13 Month Old Daughter ONLY Wants Formula in the Bottle!

Just see what your Doctor says. Ask the same thing you did here.

1) maybe she does not yet seem "ready" for "Adult" foods or even eating "finger foods" by herself.... so, try going with Gerber 2's, or 3's and see how that works. And at this age, you still have to feed her.. .they still need help eating... even at 2-3 years old. Maybe she is just not ready yet.
Or, just introduce "Cheerios"... many Ped's suggest this as the "1st" finger food at about 1 years old... it gives them "practice" and it is good for practicing with.
2) if doing "adult" food... try mincing it up real well... or put it in an osterizer to make it small enough for her to "chew" or practice with.
3) All those foods you tried with her is fine and SOME kids are okay with it... but, not for others. The thing is, with any food or table food... you gotta make it in appropriate textures/sized bites for them to try it or for it to appeal to them. Maybe those foods are too "hard-chunky" for her? Maybe try something that is "soft-chunky" instead...ie: cut up bananas, papaya, baked squash or potatoes that are cooked until soft etc. To me, chicken nuggets sounds too "hard" in texture.
4) Just try putting only about 1 tablespoon of "table" food on her plate.. not a lot. A child this age has a small tummy. For my daughter, if I put a "lot" of food on her plate or too many kinds of food... it overwhelmed her and then she couldn't even attempt to eat it much less eat it "all." BUT, if we just put a small "portion" of food on her plate or ONLY 1 type or 2 at the most... THEN she would eat. It's a visual thing as well...not just taste. We had to learn about HER.... and what made her tick, so that she would eat.
5) is the food you are giving her bland and unflavored...or is it prepared the SAME way you and your Hubby eat it? Keep in mind that a child's taste buds are STILL developing even at this age. So, it will be a fickle thing with them... and they often go on "food-strikes." Some kids need/want/like "bland" food...others do not and don't mind flavored-up foods.

6) IF she is not eating anything or hardly anything...try making smoothies, whether it be with fruit or vegetables. There are good simple recipes online.
7) OR, try home-made soups. This was a hit with my kids that age and even now... and I just mince up the veggies and meats real small... and instead of having them "eat" with a spoon, I give them a straw, and let them drink the soup this way... it's more "fun" and it gets them to eat "more" this way.

**8) Does your girl drink anything in the sippy cup... or is she rejecting ALL liquids you put in it??? The reason I say this is usually a child/baby will drink liquids out of a sippy-cup, except for their milk...which they still "want" in a bottle because it has a "nipple" like Mommy. It's a natural instinct in them.
**9) If she is rejecting the sippy cup... AND she is not gaining weight....then you have to give her the bottle and MAKE SURE she is getting the required intake amounts daily... or yes, she will be lacking nutrients and not gaining weight or even losing weight.

To me, in my opinion, you gotta give her her formula from the bottle IF THIS IS THE ONLY THING SHE WILL TAKE and if she is NOT gaining weight and/or losing weight SINCE JULY. Obviously, when push comes to shove, she is NOT giving in...she is not "ready" to wean yet, from the bottle. No big deal. To me. Whether weaning from a bottle or weaning from a breast...it is still "weaning." It takes time... and if a baby is not ready... it will not succeed. Give her more time, there is no rush. My Pediatrician said to get my son off the bottle by 15 months old. I did not. No biggie. I went according to my Son... not a "time-line" of generic expectations. My Son is a picky eater....and I knew just ripping the bottle away from him, just like that, would not bode well for him. So, it was a very gradual thing, over the course of a year. And still, JUST for bed, he has a bottle but with only water in it. It's his comfort and I see no problem with it. Because other than that, he drinks from other things.

LOTS of kids, STILL drink from a bottle at this age. And if this is the only way she will get sustenance, then just go with it. It's okay. Even at 2 years old, many kids are still drinking from a bottle. No biggie.
Or, is there a reason you 'have to' take her off her bottle now? If there is no dire need to stop her from having her formula from a "bottle"...then don't worry. You don't see Kindergartener's still drinking from bottles. They ALL do wean from bottles at a certain age, whether forced to or not.

Also, some kids just do not like to eat tons of variety... maybe... just try and find the few things that she "WILL" eat... and then offer her that most of the time. It's okay if they eat the same thing for awhile.. .as long as they eat and are being nourished. What about bananas? Or avocados? Many kids like that. Kids go through food phases and aversions or likes ALL the time... at each age stage. Just feed her what she likes. Just as adults... some adults do not like constant variety and only like the same thing everyday... it's "comforting" for them and predicable. It's okay. Then, gradually... you can try and introduce other things.. slowly, instead of rapidly. Every child adapts at different speeds.

Sorry for rambling, just some ideas,
Good luck,
Susan

Susan gave you AMAZING advice...so, I'll just add a smidge of my own experience.

For questions Number 1:

Stick to ONE type of cup overtime she'll get the hang of it when she's ready. And, not before then. I bought several types of cups and it was a waste of money. I stuck with the NUBY cups and kept offering things like water, diluted juice and milk over and over again. It tooks a VERY long time before my son was ready. I still gave him the bottle until he was ready to be weaned and he did that on his own at 18 months old. I agree with Susan, the Milk thing was tough, but they HAVE to get the nutrients they need and if that means giving a bottle then no biggie.

If you are feeling pressured by timelines or doctor's, just take a step back and think about how many other things your little girl is doing that are amazing. Nurture her and guide her, and she'll move away from the bottle in her own time.

Question 2:

My son took interest in the food on my plate too, but didn't actually WANT to eat it. It was more curiousity, than anything else. At 13 months old, your child is probably ready for small finger foods like Cheerios and Gerber does an awesome line of snacky finger foods...my son loved those little puff things. But, as for chicken nuggets and stuff like that, I'd say it's a smidge early. I would head to the store grab a bunch of 2nd and 3rd stage foods, and add a jar of that to the finger foods. You want to offer a foundation to the meal, and allow her to learn with the other foods. If you depend on your little one to feed herself she'll continue to lost weight and that could be a problem. Even at 2 years old my son is not the MOST dependable eater on his own, and I sit with him to make sure he's eating. Once she gets older you can make the meals more like Mom and Dads, but for now give her tastes but don't depend on her eating 'adult' type meals.

Talk to you doctor and ask tons of questions.

My favorite site for sample feeding guides is www.babycenter.com. They have it by stages and what to give and ideas for snack and stuff like that. Great supplement to doc's advice.

I do hope that helps a bit...Good LUCK!

We completely skipped the sippy-cup phase and went straight to regular cups (only while seated in a high-chair) and those take-a-long cups with straws. Child #1 thought sippy-cup was too much like a bottle and he was a big boy, not a baby. And child #2 had never had a bottle so didn't know how to work the cup and just wanted to copy older brother. I found the take-a-long cups to be very spill-resistant, and since child did not tip cup up to drink, made the back and forth between straw and regular cup easier.

As for food, Gerber Puffs and teething biscuits & Cheerios and Kix, while maybe not nutritionally complete, offered children opportunity to start trying their teeth out. Other then that, we fed whatever we were eating (minus any extra spice)just cut up for them and hoped that some of it actually got in their mouths! I also would offer for breakfast or snacks, a mix of 50/50 yogurt and milk in a cup as a 'shake' (protein and vitamins, yum).

Try making your baby food .... you can more directly control the texture and thickness .... baby food is probably too runny for her and adult food is a bit big. Do potatoes, squash, carrots, and that sort of thing. Also, the gerber puffs and snacks are often helpful.

As for the bottle - 2 things
1. Is she still on formula? I was told to go straight to milk at one, so that should be on the agenda rather than formula.
2. We use the gerber and playtex sippys - they leak very little and they are easy to hold. It may take longer for her to adjust, but keep working with her - give them to her continuously to hold, play with, and experiment with. We moved to only a bottle at night for a few weeks and soon enough that wasn't even necessary.
Good luck!