When baby's off his milk

General medical advice now is to wait until six months, but some babies will be hungry for

more than just milk by four months. (Don't try any earlier than this as their digestive

system is not ready.) They will show signs of wanting more feeds or, having settled into a

night sleep routine, will start to wake more frequently again.

First experiences of eating are, to some babies, simply a distraction from milk so don't be

put off if your child shows little or no interest in the apple you lovingly steamed and

mashed. Don't force them to eat; it might take a couple of months before he or she isready.
However, some babies are more than ready, and the array of new tastes (despite being simple

and bland, as no flavourings should be added at all) to them seem far more interesting than

boring old milk.

If you are using formula milk, the packaging will give you a table showing how much, on

average, your baby should be drinking each day. It can be as much as 35floz (or about a

litre). If you are breastfeeding, you are more likely to be gauging intake by the number of

feeds you are giving a day.

Whilst you do not want to discourage a baby's new found interest in food, you do need to

maintain a good milk intake and this should not drop, ideally, below about 22-25floz

(650-800ml) a day so think about giving the milk feeds at very separate times to the solids

feeds and perhaps offer a little cooled, boiled water with the food, instead.

Usually, when weaning, you would offer solids before the milk so that your child does not

fill up too much, but if you are worried about milk intake, make the bottle or breast a

priority before at least one meal. Night and morning feeds should remain unaffected but the

lack in milk-appetite during the day.

Teething
Although some babies' teeth break through earlier, the average age for a first tooth to

break through is about four to seven months. Not great timing, considering they are probably

getting used to food around now and in many cases, a breastfeeding mother may be trying to

switch to bottle feeds in readiness to go back to work.

Some babies are soothed by breastfeeding but many, despite a hungry latching on, will

quickly come away from the breast if they are in pain. Often these bouts will not last too

long and if you experience the odd day when your baby has not drunk their full quota of milk

then you shouldn't worry.

Baby paracetamols, something chilled to eat (if they are eating solids) or some chilled

boiled water might help reduce the discomfort in your child's mouth and then milk feeding

can be tried again. Don't get frustrated though, if the feeding is on/off through the day,

you are not the first person to go through this!

From breast to bottle
The sucking instinct in babies is an amazing first talent, but some babies will switch from

the breast to a teat far more easily than others.

First there is the change in position. Even though you are holding your baby close to you,

it does not replace the feeling of their cheek against your skin as they feed. Practice and

reassuring words from you will ease this transition. It might be necessary to get someone

else to do the first bottle feeds when you are not present while your baby gets used to the

change.

If you have not used bottles before, you may get lucky and instantly hit on one that your

child likes. However, teats have differing flow sizes to suit different ages of baby, so

check you are using the right one otherwise your baby may be deluged by milk or get

frustrated when a feed takes hours longer than he or she is used to. The packaging will

guide to you to the right one for your baby's age.

Those babies who have real trouble getting used to a teat, at any age in their first year,

often do better with a latex teat (rather than a silicon one), which has a softer and more

nipple-like feel to it. These should be available at a well-stocked chemist and in many

larger baby product stores, even if they are not stocked as widely as regular bottles and

teats.

Then there is the taste of the formula milk. Whether you go for one of the big brands or

even something like organic nanny goat milk, your child will know it's not what they have

been drinking, so again, a little trial and error might be in order. Make sure the milk

isn't too hot (nanny goat milk, for example, can get a little bitter if it has been

overheated) and think about trying them in the small ready-mixed cartons so that you haven't

invested in a huge box of one formula only to find your baby hates it!

If you want to get your baby used to a bottle but they are reluctant, you can get them used

to it by using it for cool boiled water or for expressed breast milk before trying a

formula.

Keeping up fluids
Even on days when your baby really isn't interested in his or her milk, make sure they are

taking in some cool, boiled water so that they do not dehydrate. Don't give fruit juices to

a young baby as these contain unnecessary sugars.

Trust your instincts

If your baby is thriving (putting on a regular amount of weight against their own growth

chart rather than by comparing them to another larger or smaller child of a similar age)

then they may have simply adjusted to as much milk as they need. Keep a watch on how much

milk they are tending to drink through a day and mention it when you next see a health

visitor, but do not be alarmed - baby's change their habits just like you do!