My daughter is 11 months old and has recently started to refuse the bottle at daycare and with other care givers over the past two weeks. I've been starting to introduce whole milk and so she's been taking the bottle from me when we're done nursing. For the past two months she's been getting formula mixed in with her breast milk because my supply has been so low. Lately the formula to breast milk ratio has been higher because I'm not making more than 3oz of breast milk for each bottle. I have to admit that I think the formula (gerber) is terrible, and I wouldn't drink it :) However, I'm not sure what her issue is now all of the sudden and the adamant refusal. It could possibly be teething, but the fact that she takes the bottle from me is puzzling. I'm sure she's getting enough fluids, becuase she'll take water in her sippy. She is getting adequate protien and calcium in her diet because she is a great eater. We've also tried cold milk in sippy, warm milk in sippy and four different sippy's to see if it's a preference think. My question is...has anyone else seen this with their child? Should I be concerned, or do you think she's just ready to move on? I have a Dr's appointment this evening to discus this. Just looking for some common ground I guess.
I met with my daughters doctor last night and her thoughts are to just go with it. She said to offer her milk in her sippy cup when she's eating and snacking and offer her water whenever she wants it. We'll see how it goes. She's been spitting the milk out that we give her and taking the water. I suppose as long as she's eating a well balanced diet we should be alright. My main concern wasn't how she was taking the millk, be it the bottle or the sippy, but that she wasn't taking milk at all. The right diet should do the trick. Thanks for your comments.
I would take it as a window of opportunity, ditch the bottles, and give her a sippy cup only!
If she isnt drinking from the bottle anymore than I would just stop using it. Offer water and milk in the sippy full time. Sounds like she is transistioning herself which is awesome. Both of my boys were off bottle and formula around this age also. Belive me this is a blessing. You didnt say much about her soild intake but make sure you are offering her calcium rich foods also, Yogurt, small pieces of cheese, and whole milk.
Sounds like she is ready to be done with bottles. My son was done with them at 11 months and off of formula then too. Snatch up this opportunity!
Let her be done with the bottle.
You lucky that she doesn't want it anymore and it isn't a fight... could be on the other end like me and trying to take away a bottle from a little one that is attached to it!
Let her refuse it and find cups she likes to drink from and move on.. Usually people try to drop the bottle at 1 year so she is doing this on her own..
Could be teething, could be she is seeing older kids at daycare drink from cups and wants to be a big kid. If she can handle milk and likes it, let her drink it.
Always try to follow your child's lead. Each child develops at their own pace.
Sounds like she's just ready to ditch the bottle - go with it! Start giving her whole milk in sippy cups at meal times and snack times as well if you would like. Have ehr caregivers during the day do this also. She may not drink much this way right away, but it's not imperative to her health and she will eventually start to drink more and more this way.
At 11 months old my son decided he wanted milk from the breast or water from his sippy cup! No more bottles. I HATED pumping so it was a good deal for me, we just nursed a little bit more at night.
