Author Topic: hardly eating  (Read 1610 times)

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Offline benandmichelle

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hardly eating
« on: September 22, 2007, 07:35:11 am »
Hi all,

I just read a sticky thread titled '3.5 month old hardly eating, HELP!' on the bottle feeding site. I have this exact problem....but I bf!
Can anyone else relate to this and if you haven't already, please pop over to bottle feeding site and have a look.

I am on the verge of giving formula but deep in my heart I know it is not really the solution. I just don't know when this will pass!
I know Emma informed me that it is quite a niormal phenomenon at this age. I just want to know if anyone else has a LO who hardly drinks and then ends up crying when I try to offer more. Could be mild reflux too I guess.

Any thoughts appreciated
Thanks

Michelle
The simplest and most obvious cause which can there be assigned for any phenomena, is probably the true one. (David Hume, 1737)


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Offline Samuel's mum

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2007, 07:46:40 am »
Michelle - what are his feeding intervals at the moment? Is he getting hungrier before you'd expect him to.
They really can become so quick it's scary. If he's crying when you offer more that sounds like he is saying, 'no mum, I'm done'. Unless you really think reflux is a factor here.
Can you remind us what your routine is? (sorry to be boring - include any night feeds)
And how many minutes is he feeding for (not your hunch but actually time it)? How much of this is good active sucking?
Thanks
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Offline benandmichelle

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2007, 15:32:23 pm »
he doesn't seem hungrier earlier than 3.5 mark. Yesterday was better but he cries during the feeds and it is hard to coerce him to 'finish'. He probably is getting enough though. I keep changing my mind about that everyday. Sometimes I think 'no he is not getting enouigh' and somedays it is true but I always come back to the gut feeling that it is OK.
Sometimes he feeds for 5 kinutes or sometimes 15 if I can get him back on with a break inbetween. It is normally all good active sucking.
To be honest, I really can't give my exact routine because it really does vary between a 3 hour and 3.5 hour EASAE every day. Sometimes I feed him an hour after a feed too becuase I think he hasn't had enough.
This is probably very bad to enforce a snacking habit but I am just so confused. I have been giving the df again and he normally wakes one more time for a feed in the night although last night he wasn't hungry after waking and me trying to feed him.
Sometimes he spits up a lot after a feed (even 2 hours after) and sometimes it is fine and there is nothing.

I am just wondering if there are some babies that just don't suit bf and grow out of it after a while. I do have the feeling it would make life a lot easier if I just put him on formula and we could manage to finally get a proper routine going but I am too stubborn to give up and am scared of giving up for the wrong reasons and then findinjg out it was not a food problem at all.
I do suspect other faxctors are in play.
The simplest and most obvious cause which can there be assigned for any phenomena, is probably the true one. (David Hume, 1737)


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Offline ~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2007, 16:08:31 pm »
Michelle - my ds is the same way.  I actually had some posts on the board you are speaking of even though I bf.  I ended up going in to a dark room and trying to feed him away from as many distractions as I can.  And really, your baby will not starve himself.  It took me a while to come to terms with that.  I always thought that if he didn't feed for the full 20 minutes, then he must not be getting enough, but now sometimes he only feeds for 10 minutes and still goes 4 hours between feeds easily. Just relax and try not to force him (you don't want him to feel anxious during eating). If you really feel he needs more, I wouldn't wait an hour to feed him. Do a diaper change and then go straight back to feeding.  When he starts to get fussy, you might even try just changing breasts.  I normally feed on one side, but when he is acting fussy, I'll switch sides and can usually get another few minutes out of him. 





Offline Samuel's mum

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2007, 17:29:19 pm »
Cries during the feeds and spitting up - I know you've been considering reflux for a while and you've also got oversupply and overactive letdown in the mix (which can account for a baby that's unhappy during a feed). But have you actually chatted to a doctor about the reflux issue or considered any medication?

At the end of the day - trust your gut feelings. Put in the mix weight gain, wet nappies, meeting milestones and you'll have the whole picture.

As to whether babies grow out of bf - yes, eventually but nature would have to be pretty daft for it to happen this soon. Having said that you have to consider what's best for everyone and there are lots of considerations.

Apologies if I should already know this - but if you haven't spoken to your doctor about reflux it might be worth ruling that out once and for all.
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Offline benandmichelle

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2007, 18:00:07 pm »
We have an appointment on Wednesday. Will let you know the outcome. I am willing to try meds. I thought he might me able to control the flow with his tongue by now but it seems worse than ever.
The simplest and most obvious cause which can there be assigned for any phenomena, is probably the true one. (David Hume, 1737)


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Offline Erin (redstarfalling)

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2007, 19:16:43 pm »
Well, his tongue etc might help with the overactive letdown, but not if it's reflux, unfortunately - and it DOES tend to get worse for a lot of babies between 3 and 4 months.  That's when I noticed the biggest change.  My dd would stop a feed too, like you describe.  Meds made a HUGE difference, once we got on the right one - it was nice when people stopped telling me that my milk was the problem!

Try to have some confidence in yourself and your milk.  If he's gaining weight well and has lots of wet diapers, and is otherwise developing normally, then he's getting what he needs.  Relax about intervals and try to go with cues, when you can. I did what Anne was suggesting - I'd offer the other side if she seemed to want more, but I wouldn't force it (would just make both of us frustrated!).

Please let us know how the appointment goes on Wed - {{{hugs}}}.
Erin
Mother to Megan and Samantha


Offline benandmichelle

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2007, 05:37:57 am »
I will. Well off to a good start this morning....I put him near the breast and he started to cry. Hasn't even had first feed of the day yet! ???
The simplest and most obvious cause which can there be assigned for any phenomena, is probably the true one. (David Hume, 1737)


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Offline ~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2007, 12:39:57 pm »
 :(





Offline Lu_C

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2007, 07:16:53 am »
I used to worry that LO wasn't getting enough because he pretty much always only had 6 - 8 minutes feeding (on EASY)  but after the initial panic and not really knowing what I was doing I realised he was getting enough and that was that. Can't say it did much for EASY (when you're meant to feed for 45mins! but that's a whole other story!)

Whilst sticking to a routine as much as you can does reap results in the end, you still have to acknowledge that the timings of your LO will be different to the 'book baby' and alter EASY timings to suit you both.
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Offline benandmichelle

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2007, 08:55:57 am »
Thanks Lucy and Leo....do I know you from somewhere???? :)
The simplest and most obvious cause which can there be assigned for any phenomena, is probably the true one. (David Hume, 1737)


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Offline Lu_C

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Re: hardly eating
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2007, 10:44:45 am »
Get away - it's  not THAT Ben and Michelle!?!?! ;)

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