My 6 1/2 month old has decided he doesn't want to drink out of a bottle anymore. When I try to give him milk from the bottle, he refuses, or he drinks really slowly, like about 1 ounce an hour. If I wait until he is really hungry to feed him, he won't suck on the bottle at all. He just keeps screaming until I give him baby food. This has been going on for about a week. I am worried about him getting the right nutrition, since I heard most nutrition at this age is suppose to come from milk. I rather not upgrade to the sippy cup yet, because he hasn't learned to properly hold his bottle. He also won't eat meat yet, but he eats all the fruits, vegetables, and cereals really good. What should I do?
We went out and bought him a new bottle with a funny looking nipple. The hole is much bigger on this one, so it lets milk out much faster. He is doing much better now. He is drinking much more, and drinks faster. Overall, he now is getting almost 30 ounces a day, which is good.
Maybe he has an ear infection. You could also try the cup and hold it for him to see if he likes that any better..
He is probably just teething. Just give it a little bit. He will want the bottle back soon. It would not be a bad time to introduce the sippy cup also if he will drink out of one.Good luck and I hope all goes well.
He's teething or try a different nipple.
My kids did that when they were teething.
and yes, up through 1 years old, breastmilk/formula is a baby's primary source of nutrition, not solids and not other liquids.
So just keep trying.
Our Pediatrician, says to give breastmilk/Formula BEFORE solids (not with it or after it)... otherwise they are too full to drink. And still feeding their milk/formula on-demand.
As for solids... the 1st year is just an introduction to things... it does not comprise their main intake of nutrition. They are still getting used to "eating." As for "meat"- our Pediatrician did not recommend that until about 12 months old. As you know... introducing "new" foods gradually... in case of allergic reactions.
Or for his milk, get him a sippy cup... or straw cup.
Good luck,
Susan
my daughter was similar. at first we just added a little cereal to her bottle, and that helped for a little bit, but in the end we switched her to some baby cereal around meal times during the day, made with a little bit of formula instead of just plain water so she'd still get the nutrition she needed. And then a few months later started her on soft-tipped sippy cups - ones that have a spout that's soft like a bottle - made the transition a little easier for her.
My youngest never wanted a bottle, and drank from a sippy cup.
He may just be that kind of baby! Try a sippy and see what happens.
Try a nipple that is faster. They usually have numbers on them. Some babies get frustrated because the milk isn't coming out fast enough for them.
If that doesn't work, try a sippy cup with a rubber straw. They are kind of big, so you'll still have to hold it for him, but that's ok. As long as he's getting his formula!! My daughter started to use the sippy cup w/ rubber straw at 6 months, so it's do-able :)
My dad says I quit breastfeeding at six months and refused to take a bottle as well. And for certain, they didn't have sippy cups back in 1968! They had to give me cow's milk in a small, short, plastic cup. My dad said it was a pain in the a**, but they had no other options, as that was the only way I'd drink/eat. They started me on baby food not long after switching me to a cup to drink from.
I would find a sippy cup that is made for younger children--so the liquid hole isn't too large--and see if he will drink using a sippy cup.
When my baby is teething or has an ear infection, he doesn't like to suck. I think that action makes him uncomfortable. So, it could be that, or it could be he's ready to move on, but 6 1/2 months is pretty young. Will he suck on a sippy cup or straw?
Also, my babies won't hold their bottles, even if they know how. My sister's baby is the same way. I think they just like to have mommy do it. =)
.
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Learner-1-Cup-Assorted-Color...
These cups are awesome at that age! It has a perfect flow and it has handles that are removable. I tried the nuby soft top sippys and the flow was so fast, my son chocked on them until he was more like 9 or 10 months. Give these a try. You can get them from walmart for around $6.
I completely agree with some of the other Mom's. Try a faster flow, with both our girls about that age they started just chewing on their bottles, rolling them with their mouths and my youngest would pitch it on the floor (knocking it out of my hand). I switched to a fast flow and problem solved. With my oldest the fast flow of the bottle brand I had been using wasn't enough. She wanted to be upright while she ate so we had to switch to the bottles that are angled Playtex VentAir I think was the name.
Good luck!
There's nothing wrong with switching to the cup if he'll drink it.
You may want to have his ears checked though because if he has an ear infection the sucking can be painful....just a thought.
Holding the bottle themselves is not a milestone they need to have, just switch to the sippy, and hold it for him if he won't, use it as if it were a bottle, with the faster flow and harder spout, it might help with any teething pain he may be having, or it might be that the bottle flow is just too slow for him. Do keep giving him formula in whatever way you can, mixed with his baby foods, in cereal, in a sippy, in a straw style cup, or in an open cup ( this will take longer and be messier, but it will work if you work with him) ! Be glad, I know it makes it harder on you now, but the less attached he gets to a bottle, and the sooner used to a cup of whatever kind, the easier for you in the long run....some babies are REALLY hard to waen off the bottle, I have a friend who has a 3 year old who won't give up his bottles, can't sleep without one!
Good Luck!
Jessie
I would try a different nipple flow size. He is probably ready for a faster flow and is simply frustrated that he can't get the milk easily and quickly. Both of my boys went through different sizes/styles during the first year. Don't try to enlarge the current one on your own because the rubber can crack and create a super flow (trial and error). Good luck.
All my kids were off the bottle and using sippy cups by six months. You may just need to move to one and he can learn to hold that. There are cups out there that are "transition" cups, shaped more like a bottle with a soft spout and they don't leak if you drop them.
Good luck,
S.
Wondering if he could be teething too. The bottle wouldn't give much pressure or relief but a sippy cup with the tougher spout might relieve some pain. Just another idea to throw on the list. I wouldn't worry too much about going to a sippy already. It's probably just heart-breaking that he's growing up already. Good luck!
Just give him a sippy cup, they're easier to hold than a bottle anyway since they have handles.
you can also try to get most of his milk/formula needs met by mixing it into his solids: add formula to any of his baby foods.
but i'd definitely try the sippy cup, if he likes it, ditch the bottles. my 2.5 year old still takes a bottle before bed, and i wish we had ditched the bottles back then!
Talk to your pediatritian..but every doctor will say that your child gets the majority of his/her nutrition from formula for the first year. The solids are just for "practice" at this time. This could very well be a stage and you need to just keep trying and power thru this one. Don't give up. Babies that are nursed and bottle fed tend to go thru this quite often and those moms just keep at it and they get their babies back on track with a bottle.
We use a Born Free sippy cup with my 10 month old. She never liked bottles. It doesn't recquire as much suction as most of the others. Both Born Free and Avent's sippy spouts fit on thier bottles so you don't have to buy the cup. Also mix his formula with the baby cereal instead of water. He definately needs more fat and protein than just fruits, vegatbales and baby cereal can provide. And lastly I would definately take him to the doctor to have his ears checked. Refusal to drink is a very common symptom of ear problems.
I do agree that the ears may play a role in this. I would have the pediatrician check for any infection and/or fluid or wax build up. May be a simple blockage and not infection. One way to test this is to stand behind him and call his name at different volume levels to check his response, then do the same standing to his left, then right. Also make his cereals with milk, and use them often as his system still needs these more bland foods. By introducing fruits and vegetables you have given him a wide variety of tastes and whether you realize this, MOST formula's are not very tasty. You may need to add a flavor to his milk or formula now that he is accustomed to different flavors. But be careful of sugar content as this will affct his teeth; and if he will drink from a sippy (which is a fancy bottle that still requires sucking, try for yourself)let him have the sippy. But if the ears are the problem, it will persist even with a sippy. And I do agree that the flow may also be an issue. When you feed him, he doesn't have to work as hard to fill his tummy..and a slow flowing nipple may be work he doesn't want to do. Also, don't let him train you, YOU need to train him. If he is not losing weight, and is otherwise healthy, a little fussing won't hurt him. Otherwise you may be setting a pattern for overeating. Raised 4 and all of them had different eating habits. But once the pediatrician gave them a clean bill of health, the rest was up to me!
Give him a sippy cup, thats totally fine at 6mos old. And you should be holding it for him at this age anyway, so don't worry about that part. He should never hold his own bottle, thats a mom job. :)
I agree with Kristin that it could be an ear infection. I have never hear of a baby not wanting their bottle so young...
