5 months old baby doesnt eat much during the day

[bonjourbonjour]

Not sure how to proceed. My 5 month old doesnt eat much during the day, 2/3 oz at a time every 4 hours, maybe 4oz and then eats 2 7oz bottles during the night.
Its been like this for 3 weeks. He fusses and just wont eat much. When he's hungry he'll have a bit and then cant be bothered.

Ive not been able to weigh him properly since hes been born due to covid so its hard to monitor his weight although to me he looks fine.

But Im so tired!
Today Im trying to feed him little and often (2oz) but its 11am and hes not interested. He had 3oz at 8 and now wont eat until...🤷🏻‍♀️

Cant see any obvious teeth coming.

Hes well in himself

Any suggestions?

[bunters]

Came to the sleep board to ask the same thing! My six month old barely feeds during the day then just wants to feed all night. I'm knackered. She chugged 9.5oz (that i'd spent all day expressing) between 10pm and midnight the other night, so I didn't even get a decent stretch of sleep before it was my turn to feed her 😭 I've started her on solids and it's not making any difference

[bonjourbonjour]

@bunters Im so sorry to hear that!
Ive stopped breastfeeding so its slightly more manageable, you must be exhausted!

So Ive started trying to feed him relentlessly.
I.e I give a bottle, of 6oz and he drinks 2oz. Then I try again every 15 mins until he has had at least 4. And then I top with a few spoonfulls of baby rice🤷🏻‍♀️
Also Ive been stretching his feeds so when he is hungry I out him in the sling and go for a walk (his happy place) so by the time I get back he is starving and eats more.

Best of luck!

[Kitkat05]

OP Have you changed the teat?

[user1493413286]

It sounds like your baby might need a bigger teat? Mine was doing the same and I changed his teat and it’s been a game changer

[Tittie]

My DS did the same (years ago now). It began because I started offering bigger and bigger bottles at night in the hope that he'd sleep for longer (im not saying that's what you did, of course). It didn't even work, his sleep was atrocious!
Anyway, I started very gradually reducing the size of the night feeds by 1oz at a time, as well as offering more in the day. I was expecting him to complain when the bottle finished sooner than expected, but he never did. it did take a few days/maybe a couple of weeks before he was in a more normal routine.

[bonjourbonjour]

@Kitkat05 @user1493413286 no I hadnt thought of that! I use tommy tippy bottles, by bigger teat do you mean a different bottle/ different teat or the same Bottle/ different teat but with a faster flow?

[bonjourbonjour]

@Tittie thats a great idea... but also his night feed is the biggest one. So I worry removing that will basically remove his main meal. But I get it, gradually removing some milk might make him hungrier during the day...
Ok Im going to start trying that too thank you!!

[user1493413286]

I mean same bottle with a faster flowing teat; I moved my DS to the size 3 tommee tippee teat at 5 months

[Kitkat05]

@bonjourbonjour I was using tomee but changed to MAM at 4 months. Changed our lives!!!! Slowly we moved on from teat 2 to 3. Trying changing the teat and if not I highly recommend mam bottles.

[Thirty2andBlue]

2 night feeds really isn't that bad tbf. Also baby rice will fill his tummy without him getting enough calories, it's better to give him formula. Try changing the teat as pp said.

Our local HV are bringing weighing scales to your doorstep, so you can take them in and weigh baby while they wait. Might be worth seeing if yours are doing similar?