It could very well be teething. My LO is just over 7 months and is going through the exact same thing. I'll even give her favourite foods to her but often she's lost interest after several spoonfuls. And milk is even worse. I'm now pumping and only nursing for her NF and first thing in the morning. During the day, it's a chore to get milk in her. What I've found works best is to distract her by giving her a toy to play with while I give her a bottle, or even just dangle a toy above her and have her bat at it. Other times I find singing to her works as a distraction. But it does take a lot of work to get 4-5 oz. in her. I often do it in chunks and give her a bit of a "play break" in between.
How much is your LO drinking now? You mentioned 3.5 oz at each meal but I assume that is solids??
I'm betting that the recent loss of interest in food is a combination of teething and just wanting to explore!
My advice would be to stick to the 4 milk feedings, especially since she's losing interest in milk. Milk should be the primary source until they are 1, so don't stress too much about the solids. My LO is on 3 meals a day for solids, was eating 2 oz. per meal but now I'm lucky if I get 1 oz. in her at each meal. The other thing is I find it's easier to feed her when she's just woken up from her nap as she's still sleepy and a little less curious.
Hang in there! Sounds like you've got a great sleeper. And just remember that they won't starve themselves. They'll get what they need, but don't be surprised if your LO wakes up in the night hungry!!
