Baby Advice Anyone?

I know this is WAY off topic but I need help....and as so many of you are parents I thought I'd ask.

I'm trying to wean Laoise (4 1/2 months old now) from breast to formula. She's happy to drink from a bottle, and she will drink the ready to drink Aptamil (costs a fortune) but she refuses to drink the powdered Aptamil, we tried about 5 times over the course of a week. I have also tried SMA gold, no joy.

I have tried mixing the powdered Aptamil with the RTD stuff 50/50. no joy either.

I tasted both the powdered Aptamil and the RTD Aptamil and the RTD is definitely sweeter. (I think the little divil must have a sweet tooth from the breast milk, TLF didn't care he switched no problem.)

Anyone any suggestions. I don't want to have to express when I go back to work.  

 

Sounds like you're baby has a taste for the sweeter things in life. Breast milk is somewhat sweet so I reckon your little one probably likens the RTD one to your breast milk rather than the powdered one. The only thing I could suggest is maybe putting a little of some organic sweetener (just check with the district nurse first) in the powdered one then gradually cut it out. Not an ideal solution I know.

The other option is to tough it out with the powdered one until she gives in out of hunger. Could be stressful though. Sorry I can't help more.

Jen

I'd be inclined to agree with Jen - tough it out. Is she having any solid foods yet? I know that goes in trends but mine started solid food at 3 months and were completely off bottles by 5 months apart from one going to bed. ( no they haven't grown up with any allergies :))

So June what weight was she at birth and what is she now? Is she a strong and settled baby or is she wakeful and fretty?

Re introducing food to babies...I always started with mashed up veggies that I cooked myself - carrots, potatoe etc..the only thing shop bought was baby rice and neither of my kids were picky eaters. I couldn't understand babies who were picky...if there was no choice there was no choice so I just introduced them to heaps of tastes very early so they didn't have a "set" idea of what food should taste like. Yes there was some things they squirmed at initially....and you should have seen their faces when I gave them rhubarb (for the laugh!)...but I have to say they were both great eaters, on three meals a day at 4- 5 months and have zero food allergies or asthmatic conditions.

Good luck with  the next stage :)....and remember...LOTS of flavours. You are seeing already how she thinks milk should taste a particular way so when it does't she rejects it.

 For what it's worth , June,    (and I admit to being nine years out of touch!) you've probably noticed all the formula packs carry helplines.

 I remember consulting one (SMA) about changing to follow-on milk and found them very helpful and not in a 'salestalk' kind of way. I think they even sent me some samples  and a baby beaker!

Best of luck with it and I'm sure it will all work out for you.

Some suggestions from my wife:

1. Have you checked the teat?
    If its newborn the hole might be too small
2. Are the teats rubber or latex? She may not like  one or the other

3.Let someone else give her the bottle as she can smell your breast milk.


Hope these are of some assistance


Edited by finno

Great suggestions Finno. Please thank your wife for me. Unfortunately I know it's not the bottle as she will drink breast milk and ready to drink formula from the bottle no problem. So I am confident it's not the bottle. (Avent with latex teat, variable flow holes). Also she will drink the above from the bottle for me. But I have got hubby and family to try feeding her with the powdered formula with no more success than I have had.

However.............I had some success about an hour ago. I distracted her from the taste while giving her the bottle. I showed her a family photo slideshow on the computer and she was so engrossed watching that that she drank 120ml (4.5 oz) ok so not a full feed but it's definite progress. Maybe it was a fluke, we'll see tomorrow. Maybe she is starting to get used to the taste. Who knows. Anyway I am taking heart from it and will soldier on.

Am happy to hear any other suggestions though. I'll try anything!

June,

Good luck with it, and won't claim to be an expert. Both ours were big born and have remained that way. they were also both bottle fed from word go.

However, other friends of ours had a very light baby who has stayed light. However, it appears to me from the outside (and it's easy for me to say), that they have fallen into the trap of being so worried about his weight that they have given into every tantrum he's been up to.

Little divil refuses his food and they whip out a yoghurt. He has them wrapped around his little finger, and not just on food. He rules the roost and their unwillingness to stand up to him has him bullying kids and all sorts.

anyway, my advice would be to try to tough it out for at least some of the feeds. Not easy, I know - but longer term think it could e for the best?

There's nothing worse than a manipulative child....except for the poor mug of a parent who gives in to them! I'm seeing that with my Ciara. She has Daddy wrapped round her little finger and I'm forever giving out to him about it. She'll refuse to eat for him, knowing that he'll give in and give her something nice instead. Me, I don't take any of that malarky and she knows it. "Those are the rules." I say. She'll cry a bit but usually I end up getting the food into her. It's the only way. If you're not firm with them in the first few years you may as well throw your hat at it.

That's my sermon on parenting for the day.

Jen

GG, I rang the Aptamil helpline like you suggested and they were great. Apparently the plain Aptamil not the easy digest would be closer in taste to the RTD stuff. So will buy that and try it. They also suggested to just try her with 2 oz or so when she's not very hungry to adjust her. So I'll try all they suggested and see how it goes, but it was defintiely useful just chatting to them. Thanks for suggesting it. See you saturday.