7 m/o refusing milk and being fussy

[clare33]

Hello, I have a couple of concerns I would like some advise about.....

I starting weaning my lo at almost 5 months, he has been a good eater from the start. Since 6 months I have been introducing lots of new foods and some go down well others he just refuses to eat.

My problem is that he refuses milk during the day - he has a bottle first thing (takes between 4 and 7 oz), a bottle before bed (usually takes 7-8 oz) then 4oz at his dream feed which I am weaning him off, but this is going well as he is making up for it during the day - but with solids not milk.
I do add milk to his solid feeds but I am concerned that he isn't getting enough. Its as if he's thinking there are better things on offer!

Also, he's being fussy with what he's eating. for example I can have a bowl of veg which I know he likes but he will taste it then refuse to eat it. I can take him out of the high chair and wait until he might be more hungry then offer again but he will still refuse. If I offer him some fruit puree then he will eat this straight away and then eat the veg afterwards... I used to give him fruit for 1 meal and veg for another, now he can eat more I give him a 2 course meal. Have I caused this problem by always feeding 2 courses?
He also eats better if there is some finger food on offer!

Any comments would be great!!

Thanks, Clare   

[Lami]

Hi Clare

Had I not had DS2 I would probably have had no advice to give, just hugs!  However, having reached the almost 13 month mark with a bouncy, healthy, mischievous baby who is the worst eater I have ever come across, I hope I will be able to give you some comfort.

DS2 had reflux so his bottle feeds were always difficult, though we eventually managed the pain with Gaviscon and meds.  However, he never really drank as much as his big brother and when I mentioned my concerns to the PHN or my GP they just took one look at this chubby face and laughed.  Solids was a joke!  To this day he will stuff his face with finger food but is very reluctant to accept a spoon feed.  He will in creche funny enough but not for me at all.

To date, my 12 month old has existed on (since he was 9 months old) - 3 bottles a day (varying between 5 and 9oz) and - almost zero breakfast, chicken and steamed veg for lunch, and cheese and crackers for tea!!  Oh, and he loves apples so he might have an apple as well.  I promise I'm not exaggerating!  I look at the size of the jars of food for 12 month olds in the supermarket and laugh!  DS2 wouldn't eat a quarter of that!!  And yet, he weighs 24lbs and has tons of energy and is perfectly healthy!

As I said, he started at creche a month ago and he eats BRILLIANTLY for them.  I don't know what it is - the sociability maybe?  And now, about a week ago he started letting me give him a yogurt but still refuses my home cooked food which requires a spoon.  So for me exists on a diet of fish, which he can pick up with his fingers or chicken and steamed veg. 

The fact that your little guy is eating 2 courses is fantastic.  My DS1 would have eaten two courses at every meal - he had a huge appetite.  Try not to worry too much if he eats the fruit first and then the veg - the important thing is he's getting the nutrients and he's eating plenty.  On the milk thing, I've learned not to worry but that's easy to say 5 months down the line after panicking myself my baby wouldn't live to see his first birthday  because he drank so little milk.

I know how scary it is, I really do, but your baby is eating what he feels he needs and you are offering him wonderful, nutritious food so you're doing fine.

Hope this helps a little.

Lami

[Freya'sMum]

To offer a slightly different perspective on your concern...

...at 7 months, babies do not really need solid food for nutrition, they get most of what they need from babymilk, and anything they eat supplements this. Some babies really love solid foods, and this can create the situation where they will eat solids till the cows come home, and start to refuse milk, which isn't really what's best for their healthy growth and development!

At 7 months I would expect a baby to still be having his pre-solids quantity of milk (the Eat in EASY) and having some solid foods as the first part of Activity time - offering the solid food very close to the milkfeed ensures that they fill up on milk, and just have tastes and a chance to experiment with the solid food, and then still be hungry for the next milkfeed.

Again, because the nutrition is coming from the milk, what foods babies choose to sample isn't that important, more important is that they don't feel any pressure whilst experimenting with the foods, don't feel as tho they have to eat anything at all if they don't want to. Finger foods are just fine, check out the baby-led weaning threads (FAQ/Recipes) for reassurance.

So my suggestion would be to cut down the quantity of solid food that you offer ds, not the variety, it's great that he enjoys foods but you do want him to have a minimum of 20oz milk per day, but hopefully significantly more than this still.. an example of a 2 nap Eat routine for 7 months might be:

7am milk (7oz)
7.30am solid breakfast
nap
11am milk (7oz)
12noon solid lunch
nap
3pm milk (7oz)
4pm solid tea
bedtime routine
6.30pm milk (7oz)
bed

in time the daytime milkfeeds will become snacks (maybe cheese and apple, or a banana and a glass of milk), but there really is no rush for this to happen... if you think about it, ds has only been alive for 7 months, he's got another 80 years or so to be eating anything he wants - prioritise the milk for now, and keep offering an opportunity to practise eating, and you both should be fine

Ax

[clare33]

Hi,

Thank you both so much for your replies - 2 very different views for me to think about. I have tried to offer more milk with his solids and at lunch time he has been taking 3-4 oz's which is great and helps to make up the milk taken away from the dreamfeed. Its a worrying time and its great to hear what others have been through...
I will continue to offer more milk during the day and try and stop myself being so hung up on it (I go through some days just thinking about his feeds!!!)  - after all he is a very healthy weight is very active!

Thanks again... I will re-read when I am worrying again in a week or so!!!!!

Clare