My 7 mo old only wants baby food, will not take the bottle anymore-is this OK?

[Anonymous]

My 7 month old has begun refusing the bottle at daycare, I sent 22 oz and this week we are lucky if she takes a total of 6 oz in 8 hours....HOWEVER, she grunts until she gets her rice cereal and fruit or vege. Daycare has started giving this to her for morning and lunch and I do so at dinner too. But other than a good nite 5 oz bottle and a middle of the nite 5 oz bottle all she wants is food. Is this normal and or healthy...I haven't called the pediatrician yet b/c i am thinking it may just be a phase. Anyone else have similar experience ? I find it so ironic though b/c my 3 yr old was IMPOSSIBLE to wean from the bottle.

Thanks for any info you can share.

[Anonymous]

Call your ped - the minimum formula/breastmilk at this age is like 18-22oz maybe? Formula/breastmilk should be the primary food until age 1. It is far more nutritious than any baby food you can give her - plus her stomach can break the milk down into nutrients much better than baby food.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP that you should call your ped -- formula/BM should be the primary source of nutrition until age 1. Babies need the fat and calories in the milk to grow and develop properly.

One thing you could try is to mix the solids you're currently feeding your baby with BM or formula. DS was exclusively BF, but he is a skinny little guy, and our ped recommended mixing a heaping scoop of the powder formula in with his cereal and fruit at meals to help get the calories into him. We didn't end up doing that, just mixed in additional pumped BM, but it's something you could think about trying with your kiddo.

Good luck!