12 week old fighting bottle at feeds

[linussally]

My LO has always fought the bottle after the first burp...  probably since a week after birth.  But he would at least finish his feed.  He is usually an easy burper.  These 2 days, he's been super fussy at the bottle.  It's not a problem at the beginning of the feed, but I just dread that first burp.  He just won't continue his feeding afterwards.  Sometimes he would start talking.  This morning, I went downstairs to continue our feeding after the first burp, just so he has something different to look around at.  He still fought the bottle, but at least he woud continue feeding.  But he's still not taking in his usual 4.5-5 oz per feed.  This is a problem b/c if he's not having enough during the day, he wakes up at night to make up his intake.  He did this for the past 2 nights, and he hasn't had a night feed for a couple of weeks.  I don't think this is a growth spurt since his daily intake is actually less than usual, including the night feed.  I just hope someone out there had this experience and can share some "solutions" with me.  Thanks!

[Lolly]

Does he break off himself to burp or do you stop him? My two - both refluxers were/are like this if I stop them that's it so I don't stop them now. When DS was in one of his projectile refluxing stages I covered both of us with a towel and sat very still at the end of a feed for a while to keep the milk in - it generally worked ok! Now with DD I don't stop for a burp just let her stop when she is ready then burp at the end.

Have you tried a faster teat, he could be getting bored with the flow if he has been on the same one for a while now.

Laura

[~emmalou~]

my lo is 10 weeks old and we just upped to a faster flow teat and he does ace on it!

[linussally]

I never stop him during a feed to burp him.  He's always the one who breaks it off when he wants to burp, used to turn away and now he uses his tongue to spit out the nipple.  Not sure why all of a sudden he just loves to tongue out the nipple, or turn his head as far as his shoulder to move away from the nipple.  It's like a battle that I fight with him every feed, unless he's tired.  He would be crying and do a retracting & extending of his whole body while he cries, as if trying to yank away from my hold.  I try to keep the bottle in his mouth and sometimes he would drink again.  When he absolutely refuses it by tonguing it out, then I'll burp him - and usually he gives a big one.  Then after this burp, it's a battle.

We've actually just changed the nipple a couple of weeks ago and he was great with it.  It shortened his feeding time by half and less gassy. 

My mom said that our pediatrician told her a lot of babies go through the same thing of fighting the bottle at around 3 months.  She said my brothers & I were like that too, and then after a month it got back to normal.  But I'm just not sure if I can battle him for a month!

[Lolly]

Does he have any signs of reflux? http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=654.0. His behaviour on the bottle and eating better while sleepy are typical reflux behaviour. My DD was exactly as you describe, she had signs from birth but it got significantly worse at 9 weeks and we then put her on a reflux formula which stopped the fighting through feeds.

Have a look at the link and see what you think.

Laura

[linussally]

Of the listed symptoms, I can only point out spitting up, refusing to eat and gassiness.  Maybe I should go to the doctor to have him checked out for reflux.  Thanks for the info!

[Lolly]

They don't need to have all of the symptoms to have reflux and the ones they do have can fluctuate. Refusing to feed, spitting up and gassiness are pretty typical ones though. Hopefully the Dr can rule it out for you but it is worth getting checked. DD's main signs were refusal to feed, spitting up from one feed to the next (small amounts but pretty continuosly). frequent hiccups, coughing and wet burping. She has been a good sleeper and napper from birth really although we have had her sleeping on an wedge under the mattress and a positioner so she is not flat.

Laura