BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Bottle Feeding => Topic started by: dribble1 on October 07, 2010, 02:46:35 am
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hi all
I am new here - have been reading the posts for weeks and have learnt so much.
My little man Finn is nearly 12 weeks old. We are on the EASY program although sometimes because of his short naps the E part goes a bit haywire (so it sometimes becomes EASY ASY EASY ASY and so on.... not sure what I can do about this other than continue to work on lengthening his naps>?)
Anyway, the question I have is more about reading his body language and cries.... I think it is him being overtired but am not sure so any help would be great.
Basically, sometimes he really fusses at the bottle and starts arching his back, straightening his legs and crying. When I take him to his room to put him down for a nap, I cuddle him against my chest but he basically tries to "crawl" up my chest - like he wants to get away from something.... the only way to calm him down is to stand up and hold him so he can't really crawl up me.
Does this sound like over tired/ over stimulated to you? He seems to go to sleep fairly easily after this happening... It can happen after he has only been awake for about 30 minutes or so but generally after only a short nap.
Any help would be super.
thanks
Deb :)
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How often does he do this? Everyday or not?
How long has it been going on?
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hi Liz
it started yesterday and happened at this morning's 7am feed also. He takes about 60ml, i stop and burp him and then when I put him back into the crook of my arm all hell breaks loose! He stretches his whole body out and cries loudly. Have been reading the BW book but the symptoms don't seem to fit into any one of the reasons.... he still curls his little tongue like he wants more bottle,,.,
It stops a bit when i lay him down on his back... so have been feeding him a bit like that but can't imagine it is terribly good for him lying flat on his back??
It seems like he has wind pain but I burp him and nothing comes out. I then lie him down and cycle his legs and nothing at that end either!!
He has done this once before for a couple of days (can't recall exactly when, maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago?)
It is so frustrating as he is only having small feeds. So last night, our cluster feeding did not go well at all and as a result he woke twice during the night (he was down to 1 feed during night - and on a good night that was at 3am - so 8 hours after going to bed).
Any ideas would be much appreciated.
thanks,
Deb
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Hi there
I have a fussy feeder too and I have learnt not to burp during a feed but to wait till he has finished and then burp right at the end. Sometimes he'll pull off the bottle but just for a breather as when I pop it back in he'll continue drinking. I know he's finished when he pushes it away with his tongue and gets cross. This is when i burp. My husband has a habit of trying to burp mid way and then Daniel gets cross and won't consider allowing the bottle back into his mouth.
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PP makes a sensible suggestion. Some babies do not like having their feeds interrupted to wind - others very much need it - it depends on the LO. My DD goes mad unless she is so full of wind that she can't feed at all anymore.
Trying different feeding positions is a good idea as well - sometimes they start to make an association between things and 'shaking it up' a bit can help. Flat on his back is not ideal but my DS went through a phase weher he wanted to be quite flat (I always felt it was because he was ex-BF and that was how he was used to being fed).
Some of the behaviour sounds a bit refluxy - but it wouldn't have started suddenly yesterday.
Have you tried changing teat size if he is nearing a change?
Do you think he is being affected by preteething pain at all?
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hi Liz
I went up to the next size teat after he had fussed a few times at the bottle. It has not changed things.
Am going to try to not burp him until absolutely necessary but he has always been a very "burpy" baby so I am not sure how I will go.
How would I know if it is pre-teething?
Yesterday was a real struggle as he only had 3 x 40 minute naps all day!! I tried everything but he just could not seem to go from the 10 minute light sleep into the deeper sleep. He would doze off and then wake 10 minutes later. The poor darling, he must have been so frustrated.
Luckily last night did not go too badly. He went to bed just before 7pm and woke at 2am for a feed. he then woke at 5.15am though and it took me 30 minutes to settle him - tried the dummy trick etc with limited success. He managed to get another 40 minute sleep though before waking just after 6.30am so we started the day then (only 1/2 hour before the 7am I would like so that is not too bad)...
Today is another day - fingers crossed his naps are better as i find it very draining when he does not nap.
thanks
Deb
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im having the same problems with my LO
Deb, i think we have been chatting on one of my post. our LOs sound like twins only 4 weeks apart.
My DD is 8 weeks and in the past 4 days every feed has become a drama, she wants it like mad and will knock back about 60mls then fusses, arches back, squirms etc, will i try her again she just screams. Feeding has become a real nightmare.
maybe thinking reflux????
I have been giving her this natural medicine we get here in NZ called Rhuger, its a mix of rhubarb and ginger, and anyway i didnt think it was helping as shes still be spitting up alot etc, so stopped using it a few days ago and thats when all this fussing started, so today we started it again.
I thought about feeding her in a different room but then i will begin to feel isolated.
sorry i cant really help you
Renee
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How would I know if it is pre-teething?
Try some teething gel 20 mins before a feed to see if it helps at all.
How did it go with the new feeding position.
Reflux is always a possibility - but it is hard to say that when it only started so recently. Sometimes you need a bit longer for a recognisable pattern to develop.
Citrinegirl - I kwym about feeling isolated - but perhaps at least try feeding her in a quiet room and see if it helps at all. As they get older and get so much more distractable thay often NEED that quiet room anyway - usually at 4 mths plus. My DD is 4.5 mths and is now a nightmare to feed - looking at this and that, smiling, trying to eat and suck her fingers at the same time, waving her arms around etc etc etc. You get the idea. I only got 3 out of 5 feeds in her today and that was IN a quiet room. Some LOs will feed anywhere, but not all. At 8 weeks reflux is more of a possibility though. Come see us on the reflux board if you are worried and we can try and help more.
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hi there
things were a bit better yesterday/last night.... I think it is over tiredness..... what helped was I fed him in a slightly different position and facing into the back of the couch so he had no real stimulation.
The before bed feed was a bit average too so I am thinking it is over tiredness.
And he regurgitated a few times yesterday but only small amounts so am not bothered about it. Will see how today goes on that one.
On the plus side, he slept from 6.30pm until 4.30am!!! yahoooooooo. And he went down for his first nap really well this morning. I think I am starting to read most of his cues well... every day is a new day though!
Renee, have you tried a different teat size? Maybe she is getting frustrated as it is not coming through fast enough? You have probably thought of that already no doubt :)
I am going to have some Y time now...
Deb
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That is good news.
I have tried this approach with my fussy 4 mth old today and always feeding after a nap has really helped me. She has fed really well!
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i dont think its the teat size, she fusses even before the bottle gets anywhere near her.
Ive tried feeding in different positions and places but doesnt seem to make a difference, she will take the first 60-80mls ok then cries and grizzles when i try to give her more. Its getting to the point where if i didnt force her she probably wouldnt take much each feed. Last night she went down at 7.45pm and didnt wake up till 5.50am so we pretty happy with that, tonight maybe different as she hasnt had much today so she may wake twice during night.
We have plunket nurses here in NZ so will contact them tomorrow.
dont think my ticker is updating her age, think its been the same for past 3 days :-(
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citrinegirl - my ds was like this at around that age (now 4.5 months) and in the end i took him to see as cranial osteopath - problems in the neck/head due to delivery or awkward position in the womb can make it painful to suck.
Anyway, after arriving home after the first session - £37 for about 30 mins (!!!!) - he drank all his feeds that day. That was evidence enough for me, we had a further 4 or 5 sessions and now feeds are great!
Just a thought if everything else fails.
x
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If you are concerned then do speak to your nurse - like I say 2 mths ish is typical reflux age really :(.
But please try not to force the feed on them. I know that they need it and I know that we as Mama's worry if we are not managing to feed our LOs. But pushing too hard can cause feeding aversions and feeding difficulties in its own right. My older one had feeding aversion due to uncontrolled reflux and it was so hard to overcome. So just offer the feed and if they refuse let them and feed on cue or at 4 hrs (whichever comes first) the next time.
((hugs)) I know how hard it is :'(
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im having the exact same problems with my 7 week old daughter but she only rejects the last bottle before bed. she is fine with every bottle through the day time but that last bottle before bed she just screams through. its horrible. she is also a reflux baby and is on baby gaviscon and thickened formula and she does not spit up anymore. the poor lil darlin is also lactose intolorent. i have tried changeing routein so her last bottle is at a different time but nothing seems to work :( i dont understand why she is fine with her bottles through the day. she loves her bottles untill the night time one. :( any advice on how to stop this happening or why this is happening?
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ashlee2010 - how are naps and day sleep for your LO? If she is only rejecting the last bottle it could be that she is overtired by bed time or it's too close to her previous feed.
Laura
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hi laura, i actually thought of that today aswell. because she does not really sleep during the day, just has very short cap naps. ive tried to get her in the feed, awake sleep routein but she just wont have it. she waits untill that 8 hr sleep from 8:30 till 4:30am its like she treats it as a top me up bottle just before bed. im not stressing about it atm because she is deffinatly pushing faward in her weight n not looseing any. thanx for ur advice :)