My younger son is 9.5 months old. He is formula fed and has been from the start (much to my disappointment). He is healthy and has been growing perfectly. He is doing great with solids.
At his 9 month checkup I told the pediatrician that he was still being offered 5 bottles per day (7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm) at 6 oz each (so total of 30 oz) and that we'd added in a couple of solids meals in between. I knew I needed to start working toward bottles supplementing "real food" as opposed to the other way around but I'd forgotten how!
So she said to cut it down to 4 bottles per day; she said 24 oz would be fine, and that 16 oz was the minimum to have in mind. She warned me that it is common for babies at about this point to start showing preferences for food and not take formula or breast milk as easily as before.
Well, that has happened big time. It is noon here right now and I've only managed to get 3 oz of formula into him today. He ate his "real food" breakfast (yogurt and pear cut into small pieces, he loves finger foods) great and right now I think he's hungry and I'm about to just give him his "real food" lunch so I know he's getting something even though I know he hasn't had enough formula and I know that filling him up with solids will make it even harder to get formula in.
I really believe in the fact that babies pick up on our stress so I'm forcing myself not to fight him, not to express frustration, etc, although of course he may still feel my inner frustration. In the past 2 weeks or so since we started doing 3 actual meals of solids, it has been a struggle every day to get to 16 oz.
Before we made the switch from 2 smaller solids meals to 3 fuller meals, he would generally take between 25-30 oz per day - he didn't necessarily finish every single 6 oz bottle, but it wasn't a struggle really.
I've tried a different formula (pediatrician's suggestion), I've tried adding a small amount of oatmeal cereal to his formula to just change the flavor slightly (also pediatrician's suggestion), and I'm experimenting with sippy cups instead of bottles. Nothing is changing it. He just pushes it away with his hands and/or turns his head away. He sometimes fusses, sometimes not. I do find that if I give him several breaks during the feeding and try again he's likely to take more overall, but this makes feedings take a good 30-40 minutes. I also have a 4 year old!
I'm frustrated and irritated. I find myself just wishing I could skip right to 12 months so I can just quit formula...which then leads me to feel guilt, of course, and also leads me think hm...its just 2.5 more months...can I just stop now??? I definitely wouldn't decide to quit without talking to the pediatrician more, but I also wanted to see what other moms had to say. Anyone else experience this? Any suggestions???
Thanks in advance.
As people have responded (thank you!), I realized I should clarify - I am not seriously thinking of stopping formula, I was just expressing my frustration. And about the baby food being void of nutrition, I make all his food from scratch. I did it with my first son too - never bought a single jar of baby food. So I disagree that the solids are not nutritious - its either pureed or softened pieces of organic fruits or veggies, cheese, tofu, etc. Real food, not fatty, salty, processed. I definitely will keep working with sippy cups and try to relax about it - that's probably my biggest problem :)
This is my honest answer. The food he is getting does NOT have the nutrition that child needs. Baby food has very very very minimal nutrition in it and table food is full of salt and fat he does not need. He should only be eating at this point to learn how to chew and swallow. In another 1 1/2 months he will be old enough to start eating more food due to starting to transition to whole milk at 12 months.
Start feeding him less and giving him his bottle.
He needs that nutrition in the formula or he will be starving all the time and eat and eat and eat all the while getting fat and not getting anything to help his brain develop or his cells grow appropriately. He needs the complete nutrition of the formula.
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D..
answers from
Charlotte
on
Maybe he doesn't like the new formula.
Back off on all the food. I think you are feeding him a little too much. He still needs that formula more than he needs the food. If he's hungry, he'll take the formula.
NO, you can't just stop the formula now. You really can't. Look, a lot of things about kids is just hard, no two ways about it, but you can't just go with the easy thing. You have to perservere for your child's greater good. He doesn't know that he needs the formula. You do. It's that simple. You are the mama and he has to be held back from doing only what he wants just because he wants it. You have to find appropriate methods to get him to be willing to do is needed, and in this instance, it means getting him to drink his milk more.
I know it's hard for a feeding to take 30-40 minutes, but that's what you would be doing if he were a newborn. Just put up with it for 3 more months. Then switch to a cup and cow's milk. The doctor will then tell you how many ounces he needs and you can divvy that up in ounces over the course of the day, offer him a cup before he eats, and tell him that he can have his food after he drinks his milk. He'll be old enough to do that by then.
Good luck,
Dawn
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R.R.
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Los Angeles
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Give him his formula before his solids, not with them, offer the solids when he's had several ounces. Formula is still more important to his development than solids, once he hits a year this reverses. Right now you are still "introducing" him to solids, not making them his mainstay.
Because he will be going to milk at a year put the formula in sippy cups, it isn't experimenting at this point, it's the time to transition over, call them his "big boy" cups. 9 months is the perfect age to get babies off bottles and pacis, apparently after this they become too attached and addicted (honest, this was the wording used in the article) and it becomes harder for them to part.
Just remember that you're the Mom and he'll follow your lead, he's having to adjust to lots of changes, and it will take time.
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K.L.
answers from
Savannah
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I would find other ways to get the formula in him. try making your own "jar" food at home and adding formula instead of water. Or you can even mix a scoop of powder into his food. Also, make sure all cereal given is made with formula and not water. every little bit helps!
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C.D.
answers from
Atlanta
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Every baby is different. The sucking is important for the formulation of gums, teeth and palette. He needs it for some time yet. Maybe if you gave him plain almond milk and a quality vitamin/mineral it would help. He might like a sippy cup he can still suck/drink.
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L.L.
answers from
Rochester
on
Don't quit the formula...put it in a cup in serve it (like you would milk) with his meals. If you give him 6 ounces with each meal, and a few bottles or sippies in between, he will probably getting his 16 oz. in pieces through the day.
Really, I think what you've got set up is great...encouraging him to become a good eater and not rely on the bottle so much.
You should not quit giving it to him, though...what's the alternative? He should NOT have cow's milk until after one year, and he needs the calcium and other nutrients in the formula.
And remind yourself that of course he's drinking substantially less volume, because he's getting calories and nutrients from food as well. If he continued to eat well AND do 30 ounces of formula a day, you'd have a little waddling blimp soon. :) You're doing fine!
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J.S.
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San Francisco
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Will he drink regular cows milk/ almond/ rice milk??
Formula tastes pretty gorse, and his little taste buds are starting to take preferences.
I would give him a multi vitamin, and just keep his diet well rounded (sounds like you already do that) offer cheese, and yogurt for calcium and plenty of healthy fats.
Definitely don't force feed him the stuff, wouldn't want a food issue to develop from that. Some babies just wean themselves around this age.
Try not to worry, check with your pediatrician, let them know what you are feeding him.
My children had a lot of trouble with formula and milk products, they were mostly breast fed, but I would give them rice milk instead of formula. By 9 months they were both just on rice milk. I was very careful about what I fed them and checked in with their pediatrician often.
good luck
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M.L.
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Los Angeles
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Switch him to a sippy cup and if you are worried he isn't getting enough formula mix a little extra into his food. My second wanted a sippy cup at 9 mos old and never wanted a bottle after. I just put pumped milk or formula into the cup. She was a big solids eater and I doubt she was drinking 24 oz a day at that point. Also I am a horrible mother and started her on cow milk at 11 mos. She has some of sisters and loved it. She is just fine. Don't worry too much. Each baby is different.
