Not eating enough

[Skadiver13]

Hello, we are new to formula feeding, we've been bottle feeding pumped milk since week 3 because of an oversupply/overactive letdown issue LO refused to BF. But he was having allergic reactions and we couldn't figure out what after an elimination trial. But during the first round of formula we noticed he started refluxing and screaming after 2oz refusing to eat anymore, plus he started getting massive Diaper rash etc. So we put him on Enfamil Nutramagin and he's eating a bit better. Sometimes he'll eat 5oz although this is usually at his 2am feed. But he'll still refuse the bottle after 2oz  a lot and start yelling and screaming. I can't imagine at 10weeks old 2oz is enough to fill him up. We burp him as much as possible but it's after burping that he will refuse the bottle. Here is a sample day
E: 6:00   3.5oz
E: 9:00   3.5oz
E: 12:00   2.5oz
E: 3:00   2.5oz
E: 6:00   3.5oz
E: 9:15   3.5oz (He went to bed late my fault so he actually woke up before his dream feed.
E: 1:45   5oz (this isn't common for him to eat this much)

that's a total of: 24 oz (he sometimes takes less like 22/23oz)

According to the book he should be eating at 10 weeks 11.3 lbs somewhere around 4oz a feeding = 28 oz a day..and I can barely get him to eat more than 2 it's a struggle to get him to eat 2.5-3.5.

He used to take the bottle just fine so I don't know.. The nipple is a level 1 but I tried level 2 and it just made him choke and sputter more. We use Avent and Dr. Browns bottles.

HELP!!!

[ENMS]

Hi!

Is he on any meds for reflux? The stopping after 2 oz and screaming is definitely indicative of a reflux issue. Did you have any of those issues while on breast milk?

Did all the other symptoms go away when you switched to nutramigen? Just so you know, if nutramigen is not doing well, you can try alimentum which is similar but another brand, and then there are elemental formulas which are further broken down: neocate and nutramigen AA.

A general rule is that LO's should be drinking in oz 2 - 2.5 x their weight in pounds. So at 11lbs, I'd expect anywhere between 22 and 27. So I think he's doing fine in terms of quantities? Is he gaining weight well?

Also drinking better at night is common of refluxers. For the longest time DS would take in fantastic feeds at night but struggle all day long.

Maybe have a look at this post?

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=654.0

[Skadiver13]

Hi, no the doc wanted to check for milk intolerance first. He's not spitting up every feeding anymore and a lot of the gurgling gulping has stopped (it's only been 72hrs on the new formula) but he does still start refusing the bottle after 2oz. He acts like he's hungry, chewing his hand playing around with the nipple in his mouth but refuses to eat and then when he does start eating it'll last 10 seconds before he starts crying again., The problem is I can always put him down on his back after eating and he doesn't have a problem which is why she thought it wasn't reflux. I'll know on monday if he's not gaining enough as this has only been doing on a week and I don't have a scale. He's got his appoinment for shots etc monday. My concern with the amount is he was eating 3-3.5oz of breastmilk but now only 2 oz of formula. At one point when i ws feeding him 1/2 formula 1/2 BM he was eating 28/29oz. For example yesterday he ate only 21oz.

E: 6:00   2.5oz
9:10   4oz, ate well                  1
12:00   4oz finished 2.5 first then 15 min later ate the rest 2.5oz
4:15   2oz
5:45   2oz
9:45   5oz
2:45: 2oz   this took 45 min and a lot of cajoling. And he spit up clear liquid during diaper change.

He has such a hard time going down after his 2:45 am feed. Usually this is a 1:30 feed but last night he slept till 2:45 because of the 5oz he took at 9:45.

[ENMS]

The problem is I can always put him down on his back after eating and he doesn't have a problem which is why she thought it wasn't reflux

My DS was (is) like that and he has severe reflux. So that alone would not mean he doesn't have reflux.

But I agree the reflux sounds intolerance-related, but what you're writing sounds 100% like reflux to me. Reflux can show up in a different way in every LO. But yours is very similar to the way my DS is. Most of the trouble was during the feed, not after.

Glad you're seeing the doc again on Monday that way they can monitor closely. It can take up to 2 weeks to have all the milk protein removed from his system.

[Skadiver13]

Hi Elise thanks so much. It's heartbreaking to see him so hungry, chewing on his hands after eating only 2 oz but unable to take more. He isn't a great burper. I think it might be intolerance related too as the bump (which were attributed to infant acne) are not gone, he  hasn't hiccuped in 3 days. Before the nutramagin he was hiccuping for 15 min 2 to 3 times a day. Do you think I should ask for some zantac to get him through the next few weeks? He's not napping well like today he woke at 8:30 after an hour and ate 2oz vomited I got another 2 in him, he vomited then spit up like 10 min later. But he doesn't cry during the spit up and it doesn't seem to bother him. It's really ONLY when he's eating. I've tried 3 different bottles, size 1 nipple, size 2 nipple. I just feel so awful as he's such a happy baby otherwise.