5 Month Old Suddenly Erratic Feeding!

[geoffreyandme]

My son Geoffrey is going to be 5 months next Wednesday. He was 7 weeks early so that makes his developmental age 13 weeks if you subscribe to that. He has always had feeding issues..it's been extremely difficult for us to be honest. He is lactose intolerant and has reflux as well. He is on Zantac which has alleviated the reflux and we feed him Enfamil Lactofree formula which worked miracles immediately. What we are witnessing now is different than symptoms of those 2 ailments. One feed he is starving, taking a whole 8 oz and then the next 2 feeds only 4 oz. He just seems disinterested and totally distracted after he takes the first half of the bottle--but it does seem like he's still hungry! He is on EASY 4 hour. Last night, he went down at 7 and woke at 830 to have a feed which we havent done in ages! He did sleep better through the night-- after his dream feed at 1130 he didn't wake until 430A then i patted him and he went back to sleep until almost 7. I am not sure what's going on, could it be that he is sick of the formula? Do we need to go up a nipple size(he's on level 2 Dr Browns now). I just want him to feed properly..it kills me to see him not finishing bottles. Does anyone have any advice or experience with this? I read in the book that this is a period where they are totally distracted, but it seems like more than that? or am i overreacting? HELP!

[* Paula *]

Hi there,

I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.  We had problems with DS when he was just on formula, but we were on the 3 hour easy, and then switched to the 4 hour easy and this seemed to solve our problems.

When he finishes half of his bottle and does not want the rest - does he fight with you i.e push the bottle away etc?  If this is the case you may want to change the teat size - we did this and it did seem to help too.  You may find that he is getting bored as his feed is taking so long, and changing the size of teat may help.

Sorry that I can't be too much help.

Let us know how it goes.

[geoffreyandme]

Thank you Tom Tom's Mom. I am going to try changing the teat size-yes, he fights and pushes the bottle away. Thanks again..just knowing that i am not alone helps so much as you probably know!

[* Paula *]

If you say that he is fighting and pusing the bottle away - it definitely sounds like he needs to change the teat size.

My lo was on the fastest flow teat by 4 months and on the teats it says from 6 months, but that is what he wanted - and as you know every lo is different.

Glad I could be of help.  Let me know how you get on.

[LŠuren]

Also try and give a rest of 5 -10mins after he starts fussing - I have/going through this is well 

[AmyT]

Havng exact same issue with my 17 week old, started few weeks ago, so I changed teats which worked wonders, but now she on fastest teat and is fussing again, takes half bottle then can't be bothered, she is totally distracted, almost like sitting for 15 mins for a bottle is far too boring for her!!!

[LŠuren]

Other things I do to get him to feed for longer are;

Feed in a quite area no distractions - even DH and I talking to each other distracts him 
I sometimes wear an interesting necklace or a brightly coloured broch so he can focus his attention on them
Give a 5 - 10 mins rest
Change teat


If I think of any more I will post (I sure I will come up with others at his next feed  )

..something else...
I have noticed that one manufaturers perception of a slow/med/fast teat is different to the next. The chicco fast teats are so much faster to the Boots own brand teats.