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Infant feeding

Taking so long to give DS his bottle

3 replies

LittleSF · 27/03/2013 14:21

Our baby boy is ten weeks old. He's a hungry little thing, averages about 7oz, six bottles a day. But it's taking so long to get the ounces into him. Each feed is at least an hour, usually more. We've gone to the level 2 teat but it still takes forever. He's definitely hungry for it and seems to be working so hard to suck. If I were to stop feeding him after 30 mins he would definitely cry for more.

We're using the latex teat right now (Nuk). Should I try to increase the hole, switch to silicone or try another brand?

The GP suggested the level 2 teat after he diagnosed silent reflux (which cleared up as soon as we switched and with Gaviscon).

Any ideas welcome. It's taking so long at each feed we're all wrecked, especially him and I feel that sometimes a feed ends because he's worn out, not because he's satisfied.

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JammieE · 27/03/2013 15:00

Has he been checked for a tongue tie? I know TT isn't usually such a problem for bottle fed babies but if he is taking that long and putting in that much effort it may be that he just can't get a good action going?

Also, if he's taking that long he is probably starting to suggest some on the milk before the feed is finished which may be why he is able to take so much in one go. My daughter has a habit of overfeeding if I give her a bottle of ebm. Generally speaking, she will feed until the bottle is empty, irrespective of how much milk was in the bottle. To stop the overfeeding I've tried tipping the bottle when I think she has had enough so that she gets a few sucks of air and nothing else. It seems to tell her that it's all gone (even though it isn't) and she immediately gives up and doesn't cry for more. Perhaps try this with your soon. If he gives up he obviously isn't hungry anymore.

Could you also try feeding him less, more often? My dd is 11 weeks old and feeds on average every 2-3 hours with an 8 hour gap over night. As a result she trends to be sick if she takes more than 180ml from a bottle and the norm would be about 120ml for her (although all babies are different so your DS may need just as much milk even if he feeds more often).

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ilovepowerhoop · 27/03/2013 18:46

gaviscon will thicken the milk so I'd try an even faster teat than you are using already

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LittleSF · 27/03/2013 20:20

Thanks so much for the replies. It turns out that its the Gaviscon - so blindingly obvious now. Feel so daft for not seeing it. He's finished up with the Gaviscon now and took his bottle much quicker.

I did try to feed him more often before but he's impossible to wake up and feed. But what I would give for him to go 8 hours at night! He's been feeding every 3 hours today but is fast asleep now - his next bottle would be due at 9 but he'll more than likely sleep until half ten, then take his last bottle and wake at 3:30am. If I thought feeding him at 9 and again at 12 would have him down for 8 hours I'd do it but isn't it a crime to wake a sleeping baby? Before when I tried this he would only take 2 or 3 ounces and then fall asleep again.

That's a separate question to my original query though. Thanks again, I'll get the faster teats in case he needs the Gaviscon again.

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