8 Month Old Refusing Bottle

[Leigh]

This is a new one for me. I have an 8 month old who started Monday who doesn't want to take a bottle. He signs for food and pushes the bottle away. On Monday, I got about 12 oz into him. Yesterday, about 4. Today, about 1 oz. I have been mixing his cereal and baby food with (prepared) formula and getting it into him that way, and I have tried 4 styles of bottles, including the one he uses at home. He just doesn't want it.

Any tips on encouraging him to drink? Just call it refusal and let it go? He is a fat and healthy baby, perfectly happy, just doesn't want a bottle unless his mom gives it to him.

[TheMisplacedMidwestMom]

The last two infants I've had in care did this. Both of them were not sleeping through the night and taking in large of amounts of formula every time they woke up. Basically they had enough formula while at home they didn't want it with me. Both babies changed gears when the parents finally started reducing bottles at night and encouraging them to go back to sleep instead of getting a full meal.

Any chance this is occurring with yours?

[Leigh]

The last two infants I've had in care did this. Both of them were not sleeping through the night and taking in large of amounts of formula every time they woke up. Basically they had enough formula while at home they didn't want it with me. Both babies changed gears when the parents finally started reducing bottles at night and encouraging them to go back to sleep instead of getting a full meal.

Any chance this is occurring with yours?

Probably. Mom said that she gives him a bottle in the crib. So, he'd have one when he gets home, one before bed, one (or more?) overnight, one in the morning...that's 32-40 oz right there, depending on whether he gets one or two bottles at night.

That makes me worry less!

[hwichlaz]

I’d take it as a sign to switch him to a cup and put him on the same meal schedule as the older kids. 8 months is a bit younger than I am usually willing to do it, but not greatly so.

[Leigh]

I’d take it as a sign to switch him to a cup and put him on the same meal schedule as the older kids. 8 months is a bit younger than I am usually willing to do it, but not greatly so.

I have tried several cups, too. He seems totally uninterested in drinking at all (he squeezes his lips together and pushes my hand away when I try). He is on the same meal schedule, but he is on pureed food, still.