Baby Won't Take Formula - Columbus,OH

Hi J.,

Same problem, just got my 10 mo old weaned. Finally found a formula she'll take. I gave her similac organic the pre-made one. She does not like the powdered kind. She too that for 1 wk & said bye-bye breast. You can try either one powdered or liquid. Hope it works out for you.

Have you tried giving him just breast milk in a bottle? Try that and then slowly add the formula or milk depending on his age. My son did drink a little bit of formula, but after he tasted milk or I give him Shaklee's Soy Protein with water, he didn't want formula any more.

My son weaned himself at 11 months. He had a dairy intolerance, so I tried giving him formula b/c the pediatrician recommended it. But he would not take any. I literally tried every brand, including off-brands. I finally gave him vanilla flavored rice milk (that is fortified with vitamins A&D, B12 and calcium. He LOVED it. He chugs it down like water. Anyway, I checked with the pediatrician and she said that it was okay. You can find rice milk at Krogers and Giant Eagle in their organic section. They have it in coolers and on the shelves. The ones on the shelves are cheaper than the cooled ones but are exactly the same.

Hi J.,

My son was the same way! He did not want to take formula or whole milk no matter what we did. Have you tried warming up the formula? I don't know of often your son is nursing now but for us we just had to quit cold turkey (he was only nursing for like 5 minutes at a time maybe 3 times a day at most.) It wasn't my preferred method, but I had fallen down our stairs and broken my ankle and the pain medication I was put on passed into the breastmilk - and he couldn't have it. He was old enough for whole milk at this point (and still didn't like that) but when he was hungry enough he took the formula. You might just try that with the feeding you're offering him formula. Don't nurse him if he won't take the bottle and he may get hungry enough to take it. Good luck!

J.,

I know the decision to wean is quite personal, so you might have a good reason, but I'm going to suggest NOT weaning until your son is older. I nursed until each of my boys were right around 2 years old, and they self-weaned. No mixing tricks, no dumping their young digestive systems with cereal too early, no struggles with artificial formulas or milk from other mammals. It was much less stressful.

Best wishes,
K.

I would try a lot slower on the introduction, like 3 ounces of breastmilk to 1 ounces formula. There are other brands as well so it might be something you have to try. Good Start is one of them talk to your peditrician to make sure what is right for him. If all else fails maybe just continue to breastfeed until he is 12 months which is when cows milk is introduced.

I hate to be discouraging, but my oldest did the same thing and she never would take formula, period. She just didn't like it after getting used to breastmilk. I nursed until about 13 months, when I finally got her to drink whole milk. (she didn't like that either at first.)

Why are you looking to wean him? Did you know that the WHO recommends 2 years?

He obviously likes his mama's milk, and who can blame him?! I's stick with that. It's best for him.

And, do not try flavoring it. He is way too young to have flavoring, all of that sugar and preservatives.

My kids started weaning themselves right around 9-10 months. I think just because they were so active and didn't want to sit still long enough to nurse. I continued to pump for a couple of weeks and mixed the breastmilk slowly with whole milk. I couldn't see changing them to formula, then to whole milk all in a matter of 3 months. So I went directly to whole milk and it worked great for us. I know it's not what the dr's recommend, but do you really think that they wake up on the morning of their first birthday with a system that is so different than it was yesterday to suddenly be able to handle cow's milk? If you try it and they don't handle it well, find another option. Just like you would with anything else. Good luck.

Just keep offering it, especially when he is very hungry. I started to wean my baby at seven months and she didnt want formula at first. She is nine months old now and takes her formula happily!

I had two boys who weaned themselves from the breast at 8 and 9 months. We went straight to whole milk and never had a problem. My boys wouldn't drink the formula either, but then again, can you blame them?! Good luck!

Hi J.,

I know a few others have stated it, but I too mixed my daughters formula with beast milk. Breast milk is sweeter in nature which is why babies prefer it. Anyhow, I just wanted to mention that it worked for me. Also, I would strongly discourage giving him milk until at least 1 year of age. Babies bodies are not equipped for cow's milk quite yet.

If you have to wean so early, try goat's milk. It's the closest to human milk available.

Have you thought about trying 2% milk? When my kids were 6 months old,I started them on that. Mainly because formula was a little expensive at the time. They did ok. They've been drinking it ever since. If that doesn't work,ask your doctor. Good luck. Oh my kids are 20,17,12.

I didn't read all the responses but you could try flavoring it if you would like. Like get the powered breakfast mixer. Like strawberry or chocolate or I think they even have vanilla. My daughter absolutely would not take formula so finally after trying for a couple of months I just switched her to whole milk and she took that just fine. I know you are supposed to wait until after a year but she needed to put on weight so I was desperate!! She was like 11 months. My son, on the other hand, loved formula and took it without a problem. I guess it just depends on tastes! Hope this helps.

Try Carnation Good Start. Both my sisters breastfeed their children and supplemented at weaning time with this. They seemed to like it. But when my children were babies, I started them on whole milk, that was over 20 years ago. Check with your doctor.

I started by adding oatmeal to straight breastmilk. Then I started with just 1 oz. of formula, oatmeal and breast milk, then each week I just increased the formula in the 4 oz. bottle. Actually I mixed it up between rice, oatmeal and oatmeal w/bananas so my baby never knew what to expect.

Hope this helps.

Well, this goes against the grain, but... Mix breast milk slowly into the diff types of formula like 1oz formula and 6oz breast and see if that works. I would also make sure he is consuming regular food to suppliment the breast milk. If all types of formula fail (I prefered Good Start) try soy milk. I know ppl say you shouldn't introduce regular milk until one year, but I did with both of my youngest two about 9 months. My now 5.5yo was one solely cow milk by ten months. Also, at 8 months he should be able to eat Cheerios, and mixing the combination of formula and breastmilk for Cheerios and milk (especially if he hasn't had Cheerios and milk yet) could be quite helpful. My babies all Loved their cheerios and milk. Best of Luck!

I had to wean at the exact same time as you (8 mos) because I got pregnant and dried up. Mine wouldn't even take a bottle or formula. I even tried milk and he wouldn't take that either. The only way I got formula into him was to make some up and make it into cereal. Then he would eat it. I also know that I tried powdered formula to make the cereal and he wouldn't eat that either. He would only eat the liquid concentrate stuff. So, you said that you tried different kinds, but maybe if you haven't already try the different type of the same formula.

Why not just add more solids and skip the formula? Breastmilk is not only better nutritionally, but it also tastes a whole lot better! You have a smart baby. At this point, why bother with that stuff?