SOOOOOOO FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tatumsmom]

I've posted many times but still having the same problems. My dd just doesn't eat. She will be six months next Monday and will only eat 3-4oz every 3.5-4 hrs. The problem seems to be getting worse. I've tried everything you name it I've tried it. Needless to say she wakes at night to eat because she doesn't get enough during the day. We have started cereal but not enough to impact her formula intake. I hate to say this but she was doing so much better when I was feeding on demand and before I started the dreamfeed as she now wakes up to eat so it's not really a dreamfeed . She used to sleep from 8 till 4 then eat and go back to sleep till 7:30. Since I started easy a month ago she has been waking more at night and sleeping less and eating less during the day.I've tried all the suggestions from my other posts(thankyou everyone for the help) but still not getting anywhere. I'm starting to feel like a failure and I'm getting so frustrated. Any help would be great.
KH

[Lªuren]

Hi there, you are not a failure I know loads of mums on this site who have gone through the same thing as you have. I also remember between 5 and 6 months being a feeding nightmare!!

Can you post your routine for the past few days and include amounts of milk and solids for each meal and we can see where we can help.

Lauren 

[Tatumsmom]

Hi Lauren,
 Well today she ate next to nothing maybe 15 oz since 12:30 last night. This was at 4:00 this afternoon. I was going out in the afternoon  to buy some more bottle( we had been using the Playtex drop In's, but tried the Playtex avance natural latch which she seemed to do a little better with) anyway I ended up buying the Playtex avance by mistake. They are a bit different then the Playtex advance natural latch. I thought for she she wouldn't like them because they are smaller in width then the others and instead of a hole it is a y shaped cut. We  tried them anyway and guess what she took 4oz(I think she would have taken more if I had offered) with the first try and then took almost 7oz at bedtime!!!!!!!!  :oThat is the most she has ever taken at one time I don't know if she was just starving or if was because of the bottle. Needless to say I feel really good!! I'll post are routine just in case it was a fluke.

7:00 wake and have bottle 4oz
7:30-9:30 play time(just got her a jolly jumper, which she loves)
9:30-10:30 nap
10:30-11:00 cuddle and read
11:00 try to feed would only take 2oz, then tried  some cereal which she wouldn't eat
11:00-1:30 play
1:30-2:15 nap
2:15-3:00 cuddle, play
3:00 eat 3oz
3:15-5:00 go for walk do errands
5:00 cat nap for about 30 mins
5:30-7:00 plays ,hangs out with us well we relax on the deck
7:00 bottle 40oz, then bedtime routine usually in bed by 7:30
10:00-10:30 will wake anywhere between and will want to eat has 3oz (this is were we used to df but now she wakes up first)
between 1:00-2:00 wakes eats 3oz
between 3:30-4:30 wakes and eats 3oz

This is just an overview and the timings very anywhere betwen 15-30 mins each day. She has not been eating her cereal for the last few days. Hope this helps.Thankyou for responding.
KH

[deb]

This might sound a bit radical, but Natalie does REALLY WELL with a straw! (So well, in fact, that since it's faster than BF, she gave that up at 8 months!  )

We found cups at WalMart (where I normally never go, but hey, we had a gift card from Christmas) that have a straw molded right into the side, opening up at the bottom. Both my girls use them almost exclusively now. They're bright colors, hold about 8-10 ounces, and Nat can EMPTY one in less than a minute when she sets her mind to it!

[Lªuren]

Tatumsmom

Maybe a couple of things to try and help;

1. Have you tried waiting 15/30mins from wake up to feed? Lots of LO's won't eat as much as soon as they wake, my DS waits 30mins.
2. After you second post my thoughts lie strongly with - are you using the correct teat flow for you're LO, if not your LO will become bored of trying to suck hard for milk.

2.   Does your LO drain their bottles?
If your LO is consistently draining their bottles, this usually means that they are not getting enough - try and increase the bottle by 1oz and see how you get on from there. My health visitor always advised me that when a baby has had enough they would leave about 1/2 oz in the bottom of the bottle, if they drain the bottles they need more.

3. Have you tried feeding every 4.5hrs to see if that makes a difference?
 
4. How much cereal do you give?

4.   Have you started giving solids?
What solids are you giving? Are you giving milk first? It may also be that your LO is getting too much food and has cut down on milk as a result of not being hungry. If your LO has been firmly established on solids, it is normal for their milk intake to decrease.


See more tips on how to increase milk intake here --> https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=61166.0

HTh's

Lauren

[Tatumsmom]

I've read that board already and have done all of the suggestions. I've tried using slow, medium and fast flow nipples. I've waited 10-15 mins and tried again.I feed her in a dim quit room, I've tried everything. She is doing a bit better with these y shaped nipples I think they are called tricut. I've read on another post that these are good because the babies can stop and start the flow and they are fairly fast. She eats every 3.5 hours at night and takes about 6-7 oz at a feed, she dose not eat well during the day how do I switch that. I was told to offer water at night(she will not take it) or to water down the formula, is that safe and dose it work. Thanks for the suggestions.
we have just started cereal and she only gets a tbls once a day.

[Lªuren]

Do you think this sounds like the problem you are having at night?

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=60765.0

Look at the post from Skibbit.