Help with Feeding - Chicago,IL

I'm so sorry you have to wean her and are having trouble! I don't have any direct experience with this (my 14 month old still breastfeeds) but I would see if you can get her to drink formula or breast milk from a sippy cup - which may be different enough from a bottle that she'll do it. Also, have someone else give her a bottle (not you - why would she take a bottle when she knows that the breast is available?) while you're out. You can try gradually mixing formula and EBM to get her used to the taste. If she's losing weight you can increase the amount of solids she's getting at this age. Especially if she's not taking much milk. If you mix EBM or formula with cereal, that will be another way to get more into her (assuming she'll eat it). You can also mix it with mashed potatoes. She may take in more calories if it's "interesting". My son is really skinny (runs about 10th percentile for weight) and we put butter on his veggies, feed him whole milk yogurt, peanut butter (once he turned 12 months) etc - lots of good high calorie food - he's still skinny but gains steadily.

I am going through the same thing with my 9 month old. (The second issue, especially) He is also on the small size. He is eating 3 meals a day of fruit, veggies, and cereal. I have started pumping for one of his feedings and offering him EBM in a sippy cup. He refused for a while, but now is taking a little bit out of the cup. sometimes from a regular cup, sometimes from a sippy cup. I also add EBM to his veggies and cereal to increase the amount of BM he is getting. Good luck

First of all, in response to the mother that said that your daughter isn't gettting enought iron from BM, that's incorrect. She can be completely healthy getting all of her necessary nutrients (including iron) exclusively until she is 1. WHO states that is the best nutrition and the most complete.
Secondly, I agree with everyone that she may just be needing/wanting something different. It may be time to start with solids. My 10 month old eats solids 2-3 times a day and still nurses 6-7 times a day, so they need a lot of calories at this age. Has she been cutting teeth? Sometimes avid breastfeeders will cut back on the sucking b/c it hurts. Maybe a frozen banana would be good.

I hope all goes well and wish you the best on being a SAHM. It is tough but great road.

H.

She really is old enough that she should be eating alomst 3 meals a day of baby food and cereal. In fact she really should be eating sereal because BM no longer contains the iron she needs and she can end up being anemic. Try mixing her cereal with BM, and give her formula then. My daughter who was exclusinvely BF wouldn't take it either. I would mix pureed pears in with it to make a smoothie, then she would take it. Good luck!

First off is there a reason she is not on solids at all yet? Just wondering if maybe some high calorie foods would help her out. She may be getting more than you think because they are very efficient at the breast by this age. Did she actually lose weight or did she just drop percentiles? I know someone who had this same issue. It seems really funny but she bought a bottle from babies r us called Podee I believe. It is a nipple that has a straw that goes into the bottle so they can drink sitting up because her baby didn't like to lay down anymore and it worked.