so on. As far as the baby food issue, she may be ready for table food. It's got more flavor and a different texture. You can mash it up for her. Be sure to introduce the food types separately in order to prevent food allergies. No honey until after 2 years of age. She may be developing at a faster rate than other children. Remember, all children are different and she sounds like she is ready for the transition. Good luck!