Baby refuses bottle now on solids... won't drink water??? Any advice

[Courts21]

My six month old took to solids like a bull to a rag. He loves them. Gets so excited whenever he sees a spoon or a bowl or a tin of food. He unfortunately has lost a lot of interest in his bottles. I always offer him his bottle first hoping he'll drink his milk but lately he'll drink only a little and then he will whine and try and pull away and chew on the teat, basically refuse to drink it at all. Eventually I give up and offer him solids and his little face lights up and he gobbles them all down. I've been thinking about dropping him from 4 bottles a day to three in hope he'll then drink them. But I am worried about dehydration. I try to offer him water but he looks at me like I've poisoned him and he won't drink it. So any tips on how to get a baby to drink water or to get him to accept his bottles again. Has anyone else every had problems with milk feeds after starting on solids.  I've always tried to make his bottle feeds the most important because I always offer them first, he simply isn't interested.  He doesn't even want his bottle in his morning feed even when he hasn't eaten for 10 hrs.  The only times I get him to drink his bottle is when he is basically asleep whilst drinking ( dream feed) or most of the time he likes his last night bottle.  Though he has become a bit more fussy with this one lately to.  Any advice??

[RyansMum]

I wouldn't reduce his feeds down just yet but have you thought about changing to a sippy cup?  Perhaps the new novel way of having a drink may appeal to him as much as the solids? Also in the morning give him a milky cereal and also try making up milky puddings to ensure he is getting enough milk if he is not taking much as a drink.  Also he may be teething or just simply not interested as the food is so interesting but I am sure that once the novelty dies down he will drink more again.

HTH

[taygensmom]

Personally I would cut back on the solids at his age. He is only 6 months, still needs lots of milk. He requires so many calories per day total, he is probably getting most of these via solids, but this is not necessarily healthy at his age. So I would limit solids to small amounts, and then just keep offering the bottle. Eventually he will probably make up those calories via his milk.

[Freya'sMum]

Milk (breast or formula) is the most important source of nutrition for babies until 12 months old, with the suggestion being that they maintain their pre-solids quantity of milk until at least 9-10 months old. Some babies seem to prefer solid foods to milk, however this doesn't mean that it is healthy for them to eat lots of what they like most, so I would echo what the pps have said, and significantly limit ds's solid food intake so that he is hungry for milk, and when he works out that you are not going to give in and provide solid foods if he doesn't drink his milk, he might just drink it 'coz he's so hungry!

Ax

[Courts21]

I have tried limiting his solid foods but he won't even drink his bottle on the feeds that I don't offer solids at all.  The only time he drinks them is when he is so wrecked at night that he falls asleep whilst drinking.  Or in the morning if I manage to get the bottle for him before he actually wakes up so he sleeps through that feed as well.  If he has already woken up before I get his bottle he'll only drink a little bit of it and then rejects it, even though he hasn't had a feed for 10 or 11 hrs and I don't offer solids at that feed either.

This is his feeding schedule.
6:30am - 7:00am - Milk feed 250ml (Generally drinks between 150-200ml)
11am - Milk feed 250ml (Currently only drinking 100-200ml) and small tin quantity of baby food (generally vege's or fruit) He has never particularly enjoyed this feed, I have always had trouble with it.  But now I am having more trouble with it.
4:00pm Milk feed 250ml (Drinks 150-200ml) and then rice cereal made with his left over milk.
8:00pm Milk feed 250ml ( I work really hard to try and get him to finish this bottle most nights he does)

What do you think?  And the whole sippy cup thing your opinion.  I do have a sippy cup for him which I offer him water out of (which he won't drink) but its one of those non spill ones and at 6 months he still hasn't quite figured out how to make it work properly yet (does more chewing than sucking)  Should I buy one that flows by itself to make it easier for him or persevere with the one I have.

[taygensmom]

You could take the stopper out for now, and then put it back in once he gets the hang of it...

As far as the solids, I am assuming he used to take the bottle without a problem? If so have you tried limiting solids for several days. Limiting them for 1 or 2 feeds may not result ina change, as he is just "waiting it out". But if you tried for several days you may see an overall change int he bottle intake. Just a thought...