is it to early to wean at 9.5 mths?

[mlindsey]

my 9 1/2 month old daughter is refusing her bottle...she actually cries & arches her back when she sees the bottle.  she has reflux & the doctor thinks she needs more zantac.  so we have increased her dose but it hasn't helped.  At the end of the day she usually has only drank about 9-12 oz.  but we still feed her 2 dreamfeeds to get her to at least 16 oz.  Then she wakes several times at night.  but even then she will only take about 2oz at a time.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Can i wean her from the formula (Nutramigen) this early?  & give her something besides milk (she has milk allergies)?  Should i find ways to put her formula in her solids?  we no longer live in the states & people here do things differently than in our home culture...things we would not consider "the norm".  so i just want to do some brainstorming & think "out of the box" if you know what i mean.  & just research our options.  we just want to do what is best for her. 

i should mention that otherwise she is very healthy & a big girl (weighing 20 lbs).  She eats solids pretty well...about 8-10 oz per day.  Thanks so much for any suggestions!! 
Misty

[a_astorga]

Have you tried adding rice cereal to the milk so it won't come back so liquidy?

Maybe you can try that and also add some milk to her food. Soon she shouldn't rely so much on the milk intake and swittch to more on solids.

[mlindsey]

we were putting a little rice cereal in her bottle (per ped recommendations)...but we are cutting back on the cereal for a few days because she is always constipated.  actually we were putting some formula in her cereal w/ fruit...but she pretty much quit eating that too.  but thanks for your suggestions.  we will keep looking for ways to add milk into her solids.  the ped also recommended this. 

another question...has anyone tried goat's milk?  we have heard this is better than cow's milk.  is this true?  what are the benefits? 
thanks so much!

[NKmommy]

Hi Misty,
Oh, we have sooo been there.  If she seems to be in pain, and the Zantac doesn't do the job, can you ask about a PPI, like Prevacid or Prilosec?  That made a world of difference for us. 

Also, for a while, when Nathan refused the bottle, we tried giving him the formula (Alimentum) in a sippy.  Also, even though he had some dairy intolerance, his doc OK'd yogurt, which gave him additional calcium.

I am not sure where you are now, but would her doc discuss a feeding specialist with you?  When there are issues with bottle aversions (especially when sleep feeding is the only way to get them to drink - been there, done that    :? ), sometimes a feeding specialist helps.  On the other hand, she is near one year, so maybe her doc isn't as concerned about the low formula intake. 

Sorry, just thinking out loud...   

[mlindsey]

thanks for all your thoughts & insight.  it's very helpful.  & it's encouraging to know that we're not going through this alone...even though i hate that others have struggled through this as well.  i will try giving her formula in the sippy & see if that helps.  i don't think our doc is too concerned about her formula intake...because Sophia weighs 20 lbs & is pretty healthy otherwise. 

has anyone heard of Keifer?  it's sort of like yogurt that you can drink.  everyone here (in Kazakhstan) gives it to their babies.  but i'm not sure.  i've thought about giving her some to see if she could get more calcium & fat this way.

[Travis' Mom]

Do you think your lo is lactose intolerant?  Do they have that type of milk where you are now?  If she doesn't like the bottle anymore, then drop it.  My sister dropped her bottle at 6 months!  She sounds like she is thriving well so I'd just work with it.  I'd just try to find a subsitute for the milk issue and then take it from there.  My son is 10 months and he only has 3 bottles per day and they are only 5 1/2 oz. each. 
Good luck. :lol:

[mlindsey]

wow.  so how did your sister stop giving the bottle?  did she still give milk or what did she give in place of it?  & did it cause night wakings.  i've heard of people who stop giving formula very early...even at 3-4mths & don't give milk.  but i would like to hear more.  sophia is taking her bottle better right now.  but every day is different.  thanks for the suggestions.

[Travis' Mom]

It was actually my sister when she was a baby!  My Mom told me that one day, she just threw it on the ground and never took another bottle again!  Once again, to take our cues from our little ones....they will tell us alot.  My Mom continued to give her formula from a cup until the year and then switched her to cow's milk.  I wouldn't suggest giving up formula until the year unless it's a medical reason and then I'd look into lactose free milk as it might help in her digestion.
That is great that your lo is taking the bottle easier.  What did you do different?
Keep in touch as I'd like to know what happens with your lo, especially since you are in a foreign country.
Take care,

[f1re_cr4cker]

re drinking milk- once babes are weaned they only need 20oz a day some of which can be incldued in cereal/yohurt and cheese sauce for example so ur lo may almost be getting enough

[mlindsey]

well, the doctor increased her zantac dosage & she started eating better.  but she might have had a virus or something causing her not to eat well (but without other symptoms).  she usually does great for several weeks or several days & then she will have a bad week. 

we've had to cut back on her cereal & other diary right now (due to constipation).  does anyone have any suggestions to help?  if i give her even a few bites of cheese, she starts having trouble.  Plus, she eats prunes every day.  anyway, we are just excited that she's eating right now.  one doctor told us to go ahead & switch her to cow's milk, but another said to wait until she's one year old.  so we are holding out till then.  thanks for all the advice.  :)