My son has been on solids for 3 weeks now. Just about 3 days ago we started to feed him about 2 table spoons of cereal 3 times a day. He now has been fighting the bottle, eating very little formula. My guess is he is eating around 15oz a day and I know he should be eating more than that! We thought maybe he had an ear infection as this has happened in the past, and after a doctors visit his ears are perfectly fine. I have even gone as far as refusing to feed him solids, and he would be so mad and hungry but still would not take much from a bottle...I did this for 3 full hours and he got so angry. Any advice?
Thank you to everyone who responded with advice! I ended up running into my baby's doctor in the store yesterday and informed her of what was going on (she was the one who gave the "go ahead" to start him on solids). She did a quick looky-look and said the reason why he isn't favoring the bottle is because he is teething! He is chewing on the end of the bottle because he likes the feel of it. Thank goodness he isn't much of a cranky teether, he is just not enjoying the sucking like some of you metioned.
It might very well be that it's time to move up to the high flow nipple and start putting rice cereal in the formula. I had to put slits in my boys' nipples to increase the flow so they were getting enough without working so hard that they'd get frustrated.
Good luck!
Yes, some babies will 'wean' from it, when on solids.
I would not give him, solids 3 times a day yet.
He is only 5 months old.
Typically, 3 meals of solids a day, is gradually worked up to, during the course of their 1st year.
Give him Formula, BEFORE any solids.
Otherwise he will continue to 'wean' from his Formula bottle.
Yes, for the 1st year of life, breastmilk/Formula is a baby's primary source of nutrition. Not solids and not other liquids. Solids, is not as nutritionally dense, as Formula or breastmilk.
Try asking your Pediatriican, about what you can do.
Or, is he teething?
Some babies will seem to reject the nipple or bottle, when teething, because it is uncomfortable.
Whoa, S.. At his age he is only taking solids to get used to them, not to replace formula by any means, he will need to be on it until he is 12 months.
Right now at 4-6 months he should be getting:
1-3 tablespoons of solid food at 1 or 2 "meals" after after formula (or breast), so no more than 3 tablespoons of food total per day.
When he is 6-8 Months:
Formula and/or Breast Milk is still most important at this age and stage. (Babies in this range may be just starting solids so the above for 4-6 months would apply.) About 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) per day of solid foods spread between 2-3 "meals" during a day.
And at 8 Months and on:
3 "meals" per day at this stage; including a grain, fruit, veggie and a meat or protein source such as eggs. Not at each meal, about 1 cup of solid food is the total per day.
Hold back on the solids a few days then reintroduce them, no more than a tablespoon at a time after he has had a bottle, in the morning and evening. Work up to 3 tablespoons twice a day and keep concentrating on the formula. Right now YOU are in control, not him.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-y...
When a baby is teething, sucking on a bottle or breast stimulates the blood vessels in the gums and makes them hurt. The baby will pull away and cry, and go back to eat because they are hungry, but then it hurts again and they cry and refuse and act angry or frustrated. Maybe that is whats happening and it has very little to do with the solid food. He may be teething and it will get better when the teeth comes thru. You might make the hole a bit bigger in the nipple so it flows faster, or try some sippy cups to see if that helps. Be sure to give the formula first before solids. I alternated back and forth when first starting solids so they grew up knowing a meal could include both food and drink. Maybe thats why my son likes pizza AND beer so much now,,haha. (o:
You're giving him too much solid food and filling him up too much with it, leaving no room for his real nutritional need. He only needs solids once a day. Solids are for practice chewing and swallowing, not for nutrition. He should be getting the majority of his nutrition at this age and until he's a year old from the formula.
So for now, I would remove ALL solids from his diet. Offer him only the bottle. Get him back to accepting his real food, and then introduce small amounts of solids only once a day. This might take several weeks. But you HAVE to do it or he'll be malnutritioned and he could have some serious problems with his underdeveloped digestive system.
Stop all food and go with only formula again. He is really too young to be starting solids. He MUST have is formula to grow and develop correctly, it is his main source of nutrition. It has EVERYTHING he needs for the first year. Of course we do start kids on solids after 6-7 months but if it interferes with the formula the food has to go. The formula is the most important source of nutrition.
