Won't keep eating after burping (or any break)

[Mom-of-boys]

Does anyone else have this problem?  My DS (4 months) will not keep eating if I stop to burp him.  After a burp break, if I try to give him the bottle again, he refuses (even if he's only half way through).  If I let him just chug away with no breaks, he'll usually drink more.  I always thought with bottle feeding that you were supposed to stop them at least half way through for a burp.  Do you think it's okay for me to just let him drink it all at once?

[*Kara*]

If that's what he wants, go with it   My DD has always been like that, right from newborn... she used to chug a 4 oz bottle without stopping at 4 weeks   Now at almost 10 months, she chugs 9 ozs without a stop

[Lolly]

My two were the same, if I stopped them they wouldn't drink any more. It made life *interesting* when DS was going through his projectile vomit reflux stage, I used to feed him with both of us covered with a towel then keep very still for as long as I could afterwards!

If he is happy drinking it straight and he isn't vomiting it back up afterwards because of wind then I agree with PP, let him do what he wants!

Laura

[*Kara*]

That sounds messy Laura!

[rugbykaf]

One of my boys is the same on some feeds (not all).  I suspect he has mild reflux (not diagnosed tho goin back to the docs next week).

I sometimes wonder if the burp in the middle could bring up a little stomach acid which puts him off the rest of the bottle???  Anyone else think this is possible?

[*Kara*]

Could be!

[gabrielsmommy]

My son will not continue to eat after being burped for many of his feedings either.  He was also just put on Zantac for reflux.  I do think this is due to the reflux because he has just started this recently.  I will see if the Zantac makes it better.

[*Kara*]

Very likely gabrielsmommy.

Just want to add that the two things, reflux and refusing to finish a feed after a burp are not always a cause-effect.  Many kids just don't like to be interrupted mid-feed

[Mom-of-boys]

Yes, DS definitely doesn't like to be interrupted.  He seems to be doing okay with no breaks, although sometimes he does have a bigger spit-up afterward.

[KathrynK]

Both of mine were the same, they just wanted to chug it all down in one!

[*Jo*]

we ahve this issue as well, problem is that he starts squirming around and fussing because he NEEDS to be burped, but then he refuses the rest what do you do then?

[SueLou]

Hi Jo - I would like to know about this too. My little one has always been a fussy feeder, he will take about 3 oz and then squirm and pull off. I can get a burp out of him but he won't always take the bottle back. Somtimes I wait and eventually he'll take it but he usually will cry and whimper before doing so. Sometimes, like today, I can't get him to take it and so he doesn't finish the bottle.
This is really getting me downand I am exhausted....please any ideas?

[Lolly]

SueLou - how old is your LO? How much is he taking over 24 hours? Does he have reflux?

Laura

[SueLou]

Hi,
he is 16 weeks old. He has always been a fussy feeder. i don't  think it is reflux - would he be crying more? He only cries when I'm trying to put the bottle in. Eventually a burp may come out and that'll usually be the cause of it. But that could take a while.  He used to be on Comfort milk but the last few weeks we couldn't get him to burp and he was really suffering. We changed to a thinner milk and the burps do come up a bit easier now but it can still be difficult. This morning he only took 3 oz, then chugged down 6 oz, then it's just taken me an hour to get 5 oz down him. He takes 3 oz but then it becomes difficult.
At the moment he is taking roughly 28 ozs. He was going sleeping okay, going from 7 pm to 4 am, but the last couple of weeks he has started to wake up at 11.30, 2.30am, 5am. I'm thinking it might be also becuase we've changed to a thinner milk, maybe it's not filling his tummy up enough.... really getting tired now.

Easy looks (roughly) like this..

7 am E - 3-6 oz
A
8.30 am - S - 40 mins
A
10 am - E - 3-6 oz
11.30 am - S - 40 mins
A
1 pm - E - 3-6 oz
2 pm - S - 1.5 hrs ( this only happens sleeping on me)
A
4 pm - E - 3- 6 oz
may have a nap depending on how the day has gone for 40 mins
6 - 7 pm wind down for bed - bath and bottle.
S
11.30 pm - E 3 oz
2.30 am - E 3 oz
5 am - E 3 oz

sigh!

[Lolly]

At 16 weeks you need to moving to a 4 hour EASY, that could be why he is objecting to the bottle, he may not be hungry at the 3 hour point now. I would try stretching him to 3.5 hour feeds and then move to a 4 hour EASY. If you stretch him out he should take full feeds and then not be so hungry at night.

If you look at the FAQs section of the EASY board you will find examples of routines which should help you. You need to keep the A times a bit more even as well, the first nap could have been a bit undertired, but then the next nap could have been short because the A time was a bit long after the first 40 min nap.

HTH!

Laura

[SueLou]

I have tried to move to the 4 hour EASY. However, once he burps he'll take a full feed...at the moment he was too tired to eat at 5 pm. So I tried again to feed him at 7 pm when we put him to bed. He took an oz, fussed and I let him go to sleep, hoping a nap would help. He has woken up 2.5 hrs later very hungry. He has guzzled down his food so had to burp. It took a while and he then had some more. But now he has fallen back to sleep, can't get the burp up and he has only had 4 oz now since 2 pm. 

[SueLou]

ha ha, we've moved to 4 hr EASY - and he is feeding much better.

The morning is still a bit hazy though as he sleeps from 7 pm, has the dream feed and then the last two nights has woken at 5 am. The first night I let him feed as much as he wanted to and he took 6 oz, then of course at 7am he wasn't hungry so we ended up feeding him at 8.30 am..which sort of puts the evening out then.

So this morning he woke at 5 am and I tried to get him back to sleep but he was obviously hungry so I gave him 2 oz and he went back to sleep until 6.40 am. Much better. but then he wouldn't eat until 8 am still....

What should I do?
1) Let him eat as much as he wants at 5 am and hope it'll sort itself out
2) keep trying just giving him a little?
3) try and delay the feed more and more until we get to 7 am? but will he sleep till 7, or keep waking up at 5 am  but 'wait' till 7am?

thanks
Sue

[Lolly]

Sue - if the small feed was enough and he got back to sleep I would try that and see how it works out. I know it messes woth the EASY a bit but if he won't settle properly without the feed you will end up with an OT baby.
 
You may find he starts sleeping through a bit more soon.

Laura

[Mom-of-boys]

SueLou, I am in the exact same boat!  DS wakes up at 5 hungry so I'll feed him and he'll fall back asleep. Then when we're ready to start the day, he won't eat, and our EASY is quickly messed up for the day.  Maybe I'll try the same thing as you're doing, just giving him a small amount to tide him over until 7 am.  I'm also trying to get a 4-hr EASY going, but sometimes by the time I've kept him awake longer, he seems hungry again just when I'm trying to get him down for a nap.  Maybe it's a growth spurt... 

[SueLou]

We left Jack with my MIL last night as we went to a wedding. She said she gave him a little bit at 5 am but he didn't take much and fell asleep until 6.45 am and then finished the bottle!! I'm hoping it's not special nan hands that did this, hopefully he'll do the same tomorrow and eventually he'll sleep a little bit longer....oh I hope so!!

I'd love to know how you get on and if you crack  it!! Good luck.