[aclee]

Originally Posted by OakShannon

As I posted on another thread, D is a great eater. (He's 10 months old.) He eats a wide variety of foods and has a good diet. BUT - he has very little interest in his bottle. I think if I stopped giving him a bottle today, he wouldn't care.

I know he's going to stop taking formula in a couple of months anyway, but I'm worried that he's not getting enough iron and other nutrients because he sometimes drinks less than 14 oz a day. I mix it into his oatmeal sometimes. I've also tried putting it into a cup for him, but he doesn't like that. He wants water.

I'm guessing this is fine and I should just take cues from him. But I just didn't expect him to be refusing a bottle so early! Do you think I should ask his pedi about putting him on a multivitamin? At what age did your kids start staying, "No thanks, mom."

One of the NP's at our practice (the one I don't like, and WON'T be seeing again) read me the riot act that Tyler occasionally didn't get enough formula. She told me in no uncertain terms that if he's not getting 24 ounces of formula everyday, he's basically not getting enough to eat. That many people mistake a baby that is a good eater for a baby that needs less formula, but that solid food just couldn't provide what they need in such small servings. She said even if he was "chowing down" on everything we gave him, his intestinal track wasn't developed enough for him to break down and extract everything he needed from his food. She basically told me I was starving my kid and I was crying by the time I hit the parking lot. Like I said...NEVER going to see her again. I guess they have had other complaints on her.

SO. I guess long story short is we are now in the exact same boat. Tyler drinks from a sippy cup with meals but we have formula "milestones" everyday, or we adjust mealtimes. If he hasn't has 10 ounces by lunch, he gets a bottle and has to have that till he's taken a total of 10 ounces before he gets solids. I feel like a monster, but for us, weight and formula intake is a big deal. He. Gets. Angry. When he wants lunch, he wants lunch. Sometimes I will let him get close to 10 ounces, and then give him lunch, and formula in a sippy cup and every few bites have him take a few sips of formula. He does pretty well with the sippy cup and sometimes it seem the change of pace will help. I don't think Ty would care ever one little bit of all he had from today forward was a sippy cup. Well...maybe his night wakings he would care...cause he's really lazy if he wakes at night, and just wants to suck down some food as easy and fast as possible...but otherwise. No attachment to the bottle at all.

I don't know if age one is some magical age where the intestinal track switches on and they can suddenly drink cows milk and we don't have to monitor their fluids or what? Maybe age one has a fluid intake requirement as well. Maybe I'm doomed to follow this kid around between 6:00PM and bedtime with a bottle or sippy cup getting the last 4 ounces into him for the rest of his life.

If you ask your Dr, tell me what they say. I'd love some back up that there MUST be a range in what they need? How does a 25 pound 10 month old and 17 pound 10 month old need the same thing? Doesn't make sense...