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Offline londonmum2012

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8.5 month old not eating much
« on: April 23, 2012, 13:00:39 pm »
{Split from another post}
Hi there,

I can't offer help I'm afraid but wanted to know that you are not alone!! I literally just signed up to see if anyone had any tips on the same thing.........reading your original post I could have written it myself. I totally agree about the list of foods!! And I totally sympathise - it's driving me crazy...........my kitchen now (after lunch) looks like I might have had 12 people over for dinner!

My main worry is that also my 8.5 month daughter has never taken much formula - she now seems to be taking even less. We offer 4 bottles daytime 7am, 11, 3pm and bedtime and the most she drinks is 5oz but the 11 and 3pm ones she probably only takes about 3-4oz and this is with me offering a number of times over about an hour. She usually has a 6oz one during the night which she does take. She originally started quite well with the weaning (we started at 5 months) but the last couple of weeks she's basically refusing everything. Although like your LO she will accept the pureed Ella's fruit packet ones, but not even from a spoon - she has to slurp from the packet (my partner taught her this!!!). She will play with and try finger foods we offer but I don't think much goes in.

I literally don't know what else to do - she's a tiny little thing but constantly on the go so I wonder where she's getting her energy from! Does anyone have any tips on getting baby to drink more formula too?

TIA
« Last Edit: April 26, 2012, 01:27:55 am by RachelC »
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Offline RachelC

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2012, 01:29:48 am »
Hi and Welcome to BW!

{{hugs}}  Does she seem to be teething at all? 
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2012, 01:52:56 am »
Hello ;)

I think she might be indicating to you that she is ready to transition to 3 bottles hun... As for the night feed, it's up to you, but I would be leaning towards shifting those calories to day time bottles, IIWM. 

As for solids, I have noticed that many LO's go through a strange phase with refusal around this age after being all gusto for a few months... I wouldn't worry at all about this as solids before a year are only for learning, not nutrition.  You really do want her formula intake to remain close to 24 ozs a day.

I would attempt to start shifting her night bottle ozs to her first AM bottle by reducing the night feed by an ounce every few days and then adding it to her AM bottle... she will likely get to a point that she stops waking during the night before that bottle is gone - she will find it too much hassle to wake you to only get a couple ounces ;)  Some suggest diluting the bottle, but I found that didn't work as well as LO still got that full feeling from the extra water.

Maybe try something like this:

Wake and bottle
Solids an hour later
Nap #1
Lunch
Bottle before nap #2
Dinner
Bottle and bed
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Offline Lolly

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2012, 07:50:29 am »
Totally agree with Kara - which is exactly what we did with my DD when she was 8.5 months!

With the nightfeed we dropped an oz every 3 nights and one night when the bottle was at about 3oz she slept through so after that we only offered water. She was not a happy bunny the first night but by 3 or 4 nights later she stopped waking.

Laura
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Offline londonmum2012

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2012, 09:32:05 am »
Thanks so much everyone for replying to my post and many apologies for not replying sooner!!! I'm always reading the forums for advice and have found them so useful over the last 9 months. Such a fountain of knowledge!

I do take the point about the night feed and of course would love her to sleep through (she has done a few times but not consistently). My worry is that this is the only large quantity of milk that she takes and if we started to cut it down, would she up the day feeds to compensate? I suppose I should try but we are barely reaching probably 20oz of formula a day so I feel waking in the night is the only option at the mo, we sometimes have to wait for her bedtime milk and dream feed her that too as she fusses and takes only 1-2oz at first. She's never been a baby who cries for milk or is desperate for it..........ever!

@rachelc - she's not teething I don't think.......although still does not have any teeth!

I'm stressing less about the solids as have read so much on the "fun before one" theory now and going with that. She's definitely moving more towards wanting to feed herself and hoping that should help things along.
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2012, 15:09:42 pm »
Are you using the faster nipple speed?  Could be that she is just frustrated while eating too...

Have you tried dropping to three bottles during the day?
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Offline londonmum2012

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2012, 19:27:43 pm »
Hi Kara

Yes we are using the faster speed. I've tried a cup too, which she likes for water but not milk. I haven't dropped a feed in the day yet, would you suggest the 11or 3. I'd say both are pretty small amounts now. Might try the routine you have suggested previously. Naps etc going really well at the moment. Probably in the last 24 hours she's had about 19oz which I'd say is a normal day split over 5 bottles. She's still gaining weight normally but still tiny, I wonder whether I should just not worry so much!!

Appreciate your time tho
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Offline Lolly

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2012, 06:25:49 am »
Try the routine Kara suggested. My DD wasn't getting enough milk over 4 bottles because of her reflux but when we dropped to 3 (the routine Kara posted) she took more milk in the 3 bottles she was having.

Give it a go! Remember too that the dairy in her food counts to her daily minimum.

Laura
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Offline londonmum2012

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2012, 09:58:06 am »
Thanks Kara and Lolly, we had a bad night so she's woken late this morning so we are all off kilter but will give it a go tomorrow properly and see if that works better. I can definitely see it fitting in better with sleep and meals too.
Will keep you posted - thanks again
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2012, 20:44:42 pm »
Quote from: Lolly on May 08, 2012, 22:25:49 pm
My DD wasn't getting enough milk over 4 bottles because of her reflux but when we dropped to 3 (the routine Kara posted) she took more milk in the 3 bottles she was having.

Same with us... DD was only taking a small amount from her 11 and 3 bottles, but when I combined to a single bottle just before nap #2, things were awesome!
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Offline londonmum2012

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2012, 16:20:24 pm »
Just wanted to update and say thanks. She's now taking much more over the 3 day bottles and still one at night. Her general solid good eating has improved too. Really appreciate the help and advice guys x :)
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Offline Lolly

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2012, 17:46:25 pm »
Yeah! Well done both of you, that's great news! Thanks for updating too, it's always good to know how things are going! ;D

Laura
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: 8.5 month old not eating much
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2012, 19:26:16 pm »
Great news!
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