Q: Our 7 months old baby boy is taking nearly 200 ml of formula milk a day and that too when fed forcibly. In between he takes little bit of mother's breast milk 3-4 times a day. He refuses feed every time we try even when he is hungry (after a gap of more than 3-4 hours). It is very painful to see him cry helplessly when we force him for a feed but we are helpless and clueless and don’t know what to do. He wakes up very frequently in the night. We are facing this problem for the last 10 days. Prior to that although he was a bit fussy while taking milk but would take it nicely when hungry (both ways - through bottle or spoon). My wife had undergone breast surgery for mastitis, following which the milk production reduced substantially and she has developed a sore nipple too. Please advise.

A:A seven month old baby should be getting milk as well as weaning foods like banana, apple purée, boiled mashed potatoes, etc. Other fruits and vegetables should also be tried. After introducing fruits and vegetables cereals need to be introduced such as wheat and rice.

Often babies who prefer breastfeeding are reluctant to take formula feeds from a bottle. Instead of a formula feed, try home made dahi with a cup and spoon or any of the fruits and vegetables mashed with milk.