teething?, Distraction?, Snacking?, HELP

[motherofemmett]

Our 4 month old is transitionaing to a 4 hour routine and is near the end.  He doesn't eat a full twenty minutes at meal time.  He eats for 5 to 10 minutes then stops and will not take either breast or bottle.  Later during his A. period he chews his fingers (and Everything in reach).  He acts irritated when he is normally a happy baby.  He alternates between fussing and laughing during this time. 

I think he might be snacking but I have held him off until 4 hours and he does the same thing.  He eats real quick for 5 to 10 minutes and stops then acts hungry.

THis has been going on for about a month.  Is this teething?  He hasn't had a tooth erupt yet.  He acts like something is bothering him when he gets off the breast.

IF it isacking, what do I do?  I'm woried about him going hungry and losing trust.  Could he be getting distracted?  What do I do then?  I don't want to hold him off if he is hungry.  I don't want to fed him willy-nilly and not be able to keep any kind of structure.

[bheemeryck]

My ds did the exact same thing, he is a very easily distracted little guy!! I retreated to a quiet place in the house, at first I was a little resentful, but it soon became 'our time', and it was a nice break from the other noise in the house! I also fed him as soon as he woke up, I found he ate better and was more relaxed at that time. Everyone told me they eventully do develop a stronger suck, so feeding in 5-10 minutes is not unusual. We fed that way  for 4 months, and he still gained weight, so he must've been eating enough. If your lo is still acting hungry, maybe he's not ready for a 4 hour schedule? We fluctuated between 3.5-4 hours for awhile, some weeks it would work just fine, and others he needed to eat more often. I found that time was VERY stressful, I can relate to what you're going through!!

[teezee]

my lo is almost 4 months and does the exact same thing...my normally happy baby is always whining it seems like.  some days she will eat great and some days just a few sucks here and there. from about 2 1/2 months she started eating less or it seemed to me, what used to be 15 min on each side was just 5 or 10 on one side...and she still just eats off of one side now but has been gaining weight and thriving still so it must be enough for her.  as far as seeming hungry and eating her hands...my dh is driving me crazy saying she is always hungry but she just doesn't want to eat much sometimes, they do say when they are teething that it hurts to suck, and from what i hear it can be months before a tooth actually pops through.  as i said some days are better than others and if teething is the prob it comes and goes...i keep feeling around for something but have still found nothing - maybe try some tempra and see if that calms your lo's fussing if it seems to be bothering your lo that much.  good luck.  keep me posted if u have come up with any other solution...could use the help also! :?

[annamum]

I agree that they develop a stronger suck and can feed efficiently in 5 to 10 minutes only. So if your baby is done in 10 minutes don't try to force to feed again, especially if he can go as long as 3.5 to 4 hours between feeds. It is also perfectly normal for them to suck their thumb at this age, they just discovered it and are happy to be able to self-soothe. Also, if he is teething, he will chew on anything, sometimes it takes months for a new tooth to erupt.