BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: shanyn on December 28, 2014, 09:33:11 am
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Hi there
My 8 month old has been refusing the bottle and today we weaned in as per Tracey's guide in her book. I breastfed him at 6.30am this morning and he has been refusing the bottle, sippy cup, cup with my husband all day. I have stayed out of sight but couldn't help giving him a cuddle 1/2 hour ago which is now 12 hours without a feed. It's 7.30pm now in Australia and although Tracey says that babies won't allow themselves to starve, he's doing a pretty good job of convincing me he will. It's not the starving I'm worried about - I know 12 hours is ok without food but it's the dehydration factor i'm worried about. It's really hot in Australia at the moment. PLEASE HELP!!!
Thanks in advance
Mummy on the edge!
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Please feed him!
We don't recommend withholding feeds anymore (unless it is an emergency like mum I needs urgent medical treatment she can't BF on) and like to think that Tracy would have updated her guidance had she still been around to do so in light of more recent research.
What are you trying to do? Do you want to stop BFing completely? If so check out our FAQ on weaning and see what approach would suit you best. Weaning
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Thanks Ali - I have. I couldn't see him so distressed anymore and was so worried about him.
I am supposed to go back to work in a couple of weeks time and he will be in daycare 4 days per week. I will BF him morning and night but very worried as he won't take a bottle, sippy cup with either breastmilk, formula or water. He has also been refusing solids for 2 mths since starting on them at 6 mths old.
I have seen a speech pathologist, child health nurse, my GP and spoken to feeding clinics and they all say to try positive association with the cup which I have been doing. I'm at my wits end and just don't know what to do next.
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Try to be patient Honey. Have you tried different kind of sippy cups or bottles? Have you tried holding him at when drinking like he is nursing? Have you tried straw-cups? Have you tried spill/ not-spill cups (don't now how to call it), but my DS is refusing non-spill cups but is happily drinking water from a normal ikea kids beaker (frog, spill one).
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There are lots of tips here for getting a BF baby to take a bottle. Breastfed babies and bottles
Does he drink water from a cup at all? BF babies tend to do well with straw sippy cups so those may be worth a try if you haven't already. It may also be a case of offering one type of cup or bottle consistently at every feed and eventually he may take it.
We're going to move your post to BFing as there ate lots of experienced mamas there who have been through this.
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Just to add that my second LO refused completely to take bottles. But she drank successfully from a cup from about six months. She liked straw cups, but also the doidy cup (not sure if that's available in Australia), and open cups quite quickly from age one. So don't despair!
Also, depending on your work hours, you may not have to worry too much about when he feeds during the day. There are several mamas around who went back to work and continued to bf successfully with bottle refusers. He may also be happier to take a cup of whatever kind from someone who is not you ;)
Don't panic. About the drinking or the eating. A few weeks is a world of time to an 8 month old, and a different setting will help him adjust to different things he needs to do. Above all, try not to let him see you are stressed about it, he'll pick up on any insistence and react to it. And definitely don't try to force anything. 8 months is still very young in the grand scheme. He doesn't "need" to be eating three meals a day at this point or anything like it. Have you been spoon feeding him? Just wondering because if he doesn't like bottles in his mouth, then he might not like spoons either (mine didn't, unless she was holding them!). You might like to post on the feeding solids board to chat about that.
Feeding Solid Food
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I agree with all the ladies. I'd also like to add that my DS was not keen on a sippy cup at all but caught on to the Zoli immediately and inhaled 6oz of water the first try!