Please help! 12 wk old cries at every feed

[MrsMKJ]

My 12week old DD was EBF until recently. She found it really hard to transition to bottle and never really took a bottle well whilst breast fed, despite trying from an early age. It took her a whole weekend to learn to drink from a bottle. From there we had a short window where she would take feeds in a settled way. Now however every single feed is a crying match. She gives hunger cues, but when the bottle is anywhere near her mouth she cries. After a few minutes she settles and feeds but then often will only take 1-2oz. Other times she will take 5-6! I am at a total loss for what to do and am so fed up seeing my little girl upset and tearful at every feed. She hasn't been gaining weight well at all which is adding to my worries. Any advice please? We are booked to see the GP Thursday this week but feel so stupid going to the GP to say I can't feed my own child.

[knaffedoff]

You will probably get better advice from a health visitor rather than GP tbh. Are you still producing milk and would you consider going back to the breast, assuming that had been going well?

[MrsMKJ]

Breast feeding wasn't going well unfortunately and I am not producing milk any more. My HV was less than helpful but I think she has left now so may call to ask for someone else. Thanks for your response x

[rollerdisco]

I'm really sorry to hear you're having a tough time with the feeding at the moment.
Have you tried her with different types of bottles/teats in case she gets on better with a certain type? E.g I've heard that Mam and Nuk teats are meant to be quite breast-like? And Dr Brown's good for colic.
When I first started the transition to bottle feeding I found my DS would only do 1 or 2 oz if I fed him, but randomly guzzled down a full bottle the first time a friend fed him. I couldn't believe it! I think he found it easier to take a bottle properly from someone other than me initially. Once he got the hang of taking more milk, it then got easier for me to give the bottle.
You mention she sometimes takes 5 or 6oz - is that at a certain time of day, or any kind of pattern to it, or is it just random?
I'm a newbie on here so not sure how to post the flowers image yet! But I'm sending some virtual ones your way.