Question
The baby cries when drinking from the bottle, is 8 months old, and is on mixed feeding. Recently, the baby has refused to drink from the bottle or formula milk, only accepting breast milk and solid foods. This has been going on for a week, and the baby doesn’t cry or fuss even after 5 hours without eating anything, as if they aren’t feeling hungry.
Answer
If the baby refuses the bottle, you can try feeding with a cup or a small spoon. Additionally, you can express breast milk into the bottle; if the baby still won’t accept it, switch to a cup or a small spoon. To avoid dependency on breast milk, it’s recommended to mix breast milk with formula milk once the baby gets used to the bottle or cup, gradually reducing the breast milk proportion until the baby fully adapts to formula milk. Usually, the baby will naturally regain their appetite after about one month. Although weaning period may temporarily reduce milk intake, most of the baby’s growth and development can still be maintained normally, and there is no evidence to show that it will affect intellectual development. Therefore, parents should not worry too much.