No milk

[funkyimage]

Hi.

My wee boy is 6 months old and has been on solids since 4 months. He has taken less and less milk over the past few weeks and now hardly seems to take any at all and he doesn't take much juice or water either. He eats lots of solids but he won't sleep through the night and I assume it's because he won't take his milk. Any suggestions?

[winny]

Dont take it as gospel but i think they are "supposed" to have a pint a day till they are 1. I was told that until then their solids are supposed to be extra to milk. I was always told to give the milk first then top up with solids as the milk is most important. My girls had tea early and milk last thing. Have you tried giving less tea solids so he is actually hungry and ready for milk by bed. It sounds like he is filling up on solids and isnt hungry enough for milk.
Have you changed the taste of the milk or anything like cows or progress milk that maybe he doesnt like. I remember trying to get my daughter off the bottle and onto the beaker and she would not drink milk fmrom a beaker and would prefere to go without. Milk is a bit of a comfort to her in her bottle.
Have you changed any routines etc.
If it is nutrician you are worried about rather than sleeping through dont forget to hide it in mash, porridge, mashed carrotts, frozen milk lollies(perhaps a touch of milkshake), and youhurts, cheese all count too. Rice pudding, ground rice, semolina, flaked rice all can have fruit in too.
Sorry bit of a waffle but hope it helped

[funkyimage]

Thanks for your reply.

I have tried many times to get him to take milk before his solids but he just screams and pushes the bottle away. I give him milk in his cereals and give him yogurts, cauliflower cheese etc but I'm just worried cos he's hardly getting any fluids and I can't force him to drink his milk so not sure what to do. He's on SMA gold and has been on that since he was about 2 weeks old (breastfed before that). My HV says it's fine as long as he takes a bottle in the morning and at night but he doesn't even do that now and I don't know why. He just seems to want food all the time!

[Le Chat]

Once my eldest son (now 10) knew that there was an alternative to milk ie, soids, he refused to drink it ever again. Not one ounce, ever!
I could never find any good info about this problem anywhere, as babies are supposed to love milk, so I made sure that I gave him plenty of calcium rich foods, like yoghurt, cheese etc. I also gave him the packet food (heinz, farley's etc) and mixed it with milk instead of water. Then I stopped worrying about it!!
If he is eating lots of solids, then his appetite will be adequately satisfied, so there maybe another reason for his waking.
Incidentally, child no 2, was not over-interested in milk once he tried solids either, must be in the genes!
Child no 1 is as fit as a fiddle, so just remember to look at the calcium content of food and try to mix in milk where you can!
Good luck and try not to worry....

[winny]

Nothing like a taste of the good stuff. It sounds like you have already tried obvious ideas.
If he isnt constipated then he must be getting some fluid.
Le Chat has a point that sometimes if you stop worring it will solve itself. Kids pick up on your stress and it affects them.
Keep offering milk and fluids without pressure and if he doesnt want them dont make anything of it. One day he might or he wont.
he is still getting calcium in other stuff so he is not lacking.
Sometimes we have all these rules and regulations on what they should and shouldnt have and it makes us worry.
My mum said it is a wonder I we all survived without all these rules.
Good luck xxxxx Winny

[Le Chat]

funkyimage. Answering you post got me thinking about this scenario of when Luca was a baby. I used to wish that the bottles were made of soft material, so that I would be able to squeeze the milk into him mouth!
I always used to offer him plenty of water between meals and pure apple juice in the mornings (he used to love that) to make sure that his bowels were functioning well! (which they did)
When I did have a little worry every so often, I used to tell myself that baby humans are just adult humans but smaller and adults eat meals, with drinks in between times, so it must be ok!