HELP!!!! 8 Month Old Refusing Bottle and Barely Eating.....

Try a different formula. He may be saying in the morning "Mom, I am hungry enough to drink this now, but later in the day I am not hungry enough to eat it and I really don't like it"

Be less concerned with quantity and more with quality of foods. Try some different (favored) foods and know that kids go through cycles. He may have a week where he doesn't seem to eat to much, and then he will eat everything in sight for a day or two. As long as he isn't losing weight or becoming apathetic, he should be fine. Just keep an eye on him.

Hang in there...

Hi D.-
I don't have first hand experience on this one, but my older sister has a 3.5 month old who is exhibiting the same behaviors. He won't take his bottle, he fusses...but there are no teeth that we can feel and his doc says he is just fine. As far as the poo goes, if he is changing his diet that rapidly there are bound to be intestinal changes as well. The digesting of dairy can cause lots of softies and runnies.
If it is just a matter of eating in general, here are 2 things we tried and after about 2 weeks they are starting to work. My nephew loves his changing table. It seems that nudity is a plus for him. =) So I lay him on his table, unhitch his diaper, and stick the bottle in his mouth. He plays with it some, but eventually eats it all. THis is a great time for his mom to go and pump, too. The other thing is that while he should be wanting to sit up more, the arched back tantrums are starting, so feeding is ridiculously hard. BUT, he is eating full bottles.
The other thing is that he may be hitting a pause in his growth and eating less.
My last thought is trying a different formula. Look for one that is soy free. According to a number of sources, it is super hard on children's digestive system. They cannot properly break it down in their bodies. And cow's milk could be causing that same issue. Do you mix your formula with milk or water? Try a soy free formula that mixes with water- or use a rice milk. The best thing I think is to remove one item at a time or change one item at a time until you see a change or improvement in him. The only issue is that because he is growing and changing so much so quickly, this may change in a week or 2 and then you are back to square one. I would not worry about the poops until he is eating fiber and such. Liquid in equals liquid out. Pureed in = pureed out.
If he acts like he feels sick and you are out of ideas, call your advice nurse/pediatrician and just ask a few general questions over the phone. I know that new mommies need assurance and encouragement and to know that their babies will go through all sorts of phazes and that it's normal. No 2 babies are alike.
I hope this helps!

Hi! My advice is to not stress over it. If your doctor has told you he is healthy, then I would just your son tell you when he's ready to eat. I went through that with my own son. He just didn't seem to be gaining any or enough weight to me. I was always so concerned about it and stressing over it. I would feel like I was doing something wrong or not being a very good mother. At times I felt very clueless or helpless. I would get really upset over it and almost convinced myself that he was going to be delayed because of it. My doctor had to keep reassuring me that my son was doing okay and that he was healthy. For his weight he has always been just barely on the charts. But my doctor told me he wasn't worried to much because even though he was always just barely on the charts, each time he was weighed, his weight went up and not down. He too told me to offer cheese and yogurt and some meats. He told me that my son would eat when he was ready. I would offer him little bits to eat, he still wouldn't eat very much. But I kept offering them and eventually he started to try the new foods. He is now 2 1/2 and is still not a big eater, but he does eat. He is also healthy and so far shows no sign of being delayed. He actually sings songs he hears on TV and he started counting and saying his colors. It's so fun to see that. I learned that it was probably affecting me more than my son when I was stressing over him not eating enough. I finally learned to relax about it and trust my son and now he really does tell me when he is hungry. So as long as your doctor feels that your son is healthy and growing normally, my advice to you is to not stress over it and let your worries take over. Trust in your son that he will let you know when he is ready but still offer him foods that was suggested by your doctor. Good luck.

I also agree that it could be a tummy bug of some kind but also but, & I may be repeating another repsonse here, it could also be a growth spurt. A lot of times when kids hit a growth spurt, esp. babies, it effects their eating & sleeping patterns. All kids are sensitive to changes in their environemtn/routine. Even tho he's just 8 months, the change in sleeping & eating are his way of acknowledging that. Anything new/different/unsettling going on? Also keep in mind that about your son's age, some babies switch to 2 naps a day. I also agree you should push your ped. on the runny poops. Best of luck & Merry Chirstmas!

I remember my youngest son (who is now 20 yrs old) was a very finicky eater. I had to dip the tip of the bottle's (nipple?) in Gerber's custard pudding just to get him to drink his bottle. This seemed to work. It took a while. Since my heritage is Hispanic I used to make him alot of manzanilla tea and he would love drinking this.

After the scandal with melamine in China, it comes to mind to check his formula. You know that many (actually most) formulas in the US contain melamine in them as well? It is not as highly concentrated as in China, but nevertheless is something to be concerned about. Here is some info about it:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27914218/

Good Start was on the list of formulas that has small amount of melamine. It could be that something else in that particular formula is not good for him, and he refuses it. I'd recommend going with the Organic formula instead, such as Earth's Best, or Similac (although the later also was found to have some minimal amount of melamine). Just try something different for him. But as other's pointed out it could be that his tummy is giving him problems, and he instinctively is trying to heal by not eating. My boys do not eat much when they are teething. They are now 17 months old, and could go without solids all day, when teething.

I'm guessing there's something in the formula which bother him / he's allergic to / can't digest. Many kids can't tolerate cow milk / dairy products. Soy is also not recommended before 1 yr. I'd try a formula with a different base. You can also make your own - there are some recipes online, some which I think are goat milk based (easier on the tummy). A friend told me he used amazake (fermented almond milk drink) with his son. You can find that in health food stores.

He might have a tummy bug, or, maybe he wants to try feeding himself something. Is he picking things up yet? You might try making him some soft rice, Let him feed it to himself, Rice will help stop the diahrea. He may be teething but the tooth is still too far under the gum to feel. For liquids, try a soft sippy, Nuby makes soft topped ones, all he has to do is bite down to get it to flow, and, a lady previously said she offered her child manzanilla tea, I used chamomile (other name for manzanilla) with my daughter too, and she really liked it!! If you can get him to take some applesauce, peaches, and ood watery veggies or fruits a couple of times a day that would help with fluids and calories. But, if he's had runny poo for the last month, I'd be sure to tell the pediatrician that, and be insistant that he looks into it.

Accidophilus IS A MUST for anyone with runny poops.

I would try giving him fresca - A refreshing drink made from a glass of water and 2 t chia seed, add lemon juice to taste and a little sweetner like aguave nectar.

Chia seed - mixed in water will turn into a gel after 20 minutes or so (tasteless).but boy is chia packed with goodness:

More calcium than 2% milk
More antioxidants than blueberry
easily didgested protien
more fiber than bran
oils that help absorb vit A,D,E,K

then if you can,try to get him to take Cod liver oil, 1 or 2 t a day. A very high source of Vit A and D.

Sometimes a lack of desire to eat is a thiamine (B1)deficiency.

All of these items are available at your local health food store.

Hi.. MERRY CHRISTMAS!....

I having been working with nutrition for over 12 years and I have a few thoughts...

Try goat milk.. bottle or a sippy cup if necessary.. they have some that are like bottles and work well. My grandson loves his cup and gave up the bottle for it. Also, check the gums and mouth for sores or tender spots from bottle.
He may have pressure 'sores" that hurt when he sucks.. I sippy cup may change the pressure.

Also, 8 months is a bit young for milk products and can cause stomach challengs you might not want. Do not use soy as it is a problem for children/ thyroid issues.

I would recommend using vegs that are high in calcium and offering water as much as possible. You can add some organic apple juice and organic grape juice to the water to just add flavor.. not much. If you child is ready for a spoon,you can get goat milk yogurts also.

I hope this helps.. feel free to contact me if you so desire.

L. M

I would say don't worry if he is gaining weight, but I think you should insist your doctor make sure the runny poo thing is nothing. It might be nothing, but the doctor needs to be absolutely sure. After a horrendous medical experience with my son last year, I can tell you that you need to be your child's advocate and be very insistent with doctors.

Maybe this is late, but my son (who is now nearly 1) went through this. He seems to go through phases where he doesn't want all sorts of things. Even one day he will guzzle a food and the next won't touch it. I think you have to go with it and not worry too much (unless they are not gaining weight etc). I think in the end is usually balances out...

E.

You're right to be concerned. I would say teething for sure, but you say definately not. If you are concerned about fluid intake, be sure he drinks water. Our bodies need this to keep our organs working properly. If he doesn't like plain water, spice it up with frozen fruit, or flavored ice cubes or find some magic combo that works for you. My boys are 9 months and four years and they both drink Shaklee soy protein mixed with powdered vitamins everyday. Because of that, when either goes through a non-eating phase, I dont have to worry about their actual health.

I hope you figure it out. It's stressful for you I know. Best of luck...

My daughter had a bout with rotavirus and refused to eat as whenever she did she had diarhea. I had to put pedialite in her bottles and gradually bring her fluids back up. After she recovered she often repeated the behavior every time she had a more minor stmach virus. If your son has diarhea you can try a formula by Isomil that is specially made for the treatment of that. Or maybe some pedialite mixed with water if he'll take that. The Dr. Sears baby book I found had the best advice and information on dealling with diarhea; Each time she was sick we would put her on Isomil mixed with half pedialite and gradually up the ratio of formula in the bottle. After she tolerated all isomil for a few days we would switch back to her regular formula. I don't know if your son truly has a virus but loose and yucky (greenish) stool is often an indication of one. As for solids Sears says stick to BRATY during that time; Bananas, Rice cereal, Applesauce, Toast and Yogurt.