I've heard that its common for babies to go on a "nursing strike" while they are sick or teething and I am curious if that is what is happening with my 8 mo. old daughter. She is drinking formula now and is a pretty healthy eater (i.e. LOVES solids since we've introduced them and eats about 20-25 oz./day plus her "solids"). But lately she's been on a teething streak (two in and one coming in the past three weeks) and is less and less interested in her bottle. She'll eat solid food all day long if I let her but my ped. says that she still needs to be getting at least 24 oz of formula per day so we are trying to push the bottle before we give her solids at mealtimes- and she is just NOT interested.
Is this because she is teething? Also, if it is, should I worry about her intake or will it pass without much damage to her weight and health? And ideas, advice, tricks, past experiences, would be great.
Thanks!
As some others have said, my son also went through this and we just introduced the sippy cup and all went well. It was great because he took to it right away and loved that he had a new way to drink his formula!
My 4 1/2 month old has already started teething, and yes, teething will effect nursing and bottlefeeding. Your little one probably prefers the solid foods because it feels better on the budding teeth. My lactation nurse assured me that the nursing strike would pass, and she was right. As soon as both teeth came through, he went back to nursing just fine. So, hang in there, and your little one will go back to the bottle. Also, have you tried sippy cups? I know your baby might be a little too young, but it's something different and you might be able to get her to take a little formula that way. Just a suggestion, but I don't know if it will work.
Nursing or sucking on a bottle can be painful/uncomfortable when a baby is teething. Just keep offering the bottle, maybe a little Tylenol if the pain is really bothering her.
maybe try putting her formula in a sippy cup or use a nipple that flows easier she may just want to start being a big girl my daughter started useing cups at about that age.
Hi! My daughter did the same thing and our pediatrician said to mix the milk/formula in with her food (such as in cereal, mashed up fruits and veges, potatoes, things like that), and to introduce a sippy cup. My daughter started at about 9 months old and she loved being able to mimick us by drinking like a big girl! It also helped her be completely off of the bottle by one year old.
I never experienced that myself, but it makes sense that teething pain would be affected by sucking on a bottle.
But I just had an idea - maybe ask your pediatrician if mixing some liquid baby vitamins in the food would work as a temporary substitution? I mean, if you force the bottle on her, it's just going to make her miserable, and she IS still eating...
Just a thought. I'm sure she'll be just fine. Those teeth will be in before you know it, and in between teething she'll make up for it by eating a LOT. I seem to remember that's what my son did...
One thing I did with my son is giving him a sippy cup with formula in it. He didnt have to such as hard to get it and it was easier to drink it. That and and he liked to chew on the spout because it was harder than the bottles nipple and it made his teeth feel better.
My son did the exact same thing. My son's DR was trying to tell me at 10-11 months he still needs a bottle of 36 oz of milk on top of eating 3 meals a day. It was crazy. Just make sure she is drinking enough not to get dehydrated. They will get back in the habit of bottle and food. Maybe cut back a little on food so she drinks more, then start food again.
Good luck. And always get a second opinion when it comes to kids. If it be your relatives or a freind.
Hi, I was actually just talking to my doctor about this yesterday. She said that sometimes the go on strikes also because they want solid foods instead, she told me to quit give them solid foods for 24-48 hours and just nurse/bottle feed and them resume the solids. Once they learn that the solid food isn't coming, they will nurse/take the bottle. Good luck.
