She Doesn't Want to Drink Her Formula

Hi,
I went throught something similar with my daughter. She was 10 months old and one day refused the formula. I tried everything for nearly 2 weeks! She was eating baby food, cereal, juice and water from a sippy cup but would just refuse the formula. Finally I took her to see the doc who asked me if I had ever tasted formula. I said yes and it wasn't very good... he said exactly. Since she was experiencing new tastes, she realized how bad formula tasted-lol. My doctor switched her to vitamin D milk and gave me some additional vitamins to give her. The transistion was slow, about 3 weeks before she was taking just milk (I had originally mixed it started with 2oz of milk to every 6 oz formula, then equal, then 6oz milk to 2oz formula) But it was less of a fight and I knew she wasnt hungry and she was getting what she needed. Good Luck :)
Aloha,
Tracie

Dear N.,

Call the doctor's office and talk with the nurse, or call the local health dept. You need advice now, not in a month. Go for it. C. N.

Well, my son had the oppisite problem. He loved his bottle. The same solution may work for you though. Sippy cups. He still got his formula but he drank it from a sippy cup. I mean, they're all spill proof anyway. Besides, she's at the right age to start her on them pretty soon. They have some with nipple type lids too. I hope something works for you soon. I know it's frustrating, but I'm sure she's still very healthy.

Hi N. -
My son loves soy milk. It was the perfect transition from formula. The brands we use are Silk and Odwalla. Both are organic and highly nutritious. Good luck to you...if your little one won't take anything and starts showing signs of dehydration (like dry lips) I'd get in with the doctor right away.

- L.

She may just be going through a period where she doesn't need much, and a growth spurt might be just around the corner. You could try watering down her cereal with more formula (instead of making it with water) or doing that and adding another serving of cereal. She may also be looking for more textures and flavors in her food. You could try adding new foods one at a time and add a little formula to the peas, carrots or other pureed veggies. If you're making your own baby food this is a pretty simple task, you just use formula to thin the veggies instead of water in the food processor. My daughter loved mashed avocado with a bit of breastmilk to thin it. Avocado is also nice and fatty if you're trying to maintain or help with weight gain.

If you're still having problems, or feeling like your baby is losing weight, call your pediatrician's office for advice or even an appointment. They may be able to put your mind at ease. As long as she's still gaining weight all is well. Different children have different needs at different stages.

You may want to talk to your pediatrician before using soy milk to transition. There is a lot of debate about the effects of the phytoestrogens present in soy on child development. Do your own research and consult with your doctor before you give a child under one soy products: http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,4570,00....

good luck!

Do you feed your daughter by the clock, or when she is hungry, or both? Sometimes feeding by the clock can result in rejecting the bottle...

Have you tried a different type of formula? When my son was on formula, I used mostly the same kind but he seemed to like switching the type once in a while(he did NOT like soy formula, tho, it gave him terrible gas)...also, try the formula at different temperatures...room temperature, or even cool...since it is getting hot outside...

When you give your daughter juice, do you water it down to 1/2 juice, 1/2 water? I think this is important since juice is so sweet, especially processed juices...like one of the other responses, I agree she may be filling up on juice since it is sweet...maybe try the 1/2 & 1/2, and buy some really good, fresh juice like fresh pressed apple juice (in the produce section) or Odwalla juice, or make it with a juicer if you have one. Even tho it is expensive, watering it down makes it go pretty far. The nutrition is FAR superior in fresh juices than processed ones (but if you buy fresh juice, buy the pasteurized kind--most are), so at least it might make up a little bit for missing some of the nutrition in the formula...

Is your child eating any baby food yet besides cereal? She is probably old enough to try pureed squash, peas, carrots, green beans, banana (& other fruits & veggies) and maybe even some sort of meat or meat alternative like the gerber meat sticks, or small pieces of soy hot dogs...this could help supplement her nutrition, and she may want some formula to go along with the food...when my son transitioned to eating food, we found a mesh spoon that I could put virtually any type of food into, (the top snaps closed), and he could just chew/gum it, and suck out the food. This is a great idea to get your child used to the food you eat in your family as well, just give a little of your food, if you feel it is appropriate (not spicy, of course), at each meal you eat while she is awake. This is how my son tried his first Thanksgiving dinner...

The formula has important nutrients in it that soy milk does not have, even tho that may be a great transition. I wouldn't recommend using that as a substitute, but more of a supplement. Maybe try adding a little bit of formula to some milk? See if she will take it then?

Hope this helps!

Do you warm it up? My son HATED his formula above room temp. Try giving it to her at room temp of cooler. Now that it's getting warm out she may just be looking to get refielf from the heat and a warm bottle makes her feel worse.

If that doesn't work, you can also try adding a drop or two of REAL 100% Maple syrup to sweeten it a little bit, but with something natural. You could also try some Karo's Corn syrup, but this not as natural and WAY sweeter. I may also try a non-dairy formula for a little while. Please, DO NOT add chocolate sauce. If you do, you may end up with a 5 year old that still wants a glass of chocolate milk before going to bed. My friends little sister took a bottle, Yes B-O-T-T-L-E, of chocolate milk to be all the way threw Kindergarten.

You may also want to speak to her Ped. Her Ped. may want to put her on a vitamin with calcium in it to supplement her lack of formula. As long as she is still growing and mantaining a healthy weight, I wouldn't worry to much for now. Just call the doc Monday to ask about a vitamin and if there's anything else he/she recommends for you to try.

Hope it helped, -J

N.,

I have a few friends who have children that have acid reflux. I just spoke with my one friend who had triplets with this issue. She said they usually drink at first but after the first burp they stop because it hurts them... apparently 65% of all children with acid reflux do not spit up so that is not a sure fire sign. Her doctor perscribed Zantac and it was very helpful. She also did the following: tried to get as much in the babies as she could while they were asleep, fed them outside so they were distracted while eating, and held them facing out while she fed them (another form of distraction.

I would, however, call your doctor. If for nothing else than for piece of mind. He/She might suggest to stop giving her juice by itself. Perhaps your daughter is rejecting the formula because she would rather have the juice and is filling up on it.

Good luck,
K.