Eating less and less

[Samuel's mum]

Home scales are very tricky. I don't know what kind of scales you are using but if you are very worried I would try and do proper weigh-ins at a doctors under certain conditions. Good luck with plotting on the charts. It's not super-easy.

Just a quick mention - I know others have said this - that if you do have weight concerns rice cereal and solids would not be the recommended route. You are absolutely right with your instinct to be careful on this. Breast milk has a higher calorie content than rice cereal and a much higher amount of grams of fat per oz. (average of 1.15g compared to 0.24 g). It would not be recommended to feel up his little tummy with a substance that could reduce his overall calorie intake in the day. Putting aside all the other reasons why it's recommended people wait until nearer 6 months.

I would also suggest you check wet nappies carefully if you are worried. You are looking for around 6 wet nappies in 24 hours and urine should be pale and with hardly any odour.  (Assuming of course you are ebf and not giving any other fluids.)

I wouldn't bother with giving milk with a spoon. Try different speeds of teat and sippy cups (perhaps with valve removed).

Some babies don't exhibit hunger signs as clearly as others so I wouldn't necessarily try and hang out for them.  Babies go through phases. Before you know it you'll be on the the next growth spurt and this will all be a memory. Perhaps the milk you pump has a particularly high fat content so that's why he's taking less.

[arial]

How long does this period of eating less last?  He is almost 5 months and these has been happening for the past 5-6 weeks.  He is even not taking much of the dreamfeeding.  He is now only totalling 24 oz of breastmilk per day.  He does not eat anything else.  I cannot even give him the 8 oz of formula that he used to take.

Sorry, I am still to weigh him again.  I guess I need to start by doing that,

[arial]

Nayade:
He didnt like the sippy cup.  I put the cup to rest for now.  I will offer it to him soon after he starts on solids more consistently.  Thanks for help.

[Nay - Mateo's Mom]

Hmmm... no sippy huh?

Well, I think you're right on not insisting.
24oz isn't bad though.

Mateo is 9.5 months, and at his last check I let the doc know that he took a max of 20oz of formula per day... and she said that was more than okay. He looks healthy, is active and is wetting his diapers so she said it was all good.

Try...not easy, I know... but just try not to worry.
Actually, forget I said that, I know you will worry because we all do... *sigh*

Can you try to mix the formula/BM in with his food?

[arial]

Nayade:

But doesn't Mateo eat quite a bit of solids?  My LO does not even eat1 teaspoon of cereal.  I have resisted advancing solids until he drinks his breastmilk much better.   For whatever reason, I am still thinking that he is not drinking very much.

[Nay - Mateo's Mom]

Yes, you're right, Mateo does eat a good amount of solids.
And you're LO is just 4 months old, so yes, I would think that you'd want to hold off on offering more solids until the milk consumption is back to it's old self.

Hmmm... this is a stumper. Are you thinking that you're not producing enough milk for him? Because there are ways to increase your milk supply.
Or is it just that he won't latch on and stay on?

I'll have to think about this some more. Hopefully someone else will have some more advice/help for you!!

Big HUGS your way!

Nay.

[arial]

Thanks Nay for your help.  Now I think you understand my concern.  Well, we will keep trying.  Any suggestions, just let me know.

[First Time Mom]

Hi Arial,

I know you feel worried but try to relax. Is your lo happy and alert? If so, try to relax while you try to sort this feeding out. I agree with the others on the scales, unless you weigh a lo at the same time in the day, wearing nothing, on the same scale, you can't get a 100% acurate read. I always say some days my dd feels heavy, some light, and it often depends on if she's had a diaper!

I have a few questions for you...
1) Is your ds on EBM bottles fully or do you bf any of his feeds? If you bf any feeds he may be "protesting" the bottle, as well, you can't measure the bf, so are you sure of the quantity he's taking?
2) Have you eliminated all tastes of solids, even the tiny amount of cereal? At this age, I would until the milk is increased, even the smallest amount.
3) Is your MIL taking care of him in the day while you are not there? (you mentioned your MIL, so I thought I'd ask) If she is, are you sure she's not giving any solids or formula without you knowing? I only ask because if I put myself in that situation back when my dd was younger I think my mom would be sneak-feeding solids, she used to push it as she didn't agree with me waiting 6 mths (her generation gave it at 10 weeks!), she also doesn't understand the benefits of bfing (again, a generation thing, her doc told her she couldn't because we were twins )
4) Is he given any other liquids at all (even water)? Any additional liquid could fill the tummy, limiting the amount of milk accepted.

If he is only taking the bottles of EBM and you are sure of the quantity have you thought about switching the bottle you are using? Trying one with a larger opening? I don't know much about bottles but I've read about people trying different ones until their los like one.

Again, try to not worry too much. Count his diapers, as pp mentioned. Whenever I used to worry about my dd not taking enough because I couldn't measure I would count her wet diapers (look for 6 full urine ones) and that would help me to relax and realise she was feeding fine.

[arial]

Thanks Marian:

I am only giving my LO expressed breastmilk and nothing has really changed except the fact that he is eating less for the past 5-6 weeks.  We introduced rice cereal 4 weeks ago, but he was already eating poorly before then.  I was told to start solids by pediatrician, so I only tried him on minimum amount of cereal- he didnt even get 1/4 of teaspoon.  I just wanted to see his reaction initially.  Now he is taking a bit more, but it is not even a teaspoon.  Now, one thing, I have to mention is that cereal is really no new to him.  I had put the same cereal in his bottle when he was 2 months old - this was also recommended by a GI specialist that we saw then because of reflux.

I understand what you are telling me.  I actually agree with everything you said and that is why I am so hesitant about increasing the amount of cereal, starting him on more solids or giving him other fluids besides breastmilk.  I know for a fact that my MIL has not been giving him anything but breastmilk - I have a great MIL and she only feeds him what I am telling her.  Now - my mom is like your MIL (my mom will start taking care of LO since this Monday)

[First Time Mom]

Does he seem frustrated or fussy? Have you tried changing the type of bottle? If you have and it doesn't make a difference and he's really fussy and doesn't sleep well I would try to cut out irritants in your diet, perhaps cut back on milk products.

If he's happy, sleeps well, is alert, and has 6 good wet diapers with no colour I wouldn't worry. Wet diaper output is a good sign that he's getting enough.

[arial]

I stopped counting diapers once I started pumping my milk.  He does not seem fussy at all, he just does not want the bottle, after a few oz he just pushes it away.  I offer it to him 5 to 15 minutes later and sometime he drinks it.  Other times, I offer it to him after a short nap and when it is not too close to his next bottle, and sometimes he drinks it.

He is actually doing well otherwise.  The only thing really new was my MIL and him rolling over recently.  He got along great with MIL and as a matter of fact, it did not matter who fed him. He still refused to completely drink the bottle even if it was me feeding him.

I am going to start counting diapers.  Good idea!!! 

You know what really concerns me is the amount of volume he drinks a day.  He has 23.5 oz to 24oz (sometimes even 22 oz) per day.  That is the same amount a newborn would eat if he drank 3 oz and had 8 meals a day.   I cannot undestand how a 5 month can eat so little and get by.  Last night he only had 2-3oz of milk for dreamfeeding.  I would guess he would drink his morning bottle desperately, but that is not the case.  He drank it slowly, no very interested in it, and left 1 1/2 oz.

What a problem!!