Eleven Weeks Old and Not Feeding. Help!

[Sharon Eshmade]

Morning, thank you for that. I have written it down and will take it with me when I can see the doctor. Of course I can't get hold of him but I will keep trying. I went through the posts and decided to try the teething gel again. I gave it to him this morning and he took a full 180ml feed. I thought I had cracked it but then he took only 120ml for the next feed. I tried to wind him and then give him more gel and feed him but he was having none of it. He has been chewing his hands a lot lately. I will keep trying the teething gel as there is no harm in that and it might just work for some feeds.
Thanks for all the support.
Sharon

[Sharon Eshmade]

Okay, just spoke to the doctor and he can see me tomorrow morning. He really doesn't think it is reflux as he says that my DS should be unhappy more and especially when he feeds. I think he has a point as my DS is never unhappy around feeds only if I try to feed him more once he has taken some and then he doesn't want any more.
I will keep trying the teething gel and see the doctor tomorrow and then take it from there. I'm not really sure how I am going to make it through the next 24 hours as I am super stressed.
Thank you,
Sharon

[Lolly]

Good luck - let us know how you get on. I hope it's not reflux for you guys.

The thing with reflux is that symptoms are so individual, some babies are really miserable all the time with it, my two weren't, they were both happy babies, DS wouldn't lie flat but DD has always slept well because she has always been elevated. She was very happy when we started a feed, took 1-2oz beautifully then that was it, no way was she taking more and then she would start arching and crying and just refuse.

Laura

[Sharon Eshmade]

Yeah, he was doing that but now he just lies there and pushes the teat out of his mouth. If I persist then he gets, understandably, upset. I am so upset about all this. I just can't believe he hasn't grown in two weeks and that he hasn't put on any weight. I have become absolutely useless and just sit and wait for him to feed. I kept telling myself that he would grow and put on weight and that as long as he was doing that I didn't need to worry.
It appears that he is probably teething but unfortunately the teething gel isn't making him feed more. He is really biting his fists and pulling them out of his swaddle so that he can chew on them. This often disturbs his sleep so I then re-swaddle him but he is usually too much awake by then. Today he hasn't slept well at all because he keeps waking himself up with his hands hitting his face or because he has soiled his nappy (he's done that three times today).

[Sharon Eshmade]

Hello, have got the test results back and thankfully there isn't anything there, however, that doesn't give the doctor anywhere else to go. I talked him into trying the reflux medication so on Sunday morning I have an appointment and we will trial him for a week and hold tumbs and cross fingers that we get a good result!
I have also got my DS sorted with his mixed up day and night feeding, at last. He also took an extra feed yesterday which was so lovely. He took in a total of 660ml which is the most he has taken in almost a week. I am getting him onto a four hour EASY routine but it's a bit tricky as his A time is shorter as he is only three months. Hopefully with a bit more structure to his day he might continue to feed a bit more. I will keep you posted on how the reflux medication goes. I am so hoping that it has the desired effect.
Thanks,
Sharon

[PeepersMom]

((((Sharon)))) I know you are so worried and stressed. You are doing everything in your power to get it in the right direction, good job.

i will be anxious to hear your update tomorrow.

have you tried the simethicone drops for his gas? that helped my dd tremendously but not my ds so give it a shot?

[Sharon Eshmade]

Thank you so very much for the hugs and kind words. I nearly lost it this weekend and felt like running away - anyone could surely do a better job than I am! Thankfully my husband calmed me down and helped me get a little sleep and today I feel heaps better. Although my DS took in only 60ml this morning. Last night he wouldn't take the feed at all so I waited for him to fall asleep and then gave him a dreamfeed at 7.20pm. I feel as if things are getting worse and worse.

The doctor has prescribed 1.5ml three times a day of Zantac. My DS was 6.59kg on Wednesday and he is now 6.57kg so this is the first time he has lost weight. I have made an appointment with the doctor for Thursday morning so that we can give this a good go and hopefully I will be able to cancel the appointment.

His routine is all sorted now so I have been giving him a good dreamfeed at 11pm and this is the best he feeds all day. He is sleeping well from 7.00pm to 7.00am. The next feed is in five minutes so I am really hoping that things will get progressively better.

Thank you again so much for your thoughts and hugs. I need them so badly at the moment!
Looking forward to posting something positive really soon!
Sharon

[Sharon Eshmade]

Well, I'm at an all time low . He took 60ml this morning and then 150ml about fifteen minutes after giving him the Zantac for his second feed. This is pretty much the same pattern as yesterday's feeds. I tried to feed him just now after giving him another 1.5ml of Zantac and he had only 40ml. I gave up after an hour. He just lay there in my arms for an hour with the teat in his mouth and did nothing. I don't expect the Zantac to work wonders straight away but I am starting to fear that he doesn't have reflux. How long is a realistic time before the Zantac should show some signs of working? I really have nowhere to go after this so I am desperate for the Zantac to work. He hasn't had such a poor feed in a month!
Any ideas when is the best time to give him the Zantac? I have given it to him five to fifteen minutes before a feed.
Holding thumbs things go better at the 7.00pm feed.
Sharon

[PeepersMom]

I am not sure if my advice is medically appropriate or not, but?  If he dream feeds well, maybe you could feed him always when he is asleep? like when he goes down for a nap?  I know this isn't ideal in the sleep department, but I think probably eating is most important right now.  Also, did you try a different brand of formula? maybe he doesnt' like the taste? I had to switch hypoallergenic formulas for my daughter because she hated the taste of one, is okay with the other. 

[Lolly]

Don't give up hope just yet, he is on a good dose of zantac for his weight (top dose really) but it can take up to 2 weeks for it to have full effect, a few days at the very least to see improvement - it's not an instant working drug.

Can you post your EASY for us to have a look at and see if any tweaking may help too?

Eat- what times, how much
Activity - how long for
Sleep - what times, how long for

Remind me what formula is he on and what flow teat are you using now?

Laura

[Sharon Eshmade]

 :'(He's just woken up at 6.10am and refusing to feed. I gave him the Zantac and then the formula and he won't take it. It's been an hour now and he's just sitting in his chair and playing with his toys. We're on Hipp Organic formula. The doctor has said that if things haven't improved by Thursday that we will stop the Zantac. He will also get me to play around with different formula to see what we can do.
I tried to DF him at 7.15pm last night but he woke up and refused to take more than 100ml. He took 160ml at 11pm.
I will keep a record of his EASY routine today and then post it tomorrow. He was on a good four hourly cycle but if he isn't feeding then I'm not sure what is going to happen to his routine. The one thing that was going relatively well. 
He's on the number 3 Avent medium flow teat.
Over the past few days he has been soiling his nappy before and after a feed. It's been very green and cottage cheese-like. He hasn't had a yellow stool in possibly three/four days. Is this a sign of anything?
I keep thinking things can't get worse and then they do!
  Sharon

[Sharon Eshmade]

  Okay, tried to feed him while he was napping and it worked the first time. He woke up but still took 140ml of the feed. The second time he woke up and wouldn't take anything. The problem is that now he has't slept well because it took me one-and-a-half hours to get him back to sleep this morning and he slept for only an hour. He is now up again and hasn't fed. I have given up writing out the EASY routine as there isn't one. My usually happy baby is now cranky and unhappy. I can't seem to stop crying either. I had to re-swaddle him four times as he keeps getting his arms out, which wake him up. I have now given up re-swaddling him as no matter how tight I make the swaddle he gets his arms out.
Out of desperation I made up an Aptimil Comfort bottle and tried to give him that but he wouldn't take it either. I am grasping at anything right now.
The four hourly routine was giving us some structure and now that is gone I'm so lost. I guess it is back to waiting for him to take a feed when he will. My slightly structured life has gone and I fear that I am going to be up all night again with him feeding and going long stretches in the day without.
  Sharon

[Sharon Eshmade]

  It's almost 8.00pm and I have just DF him again eleven-and-a-half hours after his feed this morning at 8.00am. He took just less than 180ml. We have had a horrid day. Not only has he not fed all day, he has also cried a great deal and struggled to sleep. He hasn't slept for more than an hour at a time today. Is it supposed to get worse before it gets better on the Zantac?
I am preparing myself for being up all night feeding him. Actually I hope I am, as I don't know what I'm going to do if he doesn't feed. It is strange how he can go so very long all day without feeding. I don't know how much more of this I can take.
  Sharon

[Lolly]

I think you need to go back and see the Dr, or even take him to A&E if he is not feeding. Is he still having the same green nappies? That could be a sign of an intolerance, but I really think he needs to be checked out.

I'm sorry we don't have an answer for you, I think you need to keep on at the Dr to get this sorted, it's not right at all for a little baby.

Let us know how you get on tonight.

Laura

[Sharon Eshmade]

...and then things get worse! He took only 70ml at the 11pm DF and then didn't feed again. He woke at 4am with a soiled nappy but wouldn't feed. I was busy dealing with our two year old at the time so my husband tried to feed him. It is good to know that it is not only me who is struggling to feed him. He was up again at 5.30am with a soiled nappy but also wouldn't feed. At 8.00am I DF him and he took 160ml. I called the doctor and he has asked me to bring my DS in and have him admitted to the hospital. I am glad that things will be out of my hands and medical practitioners will be in control but the thought of taking my babe to hospital is so upsetting. I can't believe it has come to this! I am a wreck! Words cannot describe how awful this is.
Thank you so very much for all your help, support and care. I will keep you updated on how we get on. Here's hoping we find a solution to this problem.
Thank you again,
Sharon