I'm going insane with 3.5-mo hardly eating, HELP!

[Lippy Chick]

Lisel, Would it help to start reducing the dream feed, as that may be aiding in your baby not wanting a feed in the morning?  Not sure as Alice never really took it anyway.  I wouldn't bother getting up at 3am to feed, it's better for you to get your sleep.  If he wakes early for a feed, would you be able to get him back to sleep again for a bit longer?

Also, don't worry about not being able to go to 4 hours straight off, as Lyn said you could try a 3.5 hour routine.  I have found though that Alice feeding every 4 hours has been better.  We did transition for a bit though and didn't go straight into 4 hours.

She's got a cold at the moment and so her feeding is all over the shop and she's not taking as much.

Hope this helps.

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Sorry to hear that Alice has a cold :-(

Roman has still been fussing at some feeds, so if after 15 minutes, he is still fussy, I stop trying to feed him.  He has done just fine like that.  I think maybe he isn't that hungry.  Who knows.  I want to transition to 4 hour routine as I am on the 3.5 hour at the moment, but am nervous about dropping a feed.  I guess it's worth a shot and if he wakes in the early morning for a feed I will know he still needs that extra feed.  Hope all is well with the rest of you!

[Lippy Chick]

Hi Anne,

Have been away on holiday and Alice is now cold free. Have you managed to transition to a 4 hour EASY?  We're now going to start Alice on solids.  My HV mentioned something called baby-led weaning.  Have you heard of it?  There's a section in the solid feeding area, it's the top link.  I'm going to meet up with her this week and chat about to get started and have ordered Alice's high chair, so will wait for that to arrive before we start.  Very exciting to see these babies become real people.

Pauline 

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Pauline - I have been thinking about you since I haven't seen you on line in a while.  Glad to hear you are back and Alice is cold free!!  I have transitioned to a 4 hour EASY.  He still is more interested in things around him then feeding, but it isn't as bad as before   He is 21 weeks now, so shouldn't this phase pass??     Our birth thread has been talking about BLW and it does seem quite interesting.  I will read up on it a bit more, but I don't know if I'll have the time to do so since I go back to work full time in October    Will see!!  I just put together ds's high chair last night.  He disappears in it, but he looks so cute!  Let me know what you think about the baby led weaning...

[Lippy Chick]

Hi Anne,

I know what you mean about Roman being more interested in what's around him.  Alice won't really feed as well if she's not at home.  It takes loads longer and she doesn't take as much if we're out somewhere.  She is feeding much better though, downing 7/8 ozs in around 25 mins for each feed.  I asked the health visitor about Alice's feeding and she said she might do better once she starts weaning and then suggested the BLW.  She has got much better the last couple of weeks, but not really uping her intake hugely.  I think she's never going to be a big eater.  I think what I like about the BLW idea is that she is less likely to become a fussy eater and refuse anything with lumpy bits.  My mum reckons that's the problem with my niece and nephew (7 and 3) that they went onto solids too late and then didn't really want anything textured and still don't.  So she's all for this way of weaning. I might try and get on to the birth thread, have looked at it at times.  It's all about time though, isn't it?

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Timing is everything!!

[orbmom]

I noticed that no one has posted here in a while - are any of these babies eating any better now?  I am coming up on the 3 month mark with my ds with the same eating problem for a few weeks.  He takes a few ounces then starts fussing, plus we have 30 -45 min. naps, so the only thing "routine" about our day is that we force him to eat about every 4 hours now.  He is a little over 12 lbs and takes around 20 oz. a day and one night feeding, most feedings with a fight.  I am racking my brain, trying bottles, formula, feeding times, nipples, etc.  We went to the ped several times and are close to seeing a specialist.

It seems like it might be developmental since these babes are all around the same age.  I could relax a little if I thought he would grow out of it in a few months... please post back here if you had this problem and it has gotten better/gone away!!

[grahamsmama]

Sort of better.  She takes about the same amount of formula as before, but we have started her on solids.
Her routine is:

6:30 am 6 ounces
7:30 Breakfast
11am 4 ounces
12 Lunch (yogurt)
3pm 4 ounces
4pm Dinner
6pm 6 ounces
DF 6 ounces (although I think she's starting to drop this because she's sometimes fussing during it and not taking as much as before)

For us, it was a combination of reflux (which has gotten better), developmental (which has gotten worse) and bottle/nipple type (we switched to the Drop ins with fast flow nipples).  Most of it is developmental though and she's gotten busier and busier.  I think it's best just to try to relax about it and ask yourself whether the crying is pain-like or annoyance.  Will he eat well when he's asleep or drowsy?  Have you tried any reflux meds?

[orbmom]

He does eat better at the middle of the night feeding.  It doesn't seem to be annoyance.  This morning it took an hour to get him to take 4 ounces.  But I didn't think it could be reflux since he doesn't cry after eating.  Once you take the bottle away, he stops.

[orbmom]

Also, what do you mean by the "developmental" getting worse?  Is it a distraction thing?  My daughter (now five) had colic, endless crying and seemed like pain, so it doesn't seem like that.   It got better around 6 months, but the first year was still pretty rough.  My son certainly is fussy at other times, but he is also a bad short napper and tired too so I attribute it to that.

We have not tried the meds, since he does not spit up and stops crying when you take the bottle away. 

I feel pretty discouraged right now.  Going through the colic with my daughter, was pretty traumatic and I was hoping for an angel baby.  I know you have to love the child  you are given (and boy, do I!), but I just don't feel equipped with the patience to handle all of this  Does it have to be eating AND sleeping?

[grahamsmama]

Also, what do you mean by the "developmental" getting worse?  Is it a distraction thing? 

Exactly.  She flips and flops all over the place when I'm feeding now.  She'll take a few sips and then want to look around or play. 

I've had two diagnosed with reflux.  Elizabeth had silent reflux, almost no spit up at all.  She slept terribly and pulled off alot and was fussy when feeding.  She wasn't especially fussy other times, but definitely during sleeping times and feeding times.  Meghan has a much more mild case of reflux and sleeps fine.  She was really fussy when feeding, but stopped crying when  we stopped feeding her.  The Zantac helped some, but really she's just sort of grown out of it.  I might take a peek at the reflux board and see if any of those threads sound familar. 

[~*Sugar*~]

Well...it took me over an hour but i finished reading this whole post...all 8 pages...lol.

I am so having the same problem with my 16 week old.He has been doing this for a month or so now.We have had him to the Dr and ruled out any medical issues like reflux.We also tried a faster flow nipple and he ate faster but became very frustrated with drinking so fast and ended up drinking less then before so i went back to the med flow nipple.Then i tried teething gel because he does chew on his hands and drool like crazy...this worked for about 2 days and back to fussing again.He has had sleep issues but is pretty good now only waking for one feed around 4am.His best feed is at 4am when he takes 5-6oz always.The others are all over the place...could drink anywheres from 3 - 6 oz.I do find that he drinks better for dh which is not good since he is gone all day and latey is only occasionally getting home in time for the last feed of the day.Also if we go out shopping or visiting or for a walk etc he drinks even less maybe 2-3 oz.So i am thinking he is distracted so i was going to try feeding him in a darkened room and see what happens.Will try anything...lol

Glad to see i am not alone in this!

Christina

[grahamsmama]

This is how I feed Meghan (it's like the baby feeding Olympics!!!  )
Am feed- feed in rocking chair with lights off for a few ounces, flip her around so her head is on my knees and she's looking at me for a few ounces, take her downstairs and hold her upright on my lap while big kids/dh entertain her and she looks around and eats a little bit (total feed about 5 ounces)
Feed after first nap- repeat of above, then put the remaining milk in a sippy and let her play with that (total feed 4-5 ounces)
Feed after second nap- repeat as after first nap, then feed dinner, then try again (total feed 3-4 ounces)
Bedtime feed- Repeat as am feed then feed in rocking chair with lights off and sing to her until she seems drowsy then burp her so she'll wake a bit for bedtime (total feed usually about 5 ounces)
DF- 6 ounces because she's asleep (Her am feed is decreasing though, so I'm going to start weaning this soon)
Each of her feeds can take up to an hour.  It's crazy, but I know there isn't anything wrong, she's just getting so interested in her surroundings. 

[~*Sugar*~]

I feel your pain with the olympics....same thing going on here.We start in his room in the rocking chair then end up in the living room on the sofa and if its a real bad feed i put him in his swing or excersaucer and try that.Usually takes 30 to 45 mintues.I dont think there is anything wrong either...he has become more aware of his surroundings and more interested in moving around as well.You should see me try to change his diaper 

Christina

[Claire W]

I have had EXACTLY the same problem with my little boy! I am new to this website so it's great to see that other people are experiencing the same thing...My lo is 13 weeks and for the last 10 days has been refusing his bottle after taking the first 60mls no problem. Have changed him to EASY every 4hrs. I also gave him breaks in between and managed to get 3 - 4ozs down him at most feeds. It'd good to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel though. Also read information on wonder weeks (google 'wonder weeks infant') which seems to suggest that this is a developmental thing.