Author Topic: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(  (Read 1876 times)

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Offline Hollie-Mae

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24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« on: February 24, 2014, 15:46:22 pm »
Hi all, I've posted all over the forum over the past week to try and work out why my dd is waking in the night, but I now know it's because she is hungry. She used to drink 7oz at each of her five feeds but is now only taking 3-4oz and shuts her lips and refuses to drink any more. She is then waking sometimes up to an hour before the dream feed, I was making her wait until the dream feed hour but all sense has gone out the window. We're now both so sleep deprived because I'm trying desperately not to let this become a habit by not giving in in the night, but she's not taking enough milk so it's no wonder it's happening every night. If I make her some solids after she's refused the rest of the milk she will eat the lot but clearly it's not enough to sustain her. Is this normal? Will it pass?

Offline Bex09

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Re: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2014, 16:25:33 pm »
Hi there, I take it your DD is on a 4 hr easy? When are you offering solids in relation to milk and how much is DD taking? Could it be that the solids are taking the edge off her appetite for milk but then not filling her up enough? Milk should still be the main source of nutrition until 12mo. So solids are more for tasting and exploring at this stage and not as the main calorie intake. Also what size teat are you using? Could DD be ready for the next size?



Offline Hollie-Mae

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Re: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2014, 17:05:10 pm »
Hi thanks for your reply. Yes she's on 4 hour easy.  She was only have two lots of solids a day until a week ago because I was trying her with new tastes and textures, porridge in the morning with the little bit of milk she used to leave, and then a root veg at lunch. Like you I wondered if I was filling her too much so a few days ago I gave her no solids all day and she was awake every 2 hours all night!! So I've increased her to three meals a day and am adding milk to every solid feed to try to increase the intake, because I know that milk is supposed to be the main source of nutrients, this is why I am worried. I've tried everything but she just doesn't want it?!

Offline Bex09

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Re: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2014, 17:41:55 pm »
So how are you spacing out her bottles and solids? Do you offer them together or have a gap in between with milk first? What is her first feed of the day like? Is she taking a good amount then?



Offline Hollie-Mae

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Re: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2014, 17:54:59 pm »
No I haven't been spacing the milk and solids I feed solids straight after milk just because although I tried cutting out solids incase it was filling her up and this made no difference, I don't want to risk her not drinking any milk at all at the next feed. So today it looked like this-

8 am 4oz milk plus 2oz milk in porridge- ate the whole bowl with blended blueberries in

12pm 4oz milk plus 2oz milk in root veg combo

4pm 5oz

Will feed last feed at 7.30 with porridge to try to get her to sleep until df, haven't tried this yet, she normally has last solids at 4 and is usually fruit and dairy free smoothie (she's allergic to cows milk) but I don't think that's enough to sustain her to df.

She cried on and off every hour through the night and I kept her going with her dummy hoping she'd wake up starving, but again she only drank 4oz and shut her lips, kept biting teat and turning her head to get the bottle away!!

Offline Bex09

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Re: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2014, 20:17:53 pm »
It may be worth offering solids an hour or so after DD's milk feed. So say a bottle at 8am wu and then breakfast at about 9/9.30. That way she should still be hungry enough to take her next milk feed when she wakes from her nap at 12. But hopefully she won't be holding out and waiting for the solids over milk. Your feeds might go...

Wu 8.00 milk
Breakfast solids 9/9.30am
12.00 milk
Lunch solids 1.00/1.30pm
4.00 milk
Dinner solids 5.00/5.30pm
8.00 BT milk

How does that sound? Do you think that could work for you?

Also I would make sure that DD is on the fastest flowing teat too. A few of us on here, including myself, have had success from increasing the teat flow to get our LOs to take more milk. So that might help too.



Offline Lolly

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Re: 24 week old only taking 3-4oz feeds, starting to worry now :(
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2014, 22:32:34 pm »
Does she have reflux along with the Cow's milk intolerance/ allergy? Which formula is she on now?

I agree with trying a faster teat too.

Laura