Too much milk! Help!

[Noomie]

Just after advice on how to get through to a mum.

Her nearly 1 year old is still having 4/5 bottles of formula a day! He doesn't eat very many solids and she is worried as they are supposed to be off formula by 1. It's quite obvious really. Too much milk = not hungry. I have tried subtlety to no avail. That is, "Oh, he hasn't had his 12 o'clock bottle yet? Great, I shall try lunch and if he doesn't eat much, I'll give him his bottle."

Response is scrunched up face, "Oh, ok, but I don't want him to be hungry".

Cue 1 year old gobbling up lunch as he hasn't had a bottle. I offer bottle anyway, he drinks 40mls (supposed to have 180ml at this time!) cos he has eaten so much. Report back, doesn't seem to get noted.

I've tried saying that the other 1 year olds I care for don't have this many bottles. One has a nooner, the other has no bottle all day!

When she has just given him his 12 o'clock bottle and asks me to try lunch, I tell her that I won't as he won't be hungry after a bottle and I'll try a snack mid-afternoon. Also has a bottle after 3pm. How is he going to want tea?

Help!

[jumpinjen]

Tricky one. Perhaps you could suggest that she speaks to her health visitor for advice... or get some weaning leaflets from the health centre/children's centre and give them to her. perhaps have a chat and say you have noted she has concerns and perhaps you can sit down together and make a plan then write it down and give it to her... e.g lunch, small bottle offered after, snack, small bottle offered after etc. Suggest some things she could make for him.... does she provide food or do you?

jen x

[Noomie]

I do the food. Always finger food as he doesn't take spoon feeding very well. Perhaps I should give her some finger food ideas so that she doesn't see his refusal of spoon-feeding as a refusal of solids? But then again, he only picks at finger foods if he has just had a bottle.

I have even tried keeping a food diary in the back of his book. I think she knows he has too much milk. She just wants to keep him a babe. She also didn't want him to go into a forward facing seat. The boy couldn't fit into an infant seat at 10mths, he's a big boy.

[FizzWizz]

My DD still had 4 milk feeds each day at that age (my DS would not take milk in the day from 8 months so all different!) but I think it is more of a timing issue - like you say there is no way they will want lunch straight after a bottle - is there any way you can persuade mum to let you give the morning bottle at about 10am giving them a chance to be hungry for lunch then another at 2 / 2.30 after nap time? Good luck!

[mushpea]

I have the same thing with a child who is 1yrold,,, he wont eat much lunch and i have said that maybe 4 bottles is too much yet it falls on deaf ears,, she is also worried about him not eating much,,, I gave up and decided that theres only so much advice i can give without actutaly telling her what to do so have now left it up to mum.

[singlewiththree]

Can you suggest to mum that he tries a cup of milk now that he is 1. I find when they switch to a cup instead they drink less and the recommendations are a cup after 1 :)

[jumpinjen]

And he could be given his own spoon if he is rejecting being fed by someone else? perhaps try little and often between his bottles to fit his needs.... I know not ideal but some rice pudding with fruit an hour and a half after his bottle might tempt him, it doesn't matter if it isn't 'lunchtime' for everyone..... i know more hassle but it might begin to get him eating more?

jen x

[Mel_Johnson]

Some kids just don't like to be spoon fed, my son didn't. He always wanted to feed himself, it was messy but that's what we did. Not everyone is amazed at how good he is with cutlery (20months).

I do agree that some children are just not ready for milk till they are a bit older my son only wanted milk till he was 9 months (breastfed) and I always offered him food before milk

[Zoomie]

too much milk (like that 10L sippy cup on one of the formula adds on tv) makes the stomach work too much and then LO body uses all its energy 'processing the milk' instead of growing and developing.

Also like to cause diarrhoea.

try googling too much milk bad and see what comes up

[Noomie]

Some great suggestions.

I only have him 12-6 two / three days a week so can't have an influence on morning bottles. I do try mid-bottle snacks, but that isn't getting him eating more solids really and having proper meals. He has breakfast with her (sometimes) and supposed to have lunch and dinner with me. But he doesn't as he has had milk before coming to me and a bottle just before dinner.

I agree about it could be timed better. When waking between 6/7 he has a bottle. 9ish he has breakfast. 10am bottle. 12ish - lunch. 2ish bottle. 5ish dinner. 7ish bottle. There you go, 4 bottles and 3 meals!!!!

I always plan finger foods for dinner when he is here. I put one of those IKEA bibs on that cover arms and all. Then let him get on in there!

He is intolerant to lactose apparently so cup of milk is out of question.

I guess it's not that often I have him and you can't change people's views. I would just love to see him loving his food as much as the other babes do.