11 month old refusing to drink.?

Question

My 11 month just weaned herself from breastfeeding last week. Now, she won't drink! She will not breastfeed or take a bottle or sippy cup (i've tried bultiple different kinds of both!) And we've tried both formula and whole milk. She will drink about 5 ounces a day if we're lucky. She does get about 5-6 ounces of milk in her cereal 2x a day.

She is not congested. I have tried both warm and cold liquids.

Answer 1

At meal and snack times, when she is seated in her high chair, try offering her a little milk in a cup without a lid. Some kids just don't really care for sippy cups. She may like a straw better, too. If she is drinking some milk plus gets milk in her cereal she may be getting all the milk she needs nutritionally. As babies approach a year old, it is common for some to drink less as they are getting more nutrients from foods. Offer your daughter a variety of calcium rich foods such as whole milk yogurt, cottage cheese, soft cheeses, and foods you make with milk, such as pudding. You can also try foods such as broccoli, peas, baked beans, and packaged foods fortified with calcium such as bread, cereal, and juice. Just watch the juice consumption and limit it to 4-6 ounces per day. Dilute it at least 1/2 with water. If she is eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of types of healthy foods, she is likely getting all the nutrition she needs despite her lack of milk drinking. ADDED: My middle daughter also self-weaned at 11 months. I wouldn't call it a nursing strike as she simply would not sit still long enough to be bothered by nursing. She walked at 10 months and spent all her time after that trying to keep up with a big sister and brother. I tried numerous times over several weeks to get her to keep nursing, but she obviously wasn't going to despite the fact I would have liked to continue.

Answer 2

You said he was ok with 1/2 milk and 1/2 formula. Now try a little more milk than 1/2 and less formula and keep working up to full milk. If he doesn't like it cold, try warming the milk up a little to take the chill out of it. Does he eat oatmeal or cereals that you can add the milk to? That's another way you can get him used to the milk. Have you tried a sippy cup? If the milk is not in a bottle, maybe he will take to it better.

Answer 3

She probably doesn't like the taste of the milk anymore, and everytime she sees a bottle or your breast, she thinks of the taste that she doesn't like and won't drink anything at all. See if she will drink from a straw in an adult cup (maybe she's starting to notice that no one else is drinking breastmilk). And be nonchalant about giving her the liquids - try not to pay too much attention and she may give you the results you are looking for.

Answer 4

A 'nursing strike' is common around that age, and genuine self-weaning is rare before 18-24 months.

Put her back to the breast... Am in a bit of a rush here, but http://kellymom.com/ has a lot on (1) nursing strikes, (2) self-weaning, (3) getting a baby back on the breast.

Answer 5

The first thing I thought of was are her gums bothering her? My daughter would get like that when she didn't want anything to touch her gums. Are you using warm liquid or cold? Also, is she congested? Maybe she can't breathe through her nose?

Answer 6

try a straw or a variety of drinks and let her pick one out. Let her pick out a cup. She is at risk for dehydration and electrolyte imbalance if she continues not to drink. I personally would contact my pediatrician.

Answer 7

Not to worry , sounds like she is not hungry , she will drink enough to keep her happy :O)