6.5 month old not drinking enough milk

[Pompeygirl24]

My son is 6.5 months old.  About 4 weeks ago I started swapping each feed (4 hrly)to formula from a b/f.  I'd swapped 11am and 3 pm feeds and he was having approx 7oz at both.  5 days ago I introduced a bottle for the morning. Three weeks ago I started weaning, and he has porridge at breakfast, 4 ice cubes of veg with 2oz formula, and baby rice with fruit purée at tea.  But in the last 3 days his appetite for milk has decreased and now he's waking at night hungry when he'd been a great sleeper before.  I can see that he's not having enough milk but I can't get anymore in him during the day as he's refusing the bottle after only 2 or 3 oz.  I've even tried gong back to a bf for 11 or 3 but he hasn't wanted that either.

I don't know whether to start solids again. Or not give breakfast and just lunch.  However the breakfast is where I can get 2oz in him in his porridge.  Same with lunch and tea, I can get formula in him that way.  I've also tried  stage 3 bottle tests but that hasn't really made a difference.  I seem to spend the entire day trying to shovel milk in his mouth one way or the other.  I know I can't measure how much milk he's getting in a bf and I think he's always been an efficient eater when bf.  This morning he didn't actually wake until 5:15 when I fed him and he went back to sleep.  I had to take my 5 year old to his swimming lesson today so my timings are a bit off so I didn't end up offering the bottle till 1145 but where I'd expect him to be really hungry he had about 1oz but then I sat him in his highchair and he got really excited about his lunch and had quite a lot.

Like I said, not sure whether to start again from scratch with just lunch each day.  Just do breakfast and lunch.  Or carry on as I am to see if it improves.  Anyone's advice would be much appreciated - thank you.

0300 b/f one side, other side offered but refused. Straight back to sleep
0700 awake
0705 1oz formula, not interested in anymore
0730 2.5 tablespoons porridge with 2oz formula
0800 offered bottle but refused
0925 asleep
1000 I woke him up
1115 3.5 oz
1145 5 spoonfuls of solids (veg mixed with formula)
1200 asleep - no way could he stay awake till 1230
1400 awake - I woke him
1430 refused bottle
1500 refused bottle
1615 4oz
1620 catnap
1635 awake
1700 2 tsp Cereal with fruit purée and 2oz formula - had half
1830 refused bf - crying
1835 put in cot, more crying
1845 full bf
1900 asleep
2230 dreamfeed

0515 woke hungry
0516 bf
0530 had to change nappy as very messy, woke up too much
0540 tried rocking, shushing
0600 bf
0615 asleep
0700 woke him
0730 2 tsps cereal with 2oz formula
0800 offered formula but refused
0920 asleep
1000 woke him
1045 showing signs of hunger
1100 1.5oz taken then refused anymore
1110 still very fretful
1115 3.5 cubes of mixed fruit and veg purée with 1.5 oz formula
1130 1oz milk
1215 sleep
1415 woke him
1445 3oz
1655 smallish bf before catnap
1705 sleep
1720 woke him
1800 bf 3/4 of one side
1815 3 tbsp baby rice, 1 tbsp fruit purée and 1.5 oz formula mixed in - would have eaten more but stopped so he'd have a bf at bedtime
1845 bf one side
1900 bed
2220 5oz

[eva026]

If I’m not mistaken, I think you usually start with one meal at first, about an hour after milk. Later you can slowly up that to two and then three, always after milk. Till the age of one food is really just for them to try new tastes and textures but milk should be their primary source of nutrition. If he’s filling up on so much food, he probably just can’t fit the milk in.
Try cutting right back on solids and hopefully he’ll puck up his milk intake.
I bf so things might be a bit different with formula but I’m sure someone will be along to correct me 😀

[Lolly]

I bf so things might be a bit different with formula but I’m sure someone will be along to correct me 😀

Nope same advice here from a formula feeder!

I think he's having too much to soon and agree he's filling on solids which is why he's cutting back on the milk. I'd scale right back to just offering an hour after the morning milk feed and gradually add another solids time when his milk picks up again. Breastfed babies take less volume of milk than formula fed babies do and formula is harder to digest so the switch to formula and solids may just be a bit much all at once

Are you offering finger foods too? If he seems interested in eating when you are, rather than the puree you can try some finger foods as they get the eating experience without the volume.

Laura