Help! Baby refuses to drink milk

[JANE892]

Hi All,
My son is 4.5 months (20 weeks). I was breast feeding up until about 2 weeks ago. I had to give up due to too many problems..not because I wanted to. Anyway..the bottle was meant to solve all my problems and make everything easier but things are now a complete nightmare.
Every feed time is a battle. He simply will not drink. Even when I know he's hungry he won't drink. Sometimes I can sing to him or stare him in the eye and he's kind of half shocked or something and he might drink a bit. he continually turns his head away and cries when I try to put the teat back in.
The only thing that works is to wait until its his nap time..put him in his cot..wait 10mins till he's basically asleep..then get him out and feed him. This is the only way he'll suck the bottle without a fuss.
All up..in a 24 hour period I can get about 600-650mls into him. He weights 6.3kg. Is this enough?
For the first time today I tried some baby rice mixed with formuale. He tasted it and seemed like he had no idea what to do with it. He mostly pushed it out but he might have eaten a bit...
In a way I'm pleased to have found this thread as at least I know my baby boy isn't the only one to do this. But does anyone know why on earth its happening? Why does a baby not want to ever drink? I'm taking him to a doctor and to a pead this week...I've been told that perhaps he is suffering from reflux??? Silent reflux (as he doesnt' vomit all that much)..
Has anyone out there had this problem and its resolved itself?

 

[LeahH]

Yes we had exactly the same problem and at around 4 months also. We first found she would feed if distracted - looking at the TV, outside in the pram etc., then ultimately we had to do the same thing as you, rock her til she was sleepy and give her the bottle in bed. We slowly began to try to break the cycle and feed her out of bed in a dark room in chair, rocking her, then put her down when she'd finally finished the bottle. She eventually improved over time. She's 9 months now and still needs a bit of distracting (toys in her hand, looking out the window, watches baby einstein for the night feed before bed). She is pretty good with her solids (didn't start her til 6 months though) and if she doesn't finish her morning bottle, the remainder goes into her breakfast cereal.

I know it's stressful but try to relax a bit about it. As long as your ped is happy with the babies weight I wouldn't worry (or introduce solids unless he tells you to).

 

[limantari]

Hi Jajacha,

I'm sorry to reply you so late.
My baby will be 11 months in 10 days. We still find difficulties to feed milk to the baby, but it has improved a lot since 6 months ago. He will drink his milk awake however we need to show him toys or book. He will normally hold the toys by himself. He takes 7 OZ per feeding 3 times a day, in addition to that we give him 2 times solid (cereal in milk and purees). I experienced the same problem with you that he sometimes just finishes 4 OZ and the rest of 3 OZ has to be mixed with cereal and feed him with spoon. It happened almost every night feeding since he gets drowsy by 9 PM and refuse to drink milk. We let him sleep until 10.15 PM, then wake him up, make him sit in front of the TV and feed him until 10.30-10.45. I know it sounds bad to wake him up in the middle of his sleeping, but if he doesnt finish his 7 OZ dosage at night, he will woke up at 4 AM and hungry. We can not afford to wake up at night since me and hubby are working full-time. He will usually sleep at 11 PM after night feeding and wakes up at 6-7AM. Once he wakes up, my husband will feed him the morning milk.
I have consulted his doctor since I worried if he took too much solid, however the doctor said there is no problem with that since he still take the same amount of milk with little addition of solid, so actually he took more that he should be. Just make sure to always feed him water after solid to avoid dehydration.
Hope this will relief you a bit.

 

[jajacha]

Hi limantari,

My boy refused to drink almost completely in he past 3 days. We tried to "disguise" the milk into other forms like adding cocoa powder, steam the milk with egg yolk.... but still he can feel the taste of the milk and thus refused to take after a few mouthfuls. Sigh.... I dunno what to do next, can a 9-month old baby totally not take any milk? My head is going to explode....

 

[limantari]

Hi Jajacha,

Do not panic! Have you ever tried to put your baby in front of TV, turn on his favourite show so he'll be distracted while you feed him cereal mixed milk? I did that to my son. While he watched his favourite DVD on his high chair, he will concentrate on it and opened his mouth while we offered him food.
Have you tried to change his milk formula? I believe he may get bored. Also watch out the teat size of the bottle. 9 months old baby should use large size teat. I happened to me last time when he was still using the medium size, he found it's rather slow to suck and he got tired sucking and stop drinking in only few minutes. After we changed into the large one, it takes only 15-30 mins to finish 7-8OZ of milk.
Check with your doctor if your son is suitable to take only solid and make sure he's gaining weight normally.
Good luck.

 

[sandyg]

welcome to my world!!!

Actually I am in the same dire straits as jxoxo and limantari. Exactly the same story - won't feed after long hours, but each feeding is a battle. I don't want to make feeding an unpleasant experience for him but he has definitely dropped off the average weight curve. (he's on formular btw)

its clear that he's thinned but the doc says its Ok and to observe for a while, but I am still worried as this has happenhed for quite some time now ( over 1 month).

I have started to give him a bit of rice cereal to test, and at least he is interested and doesn't turn his head.

Any insights as to why this happens , or any experience to share v welcome.

Hi there.... it's amazing that there are mum's out there going thru the same horrible experience in regards to feeding I never would have dreamed prior to having my son Harrison (6mths old) that he would not want to drink milk, some days I feel so down and frustrated with feeding him that I swear that tom will be the day that I "starve" him so that he will take a bottle awake if he is hungry enough,or so the experts say.
All started from 8wks of age started screaming post feeds refusing the breast and bottle had to express and top up with formula as milk supply was very low and harrison lost weight, it gradually got to a point that he refused feeds and the advice I was given was to get milk into him anyway I could.... lovely.... not! hence sleepy feeds started as he showed no resistance and no drama... sucked beautifully whereas if awake very uncoordinated and stressed when he has to feed, have been to a Dr .. now changed as he said well just eat for your mother and was dismissed, then to a paed who said he looks healthy and said he was fine changed Dr's who prescibed Losec for probable silent reflux and sent us to an allergy specialist for testing... results came back with nothing am at my wit's end as feeding times are such a drama as he has to get himself into a sleep like state to feed, started solids a wk ago and he seems to like cereal and fruits so that is a positive, has anyone else been thru this I need some advice on how to deal with it as this was supposed to be a wonderful experience having a baby but finding it hard because of the feeding, otherwise he is a happy baby .

 

[LeahH]

Poor you, I know how it feels.

Seems crazy to have them feed so well in their sleep, but for it to be such a problem awake. It started at 3 months and has gradually got better for my daughter, but at 10 mos she still needs a lot of distraction to take her morning and afternoon bottles (toys in her hand etc., singing) Her evening bottle is given in front of baby einstein (bad I know, but at least it's the only TV per day). We slowly weaned off the sleepy feeds by going from actually asleep in bed, to rocking in a sleep like state in a chair in the dark bedroom to resting on a pillow actually awake in the lounge. Solids did help take the pressure off as we mixed everything with milk which she took. Oddly her milk intake improved alongside this. I still have to put the remains of her morning bottle into her breakfast cereal and make sure she gets lots of yoghurt, cheese and other forms of calcium.

Once he's more established on solids, maybe try his mid morning or afternoon milk in a sippy cup to see if he will drink that way?

You are through the worst now that solids are in the picture!

 

[sandyg]

thanks for your reply, have tried to give him a sippy cup but he just nashes on it with his gums!!! refused his last night feed yesterday as we had our first night out in 6 mths and I think he felt put out since we tried to feed him an hr later than usual .. so was one hungry baby this am but still had to be fed in a sleepy state totally refused to take bottle fully awake but it's amazing how quickly they can get themselves into a sleepy state to feed when they are hungry!!!I call it his medatative state!!! he is one stubborn child.

 

[arithi]

same problem

Same problem with me - baby is only 3 months old and he's making feeding time v difficult. On good days he'll empty the 5oz soon but more often than not, he'll turn his head to and from both sides and refusing his milk.

he was sleeping through the night for a while but has regressed back into waking at night for a feed, drink a little, go back to sleep and getting up again in the next hour for another go at the bottle. I'm not sure whether he's growing at the right pace....

Any advice on why this is?

I have the exact situation now.. could you please advise to come over it.

Thank you

 

[chanchinsang]

I am going through the same situation here....very desperate. Just found out this site last night and grateful if someone who has gone through this with success to share their experience. Is your baby now healthy and fit and big?