im so upset and worried milk intake......

[kirstym]

my DS is just 7 months and he is an angel baby, he used to have 6-7oz each feed, is on a 4 hour EASY. nut in the last week he only takes 2oz 4 if we are really really lucky, he is teething at the moment but surely this cannot be good for him! he has started to wake up in the night and he drinks 4-5oz in one go, but i cant somehow get him to drink more through the day! will this phase pass, i just dont want him to get in the habit of gettingused to a bottle at night time! ive changed his milk to the apatamil follow on from the breatmilk substitue but the problems with his milk started before this.

please help me im just worried as today he has only had in total 13 oz!!!

[clazzat]

Try not to worry - a lot of babies don't eat very well when they are teething.  It shouldn't last very long, though, so if it has been going on for a long time then that might not be the issue.  If he is not taking much during the day he is probably hungry during the night so you should feed him - it is more important at the moment that he gets the milk rather than worrying about creating problems.

I think that babies are quite well able to regulate their intake quite well, so it's quite possible that if he's not taking it he doesn't need it, but if it continues you should maybe talk to your doctor/HV just to make sure that everything is okay.
Cx

[* Paula *]

Huge hugs hun.

It is so hard.  My DS went through a phase like this when he was about 9 months.  He was teething really badly, and went the whole day without taking any milk in. 

I ended up making him some porrige up to get some milk intake into it, and also adding formula to some of his foods.  When he was asleep I snuck a DF into him to try and enusre that he did not wake hungry. 

Have you tried teething gel a few minutes before a feed or paracetamol about 30 mins before a feed to see if this helps?

What size teat is your lo using?  Do you think he could be ready for the next stage up?

[Lolly]

Have you tried a faster teat? If you are still on a slower flow maybe he's getting bored with it. It could well be the teething, have you tried rubbing a bit of teething gel on his gums just before a feed - that can help.

The other thought is have you started solids yet? If you have it may be worth looking at how much he is taking and when in relation to milk feeds- could he be filling up on solids?

{{{HUGS}}} though, I spent plenty of time worrying about food intake - and still do .

Laura

Posted same time as Paula

[kirstym]

hi all thanks for your comments.....
he is using the tommee tippee fast flow teat and has done for about 2 months.
he has his solids but recently gone off his breakfast? not sure why.
he still has his lunch and dinner i have tried reducing the amount of food he has to see if he takes more milk but it makes no difference at all.
i am just worried that he is going to start getting used to me feeding him at night time and dont want it to become a habit!!
its really frustrating because, i know hes in pain from his teeth but i think he must be hungry at night surely when hes had sometimes only 12 oz milk and hardly any food....

[* Paula *]

Sounds like my DD.

Generally when she is teething, she refuses her breakfast too.

Have you tried using paracetamol / ibuprofen about 30 mins before a feed?

How about offering a DF - do you this this at the moment?

[kirstym]

that sounds very similar he eats all his lunch and dinner but never eats breakfast, very strange??
he has never had the DF i tried it when he was a few months but it made no difference so i dropped it.
i have started to give him ashtons and parsons 30 mins before he sleeps and ive found this helps with him being restless. justy wondering whe will this will change and he'll start likning his bottles again!

[* Paula *]

Hugs hun,

My DS never took the DF either when he was younger, but some how it made a difference when he was older and refusing bottles.  Might be worth giving it a try.

Is he drinking water out of his sippies?  Perhaps you can try adding an oz of milk at a time and see how he does with this.  It generally works the opposite way when people are trying to wean night feeds, and they add extra water or reduce the # of scoops of formula.  But perhaps if you try it the other way, by offering him a big cup of water, and adding a scoop of formula / or oz of cows milk at a time? 

I am trying to think of things that will help you.

Are you adding extra calcium into his diet?

[ccb9801]

I had the same problem with DS (now 6 1/2 months) about a month ago.  DH "forgot" to give him his cereal before the bottle AND it turned out that he ate MUCH better if I allowed him to eat 2/3-3/4 of his bottle first and then the solids.  Hope this helps!!