8 month old not eating food feeling useless

[Babybumpdec]

Hi we been told our son as colic so to push the food more and reduce bottles to two a day we have porridge. Or rusks with milk in the morning which I feed him he will take that we try sandwiches cucumber fish fingers watermelon you name we have tried it and we just squidgy it in our hands and throw it on the floor or down the highchair so he's not eating it he refusing baby food the lumpy stuff he just gags on it worried that he's being miserable because he's hungry he doesn't sleep through most nights I really feel useless that I'm failing him because he won't eat what we give him x

 

[MindUtopia]

Have you already reduced the bottles? Two bottles a day, colic or not, doesn't sound like enough calories for any baby and personally I would ignore that advice. It's likely part of what's making you feel pressured to get him to eat and whenever it all gets pressured and stressful, they don't eat, which sounds like what's happening with him. Mine wasn't down to two bottles (by then, cups) of milk until probably 13-14 months. They really need the calories and having fewer calories means they have less interest in food, which could be part of what you're seeing as well. I would still be offering milk 2 hours before meals and then I would sit down and eat with him every meal. Eat the same thing. He could even sit on your lap and you share a plate and let him pick at food that he wants. But please don't feel like you're a failure. It doesn't happen overnight. We did blw from the start and she certainly was eating some of it, but not loads within about 2 weeks. But she didn't eat anything like a sizeable meal until closer to the end of 9 months to 10 months. And then it just took off. She was still having 4 bottles a day plus one overnight at 8 months. You really just need to sit on your hands. Don't try to get him to eat, don't get frustrated or stress, just sit with him and share a meal and don't make a big deal if he eats nothing, top up with milk later. He will get it. It just takes time. Mine was generally interested from the start, but it still took 3-4 months before she was eating lots at each meal. It's a lot for them to learn and a lot for their tummies to get used to, so it will be a slow process. Also, some babies (actually many) don't sleep through until toddlerhood. Mine never did once before 11 months and she didn't do it again consistently until she was 3.5. She dropped her night feeds from 9 months on her own though, so nothing to do with what she was eating. That's just how they are sometimes, so nothing you're doing wrong and nothing much you can usually do to change it other than to just go with it and get caught up on sleep when you can. Hang in there.

 

[Sarahcake]

I'm going to second the opinion that 2 bottles a day seems an incredibly small amount for an 8 month old. My son was having at least 4 in the day, with one at night and regular meals - which honestly, were more like little taster sessions with 98% flung from a great height!

I would be inclined to also say ignore the advice to get him down to two bottles, maybe add one back in and see how he is with that. Or if you want to stick to two, maybe use hungrier baby milk if your FF him?

I hope his colic settles soon and he starts to eat more than he smushes bless him

 

[maryanne1987]

My 8 month old still has 4-6 bottles a day. Even my 22 month old still has two cups of milk a day. Whoever told you that has given you very bad advice, especially if your baby isn't eating. Food before one is just for fun. My daughter loved her food, was eating what we were by 8 months, so was my eldest son. Yet my youngest isn't really that interested, I just give him food to mess around with and have a chomp on while we eat. We do offer purée too, sometimes he will eat it, some days he won't. Honestly don't go worrying. It's completely normal. As for the sleeping my daughter still doesn't sleep through but my youngest does so wouldn't say it's food related.

 

[Babybumpdec]

Thank you ladies it was the health visitor I spoke to as time after 5 he was grizzley unsettled crying thought babies outgrow colic he had it has a baby till 6 months then seemed abit better she said he should only be having 21oz milk a day the lactose in the milk causes the colic like symptoms hence reduce the amount as he was having, 5 bottles a day, I may just try the offering off my plate and see how he gets on with that and offer a bottle midday xx

 

[cupcake.]

My LO is 8 months old as well and still has 4 bottles, one of them at night. Sometimes she has 5 just depends.
And that's even though she is a really good eater. She has puree for lunch and loves feeding herself for brealfast and dinner but she still doesn't eat nearly enough to not need a bottle as well.
We started with solids at 6 months and she just now, maybe like a week or two ago, she really figured out how to chew and swallow and doesn't gag often anymore. Before that she gagged almost every bite and not much ended up in her tummy at all.

So i agree only 2 bottles a day seems really little and if your LO isn't really that interested in solids it'll probably only end up very stressful for both you and your baby.

If your baby is reacting to the lactose then there are special formulas that don't have that in them, maybe that would be a better route to go?

 

[WackyMumof2]

Someone once told me to not stress solids intake as long as they are still having formula/breast as most of their needs at the moment still come from milk. He may not be quite ready for solids. We had to pull DS3 back until he hit 10 months because he still preferred his bottle over solids. As long as he's got plenty of wet and dirty nappies and is still gaining weight, then I personally would battle though with the colic and try reducing that with gripe water etc than trying to get solids in him. He sounds like he's really not interested just yet.

 

[WackyMumof2]

Thank you ladies it was the health visitor I spoke to as time after 5 he was grizzley unsettled crying thought babies outgrow colic he had it has a baby till 6 months then seemed abit better she said he should only be having 21oz milk a day the lactose in the milk causes the colic like symptoms hence reduce the amount as he was having, 5 bottles a day, I may just try the offering off my plate and see how he gets on with that and offer a bottle midday xx

In regards to the lactose issues, try Goat formula. Our baby had big issues with cow's milk and it left him very unsettled and would often cry for longer than normal. We started him at 9 weeks and he's now 10 months. Goat has a more refined lactose and the lactose chains are smaller, thus making it much easier and gentler for them to digest. Goat is said to be a sweeter milk than cow too which is another reason it goes down well and makes the transition form cow to goat very easy. I can't say for sure though as I've got no issues with drinking dairy myself so I've never tried goat. I find the biggest issue is cost as it's expensive. I pay $38 for a 900gm tin of goat formula v $14.99 for a same size tin of cow. We average 1 tin a week based on 4 200ml bottles a day as well as 1 200ml bottle at night before bed. It's a beating on the pocket but if it's going down, staying down and is making for a much happier and settled baby, then the cost is well worth it!!

 

[noon_child]

Babies also cry from over tiredness and over stimulation at that time in the day, so it may have nothing to do with what he's eating/drinking.