Author Topic: 6 month old refuses to drink milk  (Read 3104 times)

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Offline susansyd

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6 month old refuses to drink milk
« on: April 22, 2006, 23:00:59 pm »
I have just found this site and would greatly appreciate some help!

We have just adopted a baby boy (who'll be 6mths old 1st May) and he's been home now for 1 month. As we have just found out about the EASY schedule, we are trying to adopt it.

For the past month, Daniel has been a terrific eater. He's taken 6 - 7 oz every four hours. Two days ago, however, he started taking 2 oz only and then refused to drink another drop with each bottle and will play with the bottle - poking it in and out of his mouth with his tongue. Last night, he wouldn't take anything for his early evening feed, took 3.5 ozs at 10:30pm and now only 3 ozs this morning.

We've tried encouraging him to drink but that only ends up in tears - him and me! We've increased the number of holes in his teats. We've wrapped him and fed him in a quiet room. He doesn't have a fever and appears totally healthy. He's been chewing on his fingers and we've thought he's getting ready to teeth but there's no other evidence of this at all. We've tried playing soothing music during feed time to make feeding time calm.

It seems as if he just wants to get on with life and explore. After struggling to get him to eat, he'll be happy and laughing 2 minutes later once the bottle has gone.  He'll drink water when given in a similiar bottle.

What can we do? Is this just a stage? We don't want him to associate the bottle with a battle and yet want him to continue to receive the nourishment he needs. He currently weighs 8 kgs. My husband and I would greatly appreciate some advice on how to deal with our happy, very curious, and highly active baby who now refuses to drink more than a little each feed. Thanks heaps!

Offline Spectra

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Re: 6 month old refuses to drink milk
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2006, 01:44:40 am »
Have you started food with him yet?  Do you know if those who had him before had him on solids because if they have he might be expecting that instead of the bottle only perhaps.  6 months is usually the ideal time to start them on cereals and the like.  If you have done that do you give him the bottle first then the solids or the milk after the solids?
« Last Edit: April 23, 2006, 01:49:06 am by Spectra »
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Offline susansyd

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Re: 6 month old refuses to drink milk
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2006, 04:33:44 am »
No he wasn't on solids before he came home. We've just started exploring with solids but haven't been doing it on a regular basis so he wasn't expecting it. At 10am today, he was due for a bottle and drank 1.5 ozs. We gave him some rice cereal after that - he ate approximately 1 tablespoon. He's just gone done for a sleep. I'm concerned he's not getting enough fluids so tried to give him some water before his sleep. He gulped down 2 ozs precisely then refused anymore.

If his bottles are due at 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm ... we figured that's when we try to give them to him. If he only takes 2ozs here and another 2 an hour later, then surely that will set bad habits in place. But on the same token, I'm concerned about him dehydrating. Is it just a matter of riding it out until he gets back on track again?

Offline Wife and Mummy.

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Re: 6 month old refuses to drink milk
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2006, 06:04:20 am »
hello congratulations on your new baby,are you using the same milk as the people before?as sometimes they do get used to their own milk.keep giving water if you are concerned,keep going with the solids too as he does need some sort of food.more importantly dont worry about the milk too much,alot of babies go off milk at this age.maybe you could change his milk a step up to a some sort of progress milk rather than a newborn milk.what milk do you give him now?where are you from?as long as he is eating some solids and water he should be fine.hope things get better for you .goodluck.SAM.xxxxxxxx
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Offline LŠuren

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Re: 6 month old refuses to drink milk
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2006, 09:29:20 am »
susansyd
Welcome to TBW boards and congratulations  :D

Does Daniel display any of the following symptoms;
    * restlessness, irritability and disturbed sleep patterns
    * sore, red gums
    * flushed cheeks
    * loss of appetite
    * a slight rise in temperature (but not above 39oC, which indicates a fever)
    * dribbling (which may cause a rash or sore, chapped skin on the chin)
    * a sudden desire to chew anything they can lay their hands on!
    * an urge to bite. This should not be perceived as a sign of aggression or anger, more of a means to ease the pain.
http://www.teething-babies.co.uk/easing-teething/index.html

It sounds to me it could be teething  ???  The fact he is pulling off after a few oz's means that the suction created from sucking on the bottle really hurts their little mouths. A tip would be to rub his gums with teething gel BEFORE you go to feed him, another would be to try and give him a 5 - 10min rest and start feeding again (you have already increased teat flow) and try and feed him from a sippy or open cup.  It will be a bit of a muddle but at least he will get getting milk.

His is fontanel sunken? He is still producing lots of wet nappies?

Lauren
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Offline momofella-grace

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Re: 6 month old refuses to drink milk
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2006, 10:13:12 am »
Hi i have had the same problem which is posted on breastfeeding board..Ella would not take formula despite knowing how to use a bottle. reluctantly i added a small amount of sweetner to her milk for two feeds and now she is gobbling it up without anything in it. This is after 6 weeks of battling and trying to disguise the milk in solid foods etc. Good luck> Lisa x

Offline gabriels mum

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Re: 6 month old refuses to drink milk
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2006, 12:03:21 pm »
Hi there

We have been struggling with this problem for many months, so no magic solution, but have you tried extending feeds to between 4-5 hours instead of 4???  Maybe he is not starving enough at the 4 hour mark?

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