3 month old, barely eating but gaining weight

[Mama2Athena]

I can totally relate.  My second child, DD, now 9 months old has always been drinking less formula than the average baby.  I BF DD for 6 weeks, but never felt full or engorged like I did with my older child.  Due to latch problems, I switched her to formula and noticed that she usually drank about 3 oz per feeding.  I started charting her feedings and realized that she usually averaged about 17-20 ounces around 2-4 months old.  I fed her as often as 9 times a day thinking she would drink more, but it didn't matter because she would drink no more than 20 ounces a day.  I brought this up to her pediatrician several times.  The doctor asked if I was preparing the formula correctly (i.e. level scoop vs. rounded scoop) because the amount seemed low, so maybe her bottles were mistakenly more concentrated.  At one point she was even in the 75th percentile (she was 6 lbs 6 oz at birth, so not exactly big).  Anyway, because she was gaining weight and growing the doctor chalked it up to her having a slow metabolism.

Now at 9 months, her intake hasn't really increased.  We just switched to 4 bottles a day.  I put 6 ounces in each, but she doesn't always finish.  So in a typical day, she gets about 20-24 ounces and 3 solid meals.  She goes to daycare full time and is ALWAYS sick.  On those days, her intake can be as low as 17 ounces with no solids.  I still record her intake at every feeding (yes I'm totally obsessed, but learning to relax a bit more).  I started tracking because compared to my older DS, she is taking a lot less.  DS was more the norm and usually drank 5-6 oz per feeding around 3 months of age.

[*Kara*]

Now at 9 months, her intake hasn't really increased.  We just switched to 4 bottles a day.  I put 6 ounces in each, but she doesn't always finish.

Most move to 3 bottles around this age Might be worth a shot for you...   Spaces solids and milk out a bit better for them.

[Mama2Athena]

Thanks Kara.  We are VERY behind... she was getting five 5 ounce bottles (every 3 hours) up until 2 weeks ago.  With 3 solid meals, she began "snacking" on those 3 hourly bottles.  So I switch her to four six ounce bottles (every 4 hours) and she seems to be hungrier for the bottles.  I will probably hold steady for a bit then switch to 3 bottles.  My son is 5 years older, so a lot has been forgotten!  But I do remember by 15 months he was completely off the bottle and having a sippy cup full of milk before bedtime.

Interestingly her daycare thinks I'm starving her by switching to 4 bottles - kept asking if the doctor was okay with less bottles.  Babies her age at the daycare are still getting 5+ bottles 

[*Kara*]

Oh goodness!  She's fine on 4 bottles a day... she only needs about 20 ozs a day at this age   Also, most babies do move to 4 hrly feeds at about 4 months of age.

This is a common routine at this age (with three meals):

Wake and 8 ozs
Breakkie solids an hour or two later
Lunch solids at noon
Bottle 8 ozs about 15 mins before PM nap (~ 2pm)
Dinner solids at 5/530pm
Bottle 8 ozs about 15 mins before BT.

[kchacon]

I just posted on a similar topic with my 3.5 month old.  (Sorry that I didn't see this thread before)  She takes about 20-22 ounces per day, typically 3-4 ounces per bottle, sometimes less.  She seems happy and healthy, but I feel like her intake is not enough.  Though we do have plenty of wet diapers.

[*Kara*]

Just going to lock this thread everyone... if you have questions regarding your LOs intake, please start a new thread...

The LO in this thread actually turned out to be quite sick with an RSV infection - though she is starting to feel better now.