Baby Refuses to Drink Milk

Start by having someone else feed him. You will also want to pump and mix. for 3-4 days mix 3/4 breast milk and 1/4 formula. then 1/2 of each for another 3-4 days, then 3/4 formula and 1/4 breast milk for 3-4 days and then go totally formula. Their little tummies can be sensitive to change and you don't want to change too much at once. Since you are taking him off the breast, pump for a a week and mix it, store the rest so you will have some to mix with over the following week. By then he should be over the change and you should be done with BF....
C.

Have you tried to make the bottle a little formula and the rest breast milk? Then you could slowly start making them more and more formula until he no longer needed the breast milk. You may want to ask the Pediatrician about that, it is just an idea. Both of my kids were formula babies, but that was how I got my youngest to drink regular milk. Good luck!

I had the same problem. We first tried having my MIL feed him...he still only took an ounce or two. Then we put him in his bouncy seat, and he will eat that way. If I try to hold him while he eats he wants to nurse. I still only nurse at night time feedings and then durring the day, he nurses every other feeding. The feedings that he does take a bottle, I may nurse first if I feel tender or too full. We are all happier!!

On a side note...it shouldn't matter why this person wants to switch to formula. Yes we all know breast is best but sometimes there are medical reasons to switch, and sometimes the mother needs a break. She asked for advice on how to switch. She did NOT ask to be lectured on the benefits on breastfeeding, she obviously already knows the benefits since she has nursed for 5 months.

Hi M.,
It sounds like you have a very smart baby. Please listen to him because the statistics of the of benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby are amazing. Here is a link to a body of research called Outcomes of Breastfeeding Versus Fromula: www.lalecheleague.org/cbi/Biospec.htm

I noticed that you mention that you do not have enough time in the day. Your son is blessing you by slowing you down so that he can nurse. Soon enough he will be big and no longer interested in nursing. I know that time has gone quickly for my boys who are now 12 and 16 years.

I don't know if this would work for your life but, sometimes cosleeping and nursing on and off through the night helps some mothers and babies. You can find information about this at http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102200.asp or the Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame
www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/

James J. McKenna, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biological Anthropology; Director, Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory, University of Notre Dame. They provide extensive information regarding co-sleeping.

For Frequently Asked Questions about cosleeping check www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/faq.html#safesleep

I hope this helps.
Good luck,
R.

I think that if you quit breast feeding cold turkey, he'll drink the formula. He'll get hungry and eat eventually, he'll see that he has no choice.

Thank you Stephanie for saying EXACTLY what I wanted to say!! (2nd paragraph)!!

Wow! What responses. Here's a different perspective, so bear with me. If you can't nurse, you can't don't feel bad about it whatever the reason. I wish I had been able to breast feed for 5 months, but no such luck. If you have to turn to formula, suggest you stay away from soy based stuff as the hormones in Soy are now being re-evaluated for their impact on the hormone and nurological systems that are in the process of developing. If you can do it, Goats milk formula is one that is very well tolerated for children. I would suggest avoiding the corn syrup step though, no slam intended to anyone, but the corn syrup is really bad for our babies as it lays on white fat instead of brown fat-the brown fat is what is good for babies, the white fat is like belly fat and is a drain on their bodies. I had a lot of problems with feeding my baby, lots of formula intolerance. The ideas to blend with your milk and wean and to have someone else feed him are good, but check and see what options you have about slowly weaning him onto food...the timing keeps moving onthe continum and as one of my specialists told me, milk is for baby cows. human milk is for human babies. if he doesn't want other milk, there's a reason for it. if you can get good nutrition into him without the formula or other milk, do it and remember that you are his mother, and doing your best. Good luck.

Hi, I went through the same thing with my daughter. Although she was nine months old by the time I tried to stop breast feeding. I tried all kinds of different formulas and she wouldn't take any of them. I finally gave her plain soy milk and she took that. I used the Silk brand which you can find at walmart in the dairy cooler. If you look at the lables soy milk has everything that regular milk has without all the bad stuff. I am not sure if your baby is too young for plain soy milk but if might be worth asking your Dr. about.

I'm wondering why you want to get him to switch? If he prefers the breast, keep him there!It's much healthier. Milk is the major source of ear infections in infants. I have 2 children. The first I did everything I was "supposed" to do and my little girl was in the dr.'s office every other week sick. I took her off of milk, and she stopped having problems. The 2nd I fed exclusively breast and he ha no ear problems and is still the healthier child. If you haven't started - DON'T. He'll wean himself when he's ready. It may be rough on you - but enjoy those moments you have with him. Theyh disappear far too soon!

Whats wrong with nursing him? He likes it better, and its better for him.

I went through the same thing when my son was a baby, I thought maybe it was the formula so I spent lots of money trying diffrent formulas and he would scream and Ii ld cry because I felt bad, then one day my mom tried to give him a bottle and he just drank it without fussing. My doctor said if I tried to feed him he could smell me and knew I could nurse him. Try to have someone eles feed him, it worked for me.
Good luck!

L.

Put about a full ounce of corn syrup in the formula and he will fall in love with it. You can decrease the corn syrup as he gets used to it. We went through the same thing and my son just loooveed this technique.
By the way, he will be two in a few days and is quite healthy. He prefers fresh fruits and vegetables over most candy. He will often want an apple or steamed broccolli over something fried or packaged. So no worries for your babies healthy future. :)

Have you tried slowly introducing it mix 1/4 formula with 3/4 breast milk, then 50/50 then 3/4 - 1/4 until he drinks it.

Hi M.--lucky you for having one of the smartest babies--and apparently desires to get smarter and healthier! The Surgeon General has recommended babies recieve nothing but breast milk the first 6 months, and ideally no cow's milk for 1 year. So, pump as much as you can, and breastfeed as much as you can, and remember, these months will pass faster than you think, and you will be satisfied with what you did to support your baby's health. Contact a LaLeche leader for more info and support.Good luck-Kathy

Maybe the nipple on the bottle is not the right shape for his mouth. Try the nipples for breast-feeding babies. They come in stages for different ages. If that don't work look at it like this his going to be healthy and your lose weight for a few years because for this bonding time. my son was one of this babies and i know it's hard on the mind and body. Pump and store for the day and for it the night breast-feed. it's a lfe saver for the nite's you can't get up to get a bottle made. DOING THE DAY LET OTHERS FEED this will give you a break and let he know that mama isn't always around. start now cause breast-feeding babies do get attacted. trust me

Had the same problem. I supplemented my breast milk by using formula. The only one that my daughter would take was Carnation Good Start. I had tried Nutramigen, Lipil, and Isomil before having any luck.

Have you tried switching the formula? Have you tried mixing the formula with breastmilk? Also, you may want someone other than yourself to feed him the formula (until he gets used to it). As long as you're holding him, he will smell your scent and refuse the formula because he is expecting your milk.

Maybe he doesn't like that certain type of formula. My baby first had breastmilk, then she was introduced to Enfamil Lipil with Iron. She eats it just fine. Also, try to mix just a small amount of formula in with some breastmilk at first. Then steadily increase the amount of formula to breastmilk ratio until he takes just the formula. Don't forget that maybe your baby doesn't like that certain type of formula, you could try switching to another type. The hospital gave us the Enfamil Lipil with Iron for our little one.