My son will be nine months this Friday and for the past two to three weeks, he has not been drinking as much formula. He was up to 6 oz every feeding and takes solids in between, but now he will only take around 4 oz. He still eats lots of solids... baby food, finger foods, yogurt, etc. but the formula is very minimal. I tried cutting down the food a little bit and giving him more time to get humgery but that hasn't worked. I am worried because I know formula has the vitamins and nutrients he needs. Shouldn't he now be taking at leat 8 oz? Any advice?
Hi C.,
I just wanted to mention that my son didn't like taking a bottle when his front teeth were coming in and when he had an ear infection. Perhaps there's something like that going on?
E.
Yes, breastmilk/formula is the PRIMARY source of nutrition for a baby's first year of life.
Try giving him his formula BEFORE solids. This is typically the best way. IF giving breast/formula "before" solids, this is done to "wean" a baby off of it.
Give him his bottle first, then wait a bit, before feeding him his "meal" of solids. This can be done even 15 minutes to 1/2 hour before his time for solids.
Also, don't fill him up with other things first, go with his bottle first.
You also want to make sure he is not dehydrated etc. and is still gaining weight appropriately etc. Sometimes, once a baby goes on solids, their bottle intake lessens...but, this is still the primary source of nutrition/iron/DHA nutrients etc. So formula IS important.
If anything, consult your Pediatrician...
Take care,
~Susan
Hi C.,
My son (now 11 months) went through the same thing around 9 months. I don't think it's that he didn't like the formula, but it takes awhile to suck down 8 oz, and he'd rather be crawling/cruising around playing! When he'd push the bottle away, I'd give him a toy or something to hold onto and offer the bottle again, and he'd take it if he was distracted. (Same with solid foods--prefers to eat while playing).
You're right that the formula has a lot of important nutrients. If he won't drink more than 4 oz at a time, I'd offer a bottle before meals and in between as snacks. (Kind of feels like the newborn schedule of eating every 2 hrs!). Regarding the comment about whole milk, you probably already know, but babies shouldn't get milk until they're a year old.
Good luck!
-R.
I worried about every little thing with my first baby too! Second baby, not so much worry, but still a little. I think it goes with the territory. My two babies never took an 8 oz bottle, except maybe once or twice. I think I was giving them 6 oz, 4 times a day for the last half of the first year. My boys were very healthy babies and grew consistently - I think that is what you watch for. That he is healthy and growing. You can talk to your doctor about it at his next well-child visit, but I wouldn't worry about it too much.
I would also recommend giving him his bottle before solids, that may help him get the max he is willing to take. The vitamins and nutrients, especially iron, are really important, but I'm sure he will get as much as he needs as long as the formula is his primary source of liquid and he is offered the bottle when he is hungry.
my son NEVER took more than six ounces at a time. most of the time it was about 4 or 5. i think you're doing the right thing cutting down on the solids... that's what our pediatrician told us to do... cut down on the calories from solids so it wouldn't infringe on his formula intake... our pediatrician also told us that even the smallest amount of solids could fill our boy up, so even if you think he hardly ate anything and should be hungry for a bottle, that may not be the case. my son is almost 19 months old, has never been much of an eater (bottle or solids), so i still freak out about him getting the right nutrition.
Hey C., all good moms worry about their kids. You may want to try him on regular milk, I would use organic milk, it cost a little more but it his healthier, I mean most babies go on milk and a year old, and it sounds like he is a good eather, and he may not like the taste of formula anymore, I would check with his ped, if you are not sure, as a mom I think it would be ok, J.
I too had a child like this. My now 5 year old refused breast milk and her formula at 8 months. I did many of the things that the other moms had suggested, but she just didn't want it. All she would drink was water, even refused juice. Her Ped. Dr. wasn't concerned, since she was eating lots of other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. One other thing I tried was a sippy cup, she loved it and was off the bottle at 8 1/2 months, but it only ever had water in it. At around age 2 she started to drink juice, and now at age 5 she will drink milk only with her cereal. Good luck.
It might be time for all solid foods, but check with your pediatrician first.
