Very difficult feeder, or just small appetite?

[gabriels mum]

Hi!  My DS  is 5.5 months old, and I have struggled to feed him since he was 5 weeks old!  He seems very disinterested in feeding, and up until recently would fall asleep at the bottle after about an once, and need constant prompting to carry on sucking!  He now does not always need prompting, but still takes very small feeds.

On the advice from the GP, we wake him up at 7.00am, and give him a bottle at 7.30am (today he took 3.5ounces).  His next feed is at 11.30am (today he stopped after 1.5ounces and started playing with the teat with his tongue!), and then 3.30pm & 7.30pm, with a dream feed late at night.  I find that I stuggle to get over 22 ounces into him, and feel as if I force even these down! He is very distractable, and would rather put anything else in his mouth other than his milk!

He does not seem very hungry ever, except for the feed before bedtime, which we do in a dark room, and he usually takes 5-7 ounces.

We are using a 3m+ flow teat, which seems fast enough, so I don't think this is the problem.

I really do not know what to do - should  I drop a bottle?  Extent the feeds to 4.5/5 hours, go back to feeding on demand (although he never seems to demand!), or just accept he has a tiny appetite??  Could he just not like milk??

Up until now he has continued to grow along the 50th centile, but the amounts he is taking are dropping daily, and I don't know if/how he will continue to grow!

He sleeps all through the night (in fact, we have to wake him up each morning!!).

I am now very worried, as I will be returning to work in 5 weeks, and can't imagine how the nursery will manage to feed him!Any help would be very appreciated! 

Thanks

Gabriels Mum

[LŠuren]

Hi and welcome to the boards 

My DS is the same with is feeding but not to the same extent as yours. They are also roughly the same age.

I also wake DS at 7am and feed at 0730 6/7oz on a good day. We feed him every 4 - 4.5hrs 4 bottles in the day and no d/f. When DS fusses with his last few oz I put them in a trainer sippy cup, have you tried this?

Have you always used the same type of bottle? Was there ever a time when he took a bottle ok? What kind of formula are you using?  Have you introduced any solids into his diet, that you haven't mentioned?

If I were you (and I have done this) follow his hungry cues for a couple of days to see when he is actually hungry, keep a log and you may see a pattern emerging.  I feed at 4 bottles @ approx. 0730/1200/1630/1900+1930 last bottle split. I don't see any point in try to feed my DS when he isn't hungry at the 4hr mark, as it is frustrating for both of us.

HTH's


Let us know if you have any other questions and keep us informed 

Lauren

[gabriels mum]

Hi Lauren, thanks for your reply!  Funny, I actually just did this!  I left him for 4.15 hours, after which he started to cry a bit, so I fed him & he took 4 ounces! (wish I had left him for a further 15Min's or so!?)

To answer your Q's, we are using Aptamil first with Avent bottles, which we have always used.  Up to the age of 6 weeks DS was bf, with some further expressed bm & occasional formula, after which I gave up, as ironically he would never stop feeding from me!!  At this time, he was taking 5 ounces every 3 hours, and around 38ounces a day, which is why I find his feeding so difficult now!

Over the last few days out of desperation I have mixed some of his formula with baby rice, which he has loved, but he is not on any other solids, and I am concerned that if I increase this, he will take even less milk!?

I haven't had any luck with a sippy cup yet, so I will give this another go, and I think I will solely try feeding on demand from tomorrow, as I don't think this is working for either of us at the mo!  Will let you know how we get on!

It's so good to know I'm not the only one having difficulties with feeding, as I seem to spend most days in tears over it!

[LŠuren]

Gabriels mum, please don't let it get you down - I let it get me downfor ages and I DREADED feeding time - until I was resigned to the fact that he went through phases of eating and not eating.

We also use Aptimel, but extra #2 for hungry babies. Reading your reply was spooky because I also tried b/feeding but he was always hungry and had to keep giving him top-ups are well. I then resorted to formula and expressing until he was 6weeks.

I sometimes but babyrice in his bedtime bottle, not for any other reason other than he loves the taste, it is the only bottle he takes over 10oz.

The other thing you can try is to give him as much as he will take then wait 5-10mins and try again. You will probably find tomorrow that he will go 4.5hrs between feeds. I still do EASY around this.

[*Natasha*]

I totally agree with Calum's Mum  My DD never took the amount of bottles that was recommended for her age. By 2 months she had put herself on 4hr EASY with no DF or night feeding and by 5 months she dropped to 3 bottles of 7ozs. I use to stress so much when DD didn't drink all her bottle so much so i made myself sick. Now i don't worry she just recently has only taken approx 5.5ozs at her lunch time bottle and i think she will drop this bottle before the recommended time of 12 months. I am not worried as she has plenty of calcium and vitamins from her food.
I am no expert on DF as i never had to worry about it but if you say your DS is sleeping through the night then perhaps you could drop it and you might find he will drink more during the day. Also go to 4.5hrs with his bottle and see if he will take more.
Good luck with it all 

PS My DD has always put on approx 200gms in a week so i know she is heathy and putting on a great amount if weight.

[gabriels mum]

Hi Girls, thanks so much for your support!  Well, I've waited & waited, and don't seem to get much of a "demand" from DS! (I'm too scared to let him go longer than 5 hours!).  Today he only took 3 ounces, so I mixed the other 4 up with baby rice, and he ate it!  4.5 hours later, he took another 4ounces, but as per usual fidgeted and squirmed, that I don't think he even wanted this!  I think I will just keep feeding him on the 4/4.5 hour mark, and hope he takes what he needs!?  I also really hope that he will like solids better than his milk!  Once he is on some more solids, I think I will look to drop a bottle? (Natasha, you have given me some more confidence!).  I am also going to try him on some baby juice, to make sure he has liquids if he wants them.

Never thought babies would be so hard to feed!  Just wish I could stop worrying about it!