My Daughter Won't Wean to a Bottle of Formula!

Hey K., I had a similar problem with my daughter when I weaned her at age one. I tried soy, goats, everything but she wouldn't take it also. I tried to get dairy into her with foods, but the doc still wanted the to get milk, so I tried adding some stawberry syrup to her milk to make it more appealing (not much, just a little hint of pink color). This worked and then I slowly took out the strawberry. Also, I found out that she did not want milk with her meals, just water. The milk she only drank between meals and still to this day (at 23 months) she only drinks her milk between meals and not with them. Good luck and keep trying!

This same thing happened to my youngest. He absolutely would not drink milk so the doctor told us to give him apple juice. The juice worked just fine and provided vitamins as well as fluids.

Hi K.. Is it possible she is allergic to milk? If so, a lot of formulas are milk based. You could try soy milk, rice milk, or a hypoallergenic formula. Also, maybe she doesn't need as much milk now. Just offer her diluted juice to make up for the difference. Good luck.

you might try putting strawberry of chocolate powder in her milk. she'll probably get back to drinking milk pretty quickly, but if you're worried about fluid intake, this might work. does she drink juice very often? if you give her different types of drink throughout the day she might be more willing to try the milk if it's not the only thing she's drinking. good luck!

Your daughter is very intelligent! At one, they don't need formula--you've done an excellent job breastfeeding her for the first year. Concentrate on giving her lots of water--she's human and has to drink so she'll get thirsty! Give her lots of varied foods, especially ones high in calcium (green veggies is good in soups also soup made with any kind of bone broth) To make broth, you take the leftover chicken or turkey bones after your family has eaten the rest and you put them in a big pot with lots of water, a carrot, celery and onion then cook it on a low flame all night long--filter out the solids the next day then refridgerate and after it gets cold you can scrape off the fat from the top. If you make a huge amount, you can freeze it in big plastic freezer bags. Also, you can make her smoothies with added spinach, avocado and almond butter (make sure she doesn't have nut allergies)...but you're out of the woods as far as formula goes--and I don't blame her for spitting it out!

Hi K., I feel your worry. When my (now one year and a couple weeks) daughter was 10 mos. old, she wouldn't take any formula either. She had been drinking at least 4 bottles per day at the time, but suddenly refused any. Her doctor said that I should only offer water or formula (because she would drink juice, but it wasn't our preferred liquid - she needed the nutrients in formula); she also said that as long as she was still having 4 or more wet diapers per day, her body was still getting enough fluid from her food and the water she would drink. She eventually started drinking bottles again that same week, but refused again around 11 1/2 mos. I decided to try her on whole milk. She wouldn't take that either. My last resort was to add something that would make it more desirable than water or juice (and at her 12 mo. check-up, her doctor suggested the same thing). I first add a bit of cinnamon because she liked it in applesauce and cereal already. Then I tried vanilla.

My suggestion for you is to try whole milk (if her doctor oks it) with an extract/flavor added, such as almond, vanilla, banana, apple or a dash of cinnamon. Good Luck!

Will she drink water or juice to get her fluids? If so, you can make sure she gets her calcium from full fat yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, etc...

Hi K.,

If your local grocery store carries it, give goat's milk a try. My youngest loves it!

Have you tried mixing some breast milk with milk or formula? This could get her used to milk and you can stretch the breast milk a little further. You can start with mostly breast milk & then gradually decrease the amount of breast milk over time. Also, warming milk helped get my son used to whole milk when he was 1.

Have you tried rice milk? get the fortified kind, with the minerals added. Because she is 1, she is eating, and so she could do another milk other than cows, and formula is ok to give up at this time. My kids hated cows milk, and loved rice. It is a better choice than soy, and the vanilla is sugar free and tasty.

good luck, and don't worry, she is going to be fine, just offer some other choices.

If she is a year then she does not need formula anymore and I personally would not even worry about ehr getting milk. My oldest son (almost three) has never had cows milk. Once he turned one he went strictly to water. I have tried to get him to drink milk but he is just not a fan. Maybe your daughter just doesn't like the taste. His Dr. said that he will be fine without cows milk. Just make sure she eats yogurt or cheese to get the needed calcium.

i have triplets that are now 4 years. Breastfeeding, weaning, and nutriention were a big part of our life. Because they were premature we had a special nurse. She said at age one they need 4-6 bottles of milk or formulas a day. The protein is the reason. Toddlers need tons of protein for brain development. Tell your ped and talk to a ped. nutrientionist.
I suggest you don't stop until you get real answers.
Table food is not enough to cover the protein her body needs!!! She may need a protein supplement that she can tolerate.

You just have to keep offering milk! Eventually she will take it.

Hi kristen,
i have four daughters and all of them weaned differently. My first daughter went fight from the breast to a sippy cup, but refused any milk of any kind. When i took her to the doctor he said so long as she gets her calcium in whatever other form ( yogurt, cheese etc.) she will be fine. As for the liquids water is really all she needs to keep hydrated. Hope this helps. D.

If she is taking solid foods good and is having at least four wet diapers a day then she is fine not to take a bottle with milk or formula. Many children don't go from breastmilk to another form of milk and have been just fine. I have four kids and two drank milk and two do not - it is just preference. All are healthy. If she will drink water or 100% juice from a sippy cup (don't recommend a bottle for juice) that is great. If not, just add things like fresh fruit or canned peaches/pears to her diet, they have liquid that she will get. The biggest thing is to make sure she is still having wet diapers - that is the proof that their is enough fluids. You might see her weight level off but as long as she is not loosing weight it is normal, especially if she is walking and playing more. Good luck.

Have you tried giving her water? My daughter loved drinking water (in addition to nursing) from about 6 months on, and it is still her first choice of drink today (she is now 3.)

1 breast feeding a day, coupled with yogurt/cheese for calcium, would be good--as for liquids, does she drink juice or water? Soy milk may be an option if she likes it. Also you can incorporate milk into things: mashed potatoes, soups. etc. Don't worry too much, it sounds like you're doing fine. K. RN

have you tried mixing some pumped breast and formula in a cup or bottle. if you can 1. get her to take the bottle with pumped milk then you can 2. start to mix breast milk with formula or whole milk or soy milk (unflavoured) gradually until you are giving her just milk. i did this to get my daughter from formula to milk. i'd make big batches of mixtures (75%/25%, 50%/50%, 25%/75%) and eventually my very stubborn daughter gave up formula. i'd use the juice and flavouring ideas as a last resort. i kept my baby away from too many sugars for as long as possible so that she would develop a palette for less sweet foods. also most flavours are not in any way natural so i avoid those as well. good luck!

It will only take a day or two of the tantrum throwing before she will start drinking. If she is eating solids, she is getting enough fluids.
C. F.

Milk and formula are not the only liquids! My son loves apple juice. We dilute our apple juice with at least half water. This reduces the amount of sugar my child is getting. If it's calcium you are after, my son loves yogurt and the danimal yogurt smoothies. You may want to add chocolate to your milk and see how she likes that. They have healthy chocolate powders that you can try. One time I even saw a banana powder and my second child really liked that. My two year old also loves smoothies. I make a smoothie almost every day with Vanilla Soy Milk, Frozen strawberries, a banana, a little orange juice and a tablespoon of honey. He loves it. You may want to leave out the honey as it is not recommended for children under 2 years old. Good luck!

Hi K.,

Having gone through weaning with 2 kids although a little earlier in their life here is what I was told. With #1, she did not like milk at all, but since she was in the 80% procentile in weight my dr told me not to worry about it and just give her juice and milk if she was happy to try. With #2 we had to mix breastmilk and formula and milk for about a month or 2 in a bottle or sippy before she was ready to go to straight milk or formula. We started at 2 oz of milk with 6 oz of breastmilk and slowly made it more and more.

Good luck!

When I weaned my last son he did the same thing.I gave him silk vanilla soy milk. As long as your baby has no alergies soy is very healthy. He loved it for a few months and then gradualy I would give him reg. milk. Also, they make an infant form of pediasure.After their first birthday they don't need the formula or so my pediatrician told me to switch to whole milk. All babies are different so if your baby is eating food fine she is getting her vitamins and nutrients while you figure out what she will drink. The infasure is at walmart or any grocery store and comes in different flavors. Good Luck Sweetie.And Kudos for still pumping and breast feeding as long as you did!!!!! S.

I would say that if you just completely stop breastfeeding, she will start drinking! My son who is now three would not wean to a bottle, at 12 months I stopped breastfeeding him in the day time and completely stopped nighttime feedings at 14months. At 12months I had to go back to work so he went right to a sippy cup (I would recommend the sippy cup because then you do not have to go through weaning from the bottle) His milk consumption was very low for probably the first 3 days and then he just started drinking. I offered him milk often and never went to formula. The health care nurse from my breast feeding group had said that they always will fight the change but they will end up drinking. They will not dehydrate. It worked for me. Good luck!

I say if she'll take a cup..great.
May help wean quicker and lose any binkies sooner if she will go to the sippy or standard cup.

Goat's milk is often easier on the little ones. Cow milk protein straight from the carton..or from a formula can cause problems in some kiddos.

As for other liquids, try water, or if really worried, if not drinking at all, then try your breast milk watered down to avoid dehydration.

Watered down white grape juice with a pinch of sea salt is good for kiddos when vomiting, not holding down fluids. Recharge is good too.

Just mainly watch for dehydration, and if necessary try to use frozen fruit juice popsicles.

Lethargy, sunken eyes, lack of urination or funny smelling pee in lesser amounts, are the common signs.

Good luck to you and good health to your lil one.

L.

At one, a child has made a momentous milestone. She no longer requires formula/breastmilk as her main source of nutrition. If she not taking it, keep offering it, but don't worry about it too much. Offer her other things to drink to keep her fluids up, water and watered down juice. If she won't drink water and only juice, then just add ebough juice to the water to flavor it. We did that with my daughter because she is a fish and won't always drink just plain water.

If you are a stay at home Mom then why stop breast feeding your baby? I breast fed my daughter and she eventually, naturally weaned herself. You are so fortunate to be able to give this gift to yourself and your child. Maybe if she has that comfort back she will also start to use the sippy cup more willingly. Keep in mind that it is not just nourishment that your child gets from you when breastfeeding...would you want to go from a warm loving breast to plastic?. Good Luck.

Try giving her some apple juice or some kind of other juice

Try waterning down the whole milk so she can get used to the thickness. Give her water, if she'll take it. Good luck.

when my kids were weaned i had to use a bit of sugar in the milk in order to have them be able to drink it. it is closer to the taste of breastmilk. i also made it warm. (so it would be soothing) in a baby bottle. i also breastfed for well over a year, congratulations on your labour of love!

Try hole milk, and then add some strawberry quick.

Try goats milk instead of formula or whole milk. My kids all love it, and it's easier to digest. Good Luck!

Hi my name is H. I am a sahm of 3 and run a daycare while I am at home with my little one. You could try giving her soy milk. Some kids don't like the taste of milk but they do like soy. Also if you don't give her anything but milk or water to drink she will drink whatever you give her you just have to have the patience and will power to be stronger than her. She won't let herself get to thirsty. Hope this helps you out some. Good luck!

Try soy milk. My son got sick with the stomach flu last year and for three weeks or more after I still couldn't give him regular milk. He didn't want much of it but when he did end up drinking it he would throw up, so I assumed it bothered his stomach. The doctor said that after being sick whole milk is really hard to digest for a little one.
Be sure to try watered down juice in a sippy cup or even gatorade or propel to make sure she isn't getting dehydrated. Pedialyte is ok too but it is expensive unless you get the generic kind.
If she is refusing to drink because she just wants to nurse then try warming the milk and put it in a sippy cup. Try the nubby transition ones, I have heard many moms say that their BF baby will only take those. Also, try warming the milk (my son only took warm milk). When you try to feed her from the cup/bottle try laying with her with a pillow between the two of you.... so she gets the attention but with the barrier she doesn't think she will get to nurse. Good luck!

www.momtomombiz.com

All 3 of my kids declined milk/formula after being weaned. I used cheese and Yo Baby yogurt for their dairy/calcium needs. I wouldn't sweat it unless she refuses all dairy products...then I'd look into a possible dairy allergy. My kids are pictures of health (thank God) at 8,5,&2 y/o and still don't drink milk except a little on cereal. They all drink lots of water, I'd recommend skipping juices.. why teach her to drink sweets? Good luck.

My daughter wouldn't take milk or formula either. I weaned her from all but the nighttime nursing at around one. What we did was give her "smoothies". We mixed whole milk with a little v8-Fusion (1/2 veggie - 1/2 fruit juice). She LOVED them and I felt like she was getting some veggies, too ;) She is 2 1/2 now and will drink plain milk, but still loves a smoothie in the morning!

Hi K. -
Try a mild tea made with oats. You can buy them at Whole Foods or Desert Sage Herbs. Boil the water first, remove from heat, add the oats - 1 tsp per cup of water - (and some lavender or chamomile for anxiety) and let steep for about 5 mins. Strain the herbs and allow to cool to the same temperature you would give her formula at. Oats are high in vitamins and have a nice mellow flavor, as does the lavender or chamomile. All are safe for children. Give her about 1/4 to 1/2 cup and you can drink the rest of it. You can also try rice milk. She may be telling you that she doesn't have a tollerance for lactose.

If you are really worried about her getting liquids try a little water in the sippy cup or bottle.

I am also thinking that maybe the whole milk and formula might be too thick for her after a respitory infection. I know when I myself am feeling mucusy (is that even a word?) that the last thing I want to drink is milk. If she needs the calories try 2% or even 1%.

Good Luck!

Hi K.. I have four kiddos, all breastfed for the first year, and none of them went to a bottle after weaning. My older two went straight to a sippy cup with water and occasionally juice and my youngest two (twins) have just recently transitioned from breast to cup. They will only drink milk if it's mixed with keifer or vanilla soy milk. They get 2 small, sippy cups a day. there is no real need for milk as long as they are getting yogurt, cheese, etc. Just make sure you keep offering the cup with water so that (he/she) stays nice and hydrated.
Good luck!
J.