why wont he feed, please help me ?

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Tyler is now 20 weeks old and i'm finding it increasingly difficult to get his milk down him, for example he woke for a feed at 4am but then refused to take any more milk until after 10.  I have literally had to hold him to me and fight with him to get him to take his bottle.  Its starting to really get me down as he needs his milk, today he hasn't even finished his 2nd bottle of the day and i cant see how he is going to get a further 3 down him before bed time.  What do i do ? He's fine in himself, napping well (in bed at the moment) but is just refusing his bottles.

Please help,

sarah
x

[mickey44]

Have you tried a faster flowing nipple?  When my lo wanted a faster nipple she would start out taking forever to eat her bottles, I'm talking like 45 min - 1hr and then eventually just refuse her bottles but once we switched nipples she was fine and finishing her bottles in like 15-30 min!!

[lilly_kitt]

Hi
Thanks for your response
I have recently changed milk from comfort to hungry baby and as a result had to change the teats as the hungry baby is less thick and he is also on gaviscon for reflux, so at the moment he is back on size 2 teats which seem to be ok for him.  Its not that he takes forever to take it, he just wont have it in his mouth he clenches his mouth and turns his head away.

Sarah
x

[Lolly]

How do you think his reflux is? Refusing feeds is pretty typical behaviour when the reflux is not under control. If you were using gaviscon with the comfort milk that would have been a very thick liquid - maybe the thinner feed even with the gaviscon means he is refluxing more and is getting uncomfortable   Was there a reason you changed from the comfort - the hungry baby formulas are more difficult to digest so maybe the change from the easy digest to this one is not suiting him.

What do you think?

Laura

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

We changed mainly because a few people mentioned that maybe he shouldn't be on comfort and gaviscon and as he was starting to wake more frequently at night, the hungry baby seems to have cut down his wakings but now has this effect.

Sarah
x

[Lolly]

From what I know the comfort and gaviscon is not a great combination just because of issues like constipation (I think anyway!) with a thicker feed and an added thickener.

It may be worth discussing the reflux with your GP - if my memory is working it was around 20 ish weeks that DS got way worse and the gaviscon stopped working for him. We saw a pead and he moved to a reflux formula and ranitadine. In fact night waking was one of his big issues - especially during a flare up.

Have you though about trying a reflux formula - I would use that before hungry baby milk as it is quite hard on their digestive systems and at least the reflux formula is designed to help the reflux. We use Enfamil AR, it is available on prescription but you can buy it OTC in pharmacies, it thickens in the stomach with the acid to prevent the regurgitating. My two are mostly slient refluxers and it worked really well for them with the ranitadine. I do know of babies who have done really well on just the reflux formula too. Obviously check with your Dr or HV before switching!

Laura

[lilly_kitt]

Hi Laura

He is also on ranitidine and is not due to see the paed again until June as this is the first appointment, I did mention before about changing his meds as he seems to be more sick since we started them but they just said to continue.  I will look into the reflux milk but I dont think they sell it over the counter near me is probably a prescription only as they are abit anal about things like that up here.  My HV is rubbish and have only seen her twice in 20 weeks, will mention it to the Dr though.

Sarahx

[Lolly]

Where are you? If you are UK like I am assuming, Enfamil AR should be readily available - it isn't a medication but it will need ordering at a pharmacy just because it isn't commonly used. I priced it when DD was about 9 weeks old and it was about £4 a tin but the tins are only 400g (about half normal size).  SMA do a reflux formula called Staydown and that one you should be able to find - they used to have it on the shelf with the other SMA formulas in my Boots (haven't looked in a while mind ). My GP wouldn't prescribe the formula, we had to go through the pead - although the pead and the dietician thought it was rediculous the GP wouldn't prescribe it, for exactly the reason that it isn't a medication.

Don't forget the ranitadine won't do anything to stop the sicking up - it reduces the acid and the pain. What dose is he on and what does he weigh now?

Laura

[lilly_kitt]

hi

am in south wales like you, will go and see pharmacy and see what they say.  he is on 0.9 every 8 hours he's getting weighed again tomorrow.  i've seen the sma staydown on the shelves, my dr wouldn't even prescribe ranitidine without the paed say so

sarah

[Lolly]

My Dr would only prescribe gaviscon too - and refered us to the pead.

Where abouts are you? Close enough for a meet up? There are a few BWs around these parts!

Laura

[lilly_kitt]

hiya

we live in abercarn, about 10 miles away from newport. about an hour away from you i think.  we're off down pendine tomorrow for a few nights.  first hol away with bubs.  god help our routine when we get back !

sarah
x