Slow feeding

[Hazellnut]

Sorry - ignore last post here it is with title so you can actually read it !

DD is 3 weeks old and mixed fed, expressed and formula due to not being able to latch on as early and tiny. She has been bottle feeding really well until the last 48 hours where she has been taking much longer to take less. Have tried to keep burping her but this doesn't seem to have much effect, and using infacol. She dirnks the expressed milk much faster and more of it but is then starving 2 hours later. Its getting quite frustrating as she is feeding 3 hourly so is almost ready to feed again by the time she's finished (slight exageration!). At night she has been difficult to settle in between despite previously being quite good at going down between feeds.

Any ideas ? I have bought a different formula today (aptimil instead of C&G). Do you think she could need bigger teats ? Any suggestions gratefully received as it meant virtually no sleep last night !

[littlerach]

Could try variflow teats.
How about a dummy at night to help her to settle?

[Flossam]

I'm not any sort of an expert, have been muddling my way through as posts on here will show! But I was having a similar problem with DS recently, although at 14 weeks he is a bit older. I basically tried to make him wait a bit longer in between feeds, gradually building up to at least 3 hours. This was because he was feeding for only a few minutes (breast fed) then falling asleep and waking up again about an hour later for another (small) feed and so on.

I think in your case though she is very young. Is she having any directly from the breast as well? Maybe she is trying to increase your supply. Would you like to exclusively breast feed or think that unlikely? Sorry for all the questions!

[Flossam]

Bumping for you

[NotQuiteCockney]

No idea about formula ... although her preference for breastmilk is a good thing, surely?

At three weeks, to feed every couple of hours is normal - if she takes it directly from the breast, that's less work, at least.

[nailpolish]

hi

yes i would try bigger teats. have you tried milk for hungry babies? my baby has been in farleys second milk since she was 4 wks and really enjoys it, and it seems to satisfy her.

dont go too big for the teats though (obvious, i know)

i think 3 wks old is still tiny though, i bet she goes for longer in a couple of wks. have you tried her sleeping with you at nights? i did that too although i dont think its recommended by hv

flossam, have you tried feeding your baby naked? (baby not you LOL) sometimes it keeps them awake. or pinging the toes.

good luck to both of you x

[chonky]

Maybe try changing brand of teat? My dd, now 10 months old, cannot use Avent teats - they're too tough for her still & as a result a feed with them takes forever. Nuby (Tommy Tippee) teats are a lot softer, as are NUK teats.

[Hazellnut]

Thanks everyone - something seems to have worked last night although as I changed a number of things not sure what ! It was more the time she was taking to take a feed rather than the frequency as am quite accepting of her constant need for food. She was back to her normal time of taking a feed so thats a relief !!

[Flossam]

The Bfree or what used to be Dr browns teats are very soft (and very expensive!).

NP, we're getting on fine now DS is going longer between feeds. Was a bit worried he might not put on as much weight, but still a pound in two weeks so I'm quite a happy mummy! Was thinking of applying for the Mayfair thing soon, if you're still happy I'll look at the form and CAT you the relevant details.

[Gwenick]

Definiltey try bigger teats - we discovered that was the problem with DS2

[nailpolish]

fire away flossam. i am thinking about going back to work soon, the mat pay is about to finish. TOTALLY not wanting to though.

glad you and ds are doing fine