Author Topic: 4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?  (Read 1879 times)

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Offline GraysonsMommy

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« on: September 22, 2005, 14:31:49 pm »
I have so many things going on right now, I'm not sure where to begin.  I think I will focus on the formula feeding issue here, since this is that thread for that, he he.  Grayson is a 15 pound almost-four-month old (on the 28th).  He has always been a good eater.  He's on the 4 hour EASY schedule (his choice, actually, I followed his lead there) with 7ounce feedings, was doing quite well, and then all of a sudden a few days ago, he started refusing the bottle after 4 ounces for some of his daytime feedings.  The strange one is the first bottle of the day.  We don't feed him when he wakes at night, we use sh-pat and p/u-p/d, if necessary, so when he gets up for the day, 7+ hours later, you would think he'd be starving.  He's not, he doesn't fuss for his bottle right away and lately, when I give it to him, he only takes 4 ounces.  I'm even fighting to get him to take those at times.  He's not fussing or anything, he just pushes the bottle away and when I put it back, he clamps his lips down and looks at me like, "No way are you getting that in there".  When I do squeeze a few drops into his mouth, between the clamping, he spits it right back out at me.  It's really kind of funny and I probably wouldn't worry about it too much, except that he keeps waking at night too.  I don't think it's for a feeding, because it's typically the same time every night, but after that waking (3am) he is up every half hour afterwards, until I get him up for the day.  Sometimes I can leave him in his crib to play and fuss until about 6am, then he's had it with being in there that long.  So I get him up and he's happy as pie to see me, time to play!!  He's never been a good sleeper, but I just can't tell if these two issues are linked or not.  It's like he has just learned that has has control over something and likes to play around while eating, bottle in, bottle out, coo, talk, bottle in, bottle out, look around, bottle in...ooops, didn't want that, spit it back out.  It takes forever to get those lousy 4 ounces in him and I certainly don't want him waking at night hungry.  I have tried just letting him control the bottle, he doesn't want anymore after the 4 ounces, I've tried feeding him sitting up, on the front porch, in the rocking chair, in his quiet dark room, in my quiet dark room.  I think I've run out of places to feed him, lol.  I don't really know what else to do other than follow his lead, but I'm throwing away a lot of expensive formula and afraid he's going to be hungry at night.

So here's our schedule (most of the time).  We started really sticking to this routine exactly one week ago:

E - 6:15-6:30 (7oz)
A
S - 8:00/8:30-10:00/10:30 (I shoot for 2 hours, but no less than 1.5)

E - 10:30 (7oz)
A
S - 12:00/12:15-1:30/2:00 (Usually around 1.5 and I don't push for more)

E - 2:30 (7oz)
A
S - 3:00/3:30-3:45/4:30 (just depends on day whether he goes 45 min or longer here)

E - 5:30 (starts cluster feeding) (7oz)
A
E - 7:00/7:30 (4 or 5oz) Last night, this took a full hour to get into him.
S

DF - 11:00-11:30 (4 or 5oz plus anything he might have missed during the day and he normally takes it all)

He still wakes at 3am and 5am.  Usually in between the two, he is up every 30 minutes to an hour and we sh-pat him back to sleep, just to start it all over again soon after.

We have been shooting for 2.5 ounces times his weight (about 38 ounces) in a 24 hour period. 

Please let me know, if you see anything wrong with this schedule.

Jessica
Grayson born 5/28/05
A Spirited and slightly Touchy little guy

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/luckylot1999/6f36d4a2.jpgimg07610qs.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

Offline Mom2X&F&V

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2005, 15:20:59 pm »
Hi there... well it sounds pretty much as my dd. She´s gonna be 4 mo the 30th. She did the same thing last week... ok I let her... she usually was not hungry in the morning and she had 3 oz. she usually had 6 oz. It lasted a week. Sometimes I think they are not hungry as when they have a growing spurt... I just let her eat what she wanted and if she wake at night I just let her and do pu/pd. It lasted just one week and now we are back to normal. You should wait... isn´t he sick or with a flu? Sometimes when their throat hurts it happens... so good luck.

Offline GraysonsMommy

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2005, 15:41:31 pm »
He doesn't seem to be sick in any way, I've taken his temperature even.  He acts happy as could be all day, smiling and playing.  He's always full of energy.  I guess I will just ride it out.  This afternoon I used a fast flow nipple and he ate faster, didn't play with the bottle at all.  I also gave him a few spoonfulls of carrots, what I could get into his mouth at least, ha ha.   :lol:

I just pray that his night time sleep improves, I don't know what else to do for him.

Jessica
Grayson born 5/28/05
A Spirited and slightly Touchy little guy

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/luckylot1999/6f36d4a2.jpgimg07610qs.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

Offline GraysonsMommy

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2005, 15:48:21 pm »
Just testing signature...
Grayson born 5/28/05
A Spirited and slightly Touchy little guy

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/luckylot1999/6f36d4a2.jpgimg07610qs.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

Offline GraysonsMommy

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2005, 15:57:08 pm »
:lol:
Grayson born 5/28/05
A Spirited and slightly Touchy little guy

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/luckylot1999/6f36d4a2.jpgimg07610qs.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

Offline Paulsmama

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2005, 17:44:20 pm »
Hi, just wanted to let you know that my DS did the exact same thing just after he turned 4 mos.  I have been lurking a bunch of boards and it seems to happen much more than one would expect!  He went from wolfing down 8 oz bottles to refusing more than 4-5 oz at certain feedings to refusing more than 4-5 oz at all feedings for three days (and waking early to eat).  Then he went back to eating 8 oz bottles again for a couple of months.  (Now he is 6 mos and doing it again for the past few days but I think it may be different.)
Cynthia

Paul--spirited/March 2005
Joseph--touchy-textbook??/Sept 2006

Offline GraysonsMommy

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2005, 19:37:20 pm »
Cynthia,
Oh good, so I get to look forward to seeing this again?  :roll:

Actually, it is good to knw that it is normal behavior, so I won't worry about it.  I will just roll with it.  Thanks for your insight!!   :wink:

Jessica
Grayson born 5/28/05
A Spirited and slightly Touchy little guy

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/luckylot1999/6f36d4a2.jpgimg07610qs.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

Offline Paulsmama

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4 Month old changes in routine, is this normal?
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2005, 20:39:29 pm »
Well, from many of the posts I've seen, babies appeared to start refusing bottles for various reasons from

1) expressing wanting to be in control (hey! this is a game!)
2) wanting a faster flow nipple b/c boredom/frustration too slow
3) just not hungry
4) having a cold (hard to breathe and suck) or sore throat
5) teething pain
6) reflux
7) who knows what

So, hopefully you won't see it again.  I'm concerned that what DS is doing now is reflux/heartburn because of all the extra pressure on his stomach from learning to sit -- he has been acting differently when refusing the bottle than the last time.  But he seems hungry again today and has been eating/burping well so fingers crossed it has passed . . .
Cynthia

Paul--spirited/March 2005
Joseph--touchy-textbook??/Sept 2006