Crying - intake decreasing ! Help...

[MrsB2004]

Ok, try to make this as short as possible, ds is now 4 months, has always been a problem eater, mainly due to wind, however, I can not get him to take more than 4oz at a feed, unless its just before he goes to bed when he will take upto 7 or 8oz.

He was averaging 30oz per day, but over the last week he has started refusing the bottle, then the crying starts, and can develop into screaming (which he never did before even with wind), he fights and squirms so after everyone telling me he will eat if he´s hungry I stopped trying to force feed him, he didnt make up the milk and for 3 days was only taking around 22 - 24oz ( and that was with encouragement !)

The last 2 days he seems to have improved a little, but is still only taking around 26oz, I saw our ped yesterday who said hes fine, weight gain is really good, and not to worry as they sometimes go through this - i dont feel so confident. All my friends can tell me is their children were eating around 7-8oz each feed at this age !!

Anyone having the same problem, or any advice of what I can do to help him take more, i have tried the bigger teats but he just chokes on them and then takes even more wind in !!!! ..... aarrrrgh help much appreciated.

[bunnyrabbit]

Hiyah,
DON'T PANIC!! My DS went through this sort of stage several times. As long as his weight gain is good, and he is not unhappy, then relax and try to ignore what your friends tell you. Every baby is different, there are no rules!! Screaming sounds a bit odd though but if the ped checked him out....

What is his weight out of interest (not that it matters just nosey)? Does he sleep well? Are you starting him on solids yet?

BR

[twiglett]

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[karen99]

Teeth or a cold? My ds always has less when he's feeling 'off colour' which can last a week. Have you tried offering it in a spouted cup?

(BTW, my ds had two teeth come through at 4months 1wk so it could be a possibility if other teething signs are there)

[AussieSim]

Please relax. So long as he is growing and alert why worry. I never new how much my DS was getting a day - so it goes when BreastFing. You will also be communicating your anxiety onto him. This too shall pass - and all that.

[cathncait]

hi there
Just thought I'd add a quick note to reasssure you too. I agree with what everyone has said here too - My dd did teh same thing around the same age too and I completely paniced. I took her took severel doctors to be sure and was a crying wreck after each feed. It lasted about a week and then she went back to normal, had still gained weight and was happy as larry. Don't know why. Try not to worry - I know it is a bit scary. Hang in there it will improve again.

[MrsB2004]

Thank you all so much for your reply´s. We live in Spain at the moment, and I dont know anyone here, so its really reassuring to be able to communicate !

He is 7kgs now about 15lb, he is perfectly happy until I tried to feed him, and then it can vary, I think you are right in the growth spurt as just before this started he was taking in around 35oz for about 3-4 days. he usually is asleep from 8pm, we feed him around 11.30pm (sometimes he wakes sometimes not - but still takes the feed whatever !) then he sleeps till around 6.30am, which has been the same since he was 7 weeks old.

Our ped said we could start him on fruit, and out of desperation as he was not eating any milk, I mixed some with some bannana and he ate the lot ! and seemed very content afterwards. Im just glad to know he´s not the only baby doing this, my husband panicks more than I do - so you can imagine our household at the moment ! and we probably are making him feel worse !!

Strange this is, he will still take his juice/herbal tea thing even when he doesnt want his milk, so at least i know he´s getting enough liquid. I was thinking maybe I shouldnt give him any more solids until his milk intake improves, but he seems to like it..... what do you guys think ????

Thanks once again, cant tell you how much these messages mean !! xx

[MrsB2004]

Ps. I did bf until 8 wks, but he used to go crazy (funnily enough just like now with the bottle !) on the breast, and after a week or trying I couldnt take it any more and so changed to bottle .. thinking it would be better ..... not so !! never mind too late to change things now.

[tiktok]

Not too late to change.....if that's the only thing stopping you from offering the breast, MrsB. This is not meant to pressurise you in any way, believe me, just to inform you. Relactation is possible - you need support, motivation and encouragement, but it can be done. If you want to know more, I am pretty sure it's been discussed on here, so do check archived threads. Any of the helplines would help, too, and so will LLL, who are in Spain too.

[karen99]

Hi Mrs.B. How have things been over the weekend?

Milk is still where he gets most of his calories, so even though he likes his fruit he should still be taking a significant amount of milk.

[MrsB2004]

Thanks Tiktok, I did try a while ago but without much sucess, unfortunately I am also due back to work and so think that would be even more trauma.

Well, the last few days seem to be going well, I started him again taking the herbal digestive tea thing, which he really likes (its supposed to help with the wind), however he seems to prefer that to the milk, so not sure thats a good thing, when I feed him and he is refusing the milk, if i offer him the tea he will take it ? then with careful management his intake went up to 26oz sat & Sun, and thought I had it all sorted out, but today he has only taken 15oz (and that was a struggle!) and has now gone to bed. I usually feed him again around 11pm, although he will only take around 5oz max at this time so things are not good.

Am now at my wits end and dont know what to do next. I know he´s taking enough liquid with the tea etc, but Im still really concerned about his food/milk intake.

What am i doing wrong ????

[MrsB2004]

Hi
Sorry me again - have now decided to stop worrying and STOP posting messages !!

He has been perfectly fine today, with no signs at all of what has been going on over the last week - as though none of it ever happened !

Thank you all for your support , I shall now go and read /sympathise/learn with everyone else.... thanks again xx

[karen99]

Hi MrsB. you aren't doing anything wrong! they can just be really stubborn, that's all. My ds went through a week of refusing everything and I thought I'd made up loads of frozen dishes for him that I'd have to chuck, but the following week he guzzled them.

Relax and see how things go. It's amazing what body language does.

[Columbus]

I am hoping you all can help, especially MrsB who has had this type of issue recently.
I have a similar problem in that my 5 month old moved from breast to bottle recently as I needed to go back to work and he has only taken about 4 oz a feed for the last 3-4 weeks - so it is not getting better. I had to stop breast feeding entirely as he would not eat anything all day and wait for the boob in the evening. He has always been a vomitty baby and still can vomit an entire feed without warning (even an hour after a feed) and then smile his head off afterwards! Seems fine (so the GP says) but sometimes can end a day having had only 18oz. Also he never cries with hunger and regardless of how much he has had in the day he never wakes between 11pm and 6am. I know I should be happy about that but the fact that he ought to be hungry and is not waking, bothers me.

Not sure about introducing solids as he doesn't take the milk quantity he should, also feel like he should have water (bothered about dehydration) but he won't take that either.

Seems unable to cope with the volume??? Weight not dropping but gains are tailing off, only 2oz gained last week when he would typically will gain 8oz when breast fed.

Don't think it's the bottle as he will latch on quite happily drink 4 oz and then just come off and refuse to go back on again. Using a fast flow teat too so it's not that he can't get the milk fast enough.

Any advice??? Am just being told it will work itself out.