My son has recently only eating about 4-5 oz of his bottle, prior he was eating all 8 oz. At night he eats 4oz in his high chair and wants nothing more to do with it. However if I put him in his crib he will hold his bottle and finish the remainder. I give him his bottle in his high chair and he holds it, but will not finish. Any ideas? And is it ok to give him his bottle in his crib. I of course am in the room and burp him after he is done.
My son is 11 months old. I use smaller bottles with him (4-5 ounces). The doctor told me he should take up to 28 ounces per day. If your son is growing well, I wouldn't worry about whether or not he finishes a bottle. Let him decide. The bottle in the crib is really convenient but can turn into a bad habit, especially if he starts using the bottle for comfort and wants to sleep with it. (It's bad for his teeth).
My 10 month old daughter occassionally doesn't want to finish her bottle at dinner/prior to bedtime. It's usually when I let her eat table food first and she fills up on that so I've started giving her the bottle before she gets anything else. Based on other counsel I've received, I'm afraid to let her take the bottle to bed for fear of a habit setting in or the milk causing teeth problems. When she hasn't finished it at the dinner table I give it to her in her room as I rock her before bed. Then I make sure that I wipe out her mouth or let her brush her teeth again before she gets in the crib. Feeding is stressful but hang in there!
Appetites come and go as children grow. If your son suddenly rejected all food, there would be a problem, but half a bottle of formula, I wouldn't worry too much about. You may notice in a few weeks that he's back with the full bottle. I would not, however, set up the expectation that he's going to get food in bed. We (personally) don't eat (or drink) around the house. I nursed my sons, so bottles in bed were not an issue, but they weren't allowed to have a sippy cup there later either.
Don't let him take his bottle in his crib. He will develop cavities (called baby bottle caries).
Personally I would not give him a bottle in bed. These babies are smarter than we give them credit for. If he is getting an appropriate amount of formula during the day I would not give him a bottle in bed. Whatever he drinks in the highchair, or if you are holding him, should be it. He KNOWS you will give it to him in his crib if he waits it out. As a mother of 4, I can tell you that he does understand more than you think he does. Just give it a try and see. I am saying all this with respect that he doesn't have a weight issue. The older they get the harder the habits are to break.
