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

[sleepyhummel]

I don't want to intrude but one of the signs of dysphagia is they will only eat while very sleepy or asleep.  Did you see the thread about that?? It has a good list of questions to run through in the very first post to gauge if this is what your DS has.

Good luck!

[Anka]

First tooth has come up I noticed last night. No wonder she's all over the place. Let's hope she returns to normal now - at least until it's time for the next one

[bubbabear1]

Hi there,

We are in the same boat!!  My DD is nearly 17 weeks and is difficult to feed. Can anyone suggest a different formula (using SMA Gold at the moment, in Dr. Browns bottles) for easier digestion/comfort. She has mild reflux and is on gaviscon which seems to be ok for now. Will be getting her weighed next week so hoping for an increase!!  I do feed her in a quiet room with her arm tucked behind and a bright coloured cloth over my shoulder. She starts off well but once she comes off the teet - thats it!! No more!! Somedays she eats more than others - she seems happy enough in general and sleeps well - I just wish she would eat more!!!

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Many Thanks,
Siobhan

[* Paula *]

Hi Annica,

Thanks for the update.  I am pleased that things are going better.

Be careful not to let her fall asleep on the bottle as this can turn into a prop.

Keep us posted on how things are going.

[micheyeo]

Hi! I have reading the posts and have to say, I am relieved that I am not the only fretful mum.

My DS is 6 months old and he has not been consistently finishing his bottle for 1 month already. Its so frustrating. The times that he does finish his bottle, I feel so relieved and grateful. He usually takes between 6-7oz every 4 hours, but he does take over 2 hours to finish.

But now he takes only 2-3oz and absolutely refuses to take anymore, no matter what I do. He lets the milk dribble out of his mouth. He will attempt to roll over while feeding too.

I know we are supposed to offer the milk to baby and let him decide how much he wants to drink, but I am afraid that will affect his night time sleeping, if he is not drinking enough in the day time.

HELP! Any advise please?

[* Paula *]

What size teat are you using?  Do you think your lo could be ready for the next stage up?

Is your lo on solids?  If so have you tried to decrease the amount of solids your lo takes to see if this helps at all?

[micheyeo]

I am using the fast flowing teats and he has just started on solids. He is only have 1/2 tbs of rice cereal mixed with milk once a day at 11am.

Yesterday afternoon, he drank only 3oz out of his 6oz milk and absolutely refused to take anymore, no matter what I do. During bedtime he took 7oz and went to sleep. During DF, he took only 4oz. But at 6am he woke up HUNGRY! Refused to go back to sleep. What should I do? His not drinking enough milk during the day has caused his early wakings!

I really don't know what to do...

[* Paula *]

1-2 tablespoons of solids is quite a lot at this age.  They should only be having a tiny amount as a taster, at this age it is not meant to be a meal.  I would defintley reduce the solids.  At this age we were only doing 2-3 teaspoons of solids just to get DD used to the textures.

Do you know if your lo is teething at all?  If you think he is, have you tried rubbing some teething gel on his gums a few minutes before a feed to see if that helps ease the discomfort?

[micheyeo]

I think you misunderstood... I am feeding him half tablespoon of rice cereal (which equates to to 1.5 teaspoon), not 1-2 tablespoon.

I do think he is teething, because he is drooling, biting at everything. But his gums are not red nor swollen. I am living in Mongolia, so I do not get access to teething gels. What else can I do to reduce his discomfort?

Yesterday, his drinking was worse... he took only 17oz in total, instead of the normal 30oz. No matter what I do, he slaps the bottle away. How long will this last? When I do I start panicking?

[* Paula *]

Are there any teething remedies available where you are?  Have you tried freezing a clean new wash cloth, so that it is cold and letting your lo chew on that?

Does he seem in any discomfort at all?

Does your lo suffer from reflux at all?

[linussally]

My LO has been fussing with the bottle since mid-Dec, when he was about 10 wks old.  He's still at it now, 15 wks today, and today is the worst.  He had a night feed last night at 3:50, took 5.5oz.  This morning, instead taking his usual 3-3.5 oz, he had NOTHING.  He usually doesn't eat much in the mornings, so I was fine with just 3-3.5oz.  But today, nothing??  Then at his 2nd feed at 10:30, 2oz.  I thought he would at least have 5 oz since he had nothing at the first feed, so much for hoping...

He's a happy baby otherwise, just cries at the sight of the bottle.  I've also been trying to stretch the time in between his feeds, 3.5 hrs, but he still doesn't seem to be hungry.  I've also tried 4 hours, but still, no change.  He just doesn't seem hungry at all, even if his previous feed was only 2-3 oz. 

I hope this is a developmental thing, and it will be over SOON....

[* Paula *]

linussally, do you think your lo could have reflux?  Have a look at these symptoms and see if your lo has any of them.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=654.msg3208#msg3208

[linussally]

the doctor said he may have mild reflux, but it's common in a lot of babies.  and he's not severe that it's hindering his weight gain.  He's just not interested in eating, and like other babies on this thread, just keeps squirming and wiggles his nipple from side to side, talking.  Sometimes once he's done that, he would start drinking again.  Other times, he just squirms and arches his back, not wanting anymore.  It seems like he has to do all the talking first, and feeds when he feels like it. 

[linussally]

so as of the last feed of the night (before tonight's DF), he's only had 14.5 oz.  I just hope that he'll take more at the DF.  I wonder if I should feed him tonight if he wakes up, or just leave him...  so that he'll be hungrier in the morning and take a proper feed!

[* Paula *]

It is quite common for a lot of lo's to have reflux, however some are affected by the pain a lot more than others. 

I know that you said that the faster flow teat was too fast for him, have you tried making another hole in the teat that he is using now, to make it slightly faster, but not too fast.  You can do this with a steralised sewing needle.  Might be worth a try.