# Nearly 10 m.o won't take formula and BM is reducing



## sueoz (Apr 26, 2005)

Hi Jeanette,

Hope you are well. Gosh you've been busy since last time I posted! Must take you hours to reply to all these posts.

DD is almost 10 months, been on solids since just after 5 months. Loves her food and is eating all the food groups, self feeding on finger food and can drink from a cup. Likes water and if left to her own devices will take about 200 mls a day from sippy cup, would drink more but gets distracted and drinks too fast/chokes self, spills it etc. Don't know what she weighs but in the region of 8.5-9kg and is steady on %iles, she's thriving and quite advanced with her milestones etc.

Has only ever had breast milk and will take a teat fine. Has 4-5 x BF a day at 7, 12, (optional 3pm)6.30 & DF (doing that for my supply) Have started trying to replace one BF a day with formula but she will either refuse altogether or just take 1oz, have tried flavouring it with vanilla/cinnamon, different containers, different times - will just keep persevering.

Now we have a new problem that DH has gone away to work and I got tired and run down and nearly lost my milk, managed to get it back up again but its temperamental now and is going through another low patch.

Her urine output seems adequate and she's happy but I have noticed when there is less milk that her urine smells stronger and her breath is a little smelly. As soon as I supplement her with extra water by giving her warm water in a bottle a couple of times a day she smells better (I give an extra 150-200 mls, so 350-400 total over 24 hrs).

Have been trying to work out if I need to give her even more water whilst I am trying to get some formula into her. Am going to express to try and guestimate how much BM she is getting but I'm certain its less than 500 mls (maybe in the region of 350?). She has some cows milk in her porridge and about 60 mls yoghurt and a slice of cheese each day. Am upping the dairy to compensate from now.

I looked up fluid intake for babies and worked out she needs 850 mls fluid a day, so she may need another 100 mls more water but am worried about giving her too much water if I have bit more BM than I think. Would she drink it if she didn't want it as it is coming from a bottle rather than a cup?

I have tried to find out what the urine output and insensible water loss for a baby is supposed to be as I thought this would also give me an idea how much BM she is getting but there's not much free info on internet. Found somewhere that its supposed to be 0.5 mls/kg/hr urine output which would put her at 102 mls/day. That seems very low to me and am sure she is doing way more than that. She probably excretes that much overnight. 

Perhaps it seems as if I am getting too scientific but I really am sure the supply is below adequate and just don't want her to get dehydrated. All the literature says babies need 500-600 mls BM a day and 'offer water' but they don't say how much. Its all very well when your BM is in abundance but mine isn't anymore!

Thanks for your time

Sue


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## sueoz (Apr 26, 2005)

P.S Enjoy your holiday, I will stick with what I'm doing until you get back.


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## jeanette (May 3, 2003)

Hi Sue

Im so sorry but my head is in ''holiday mode' now!!!!

I will catch up when i get back!!   

Jxxx


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## sueoz (Apr 26, 2005)

Hi Jeanette,

Just to say don't worry about replying as the situation has now changed entirely. 

I ended up getting very bad gastro (I think rotavirus) and got v dehydrated and hardly any milk. She still wouldn't take formula and was fine with the water and food instead. Managed to get a formula banana smoothie into her a couple of times but then she got wise to that too. Have had IV fluids and am on maxalon for a week til I recover to boost my supply and there is plenty there at the moment. 

Have accepted that she knows what's good for her and am giving up giving up breastfeeding! Will keep going 4-5 feeds a day til she's one and then cut down to am & pm with lots of cows milk in food. Am not going to stress about the water, and will give her extra if she's whiffy. I did express before I was ill and think I had about 3-400mls a day. Probably have at least 500 on the maxalon. If it goes down again, it goes down - you can lead a baby to formula but you can't make them drink! I will go to GP though to see whether she perhaps needs some vitamin supps as not having any fortified cereals or follow on milk.

Hope you had a great holiday

Sue


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