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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Is this bottle preference? Or needing a dummy?

5 replies

LeggyBlondeNE · 18/10/2010 19:57

7wo baby has been somewhat'colicky' since 3weeks, usually later on in the day/evening although some days she has spells earlier as well.

She's also on top-ups due to slow weight gain, currently two top ups of 125ml a day, which we are giving by bottle as it's too much for her dad to give by syringe.

When she's having a crying spell I can sometimes get her latched on by holding her upright an dbeing persistent, but usually the minute I take her off my shoulder she gets more and more irate. During a particularly bad afternoon last week I hadn't been able to get any real food into her for hours; she'd latched on a few times and broken off crying again within minutes. Then time came for her top up and we tried it in desperation to get her to eat ... and she did. Calmed right down and took the whole bottle.

Since then, she's been crying during the top-up window most days and always takes it calmly and then often goes back to crying afterwards and apparently wanting more, even if she's been feeding normally all day.

So ... anyone had this kind of behaviour before? Is she prefering the bottle and getting demanding for it as the day goes on? Or is it reflux/colic and she find the bottle comforting to feed from, but feeding at the breast somehow doesn't help as much? (And if not why?)

Any suggestions gratefully received!

(Oh yes, I've tried baby gaviscon on a couple of bottle feeds; not sure it made a difference).

OP posts:
Flojo1979 · 18/10/2010 22:23

If u r having all these issues and issues with weight gain then why r u even breast feeding at all? Sounds like baby would be much happy with a bottle, if u want to give baby breast milk then why not express. Dont fight with your baby let her lead u.

Spookberries · 18/10/2010 23:36

It isn't likely to be reflux, as she doesn't sound as though she's vomiting up feeds, hating to be laid on her back, etc.

She has probably gotten used to the faster flow of the bottle, with breastfeeding babies have to suck harder to get the milk (depending on your particular biology of let-down time, etc.)

Could you try giving her 1-2 oz in bottle, while laid with her cheek on your breast, then swap for your breast ASAP after taking bottle out? You can also do breast compressions (firmly when nipple is in her mouth squeeze your breast to help milk flow) so that she realises she can get it quickly if she sucks?

ClimberChick · 19/10/2010 00:21

It could be a strike due to bottle preference.

When we had ours, I found that the moment her lips touched a bottle teat she would stop crying and opened up. For the first day I started feeds by touching the bottle to her mouth, then when she opened, latched her on instead. Took numerous attempts, quite often not successfully feeding in that waking session.

Since I wasn't worried about weight and I knew it was strike, then I offered no more bottles. Wrote off three days, lots of time in bed and skin and skin. Be warned it was very stressful and lots of stubborness is required. I knew in the long run, that carrying on BF was the best thing for her. If she cried throughout a whole feed, then would sleep. I was then able to feed her either asleep or when she had literally just woken up and still drowsy. Since I was holding her the entire time, then I could gauge this. She was having dreamfeeds at nights anyway so the feeding whilst sleeping was relatively easy. This meant that I still got feeds into her about once every 4-5hours.

Actually at first, we did give a few feeds by syringe, but soon went to breast or nothing approach.

I have consistently struggled with slow-letdown. I found if she was going through a fussy period, then if I could get to let down, I could get a feed. So lots of hand massaging and sometimes expressing to try and stimulate the let down. Then put LO on quickly. With the bottle induced strike, I think she got used to having the milk instantly.

Depending on your situation, this might not work for you (e.g. weight concerns). If this has been going on for a few days, then you will need to express to keep your supply up.
If you want to try and get her back on the breast, then I would make sure she isn't hungry before you start i.e. get her properly fed up before going for it.

You can try and make the bottles a littler harder for her. Lot of switching from side to side (like you would during a BF). The pauses will slow down things a bit. Having a slower flow teat on. Or (I know it's a lot of work) switch to feeding via another method.

Most of you, don't force the baby on. Offer her the breast, but don't persist, even if your doing it all the time.

What are the weight issues at the moment.

Remember, it's not a mandatory thing to breastfeed, so make sure it's what you want to do and if it doesn't work for you, then so be it. At this point, you expressing a few feeds for her a day will give the same benefit as continuing BF but with formula top ups.

If you can get help in real life, then do. BF cafes, LLL or hiring a consultant.

For other ideas, then google kellymom and nursing strikes. There's a lot of information on there to help determine what the cause could be based on YOUR experiences, inc reflux, fast let down and the other usual suspects.

Good luck

ClimberChick · 19/10/2010 00:21

Sorry didn't realise it was so long (I should get back to work) Blush

LeggyBlondeNE · 19/10/2010 18:08

spook - she does have other reflux symptoms intermittently - while having a crying phase she'll go nuts if placed on her back and she does vomit a little, but not every feed. But then I'm assuming reflux wouldn't be time-specific the way this is?

Flojo- she's perfectly happy on the breast the rest of the time and weight is fine with the top ups, so it's not a all clear that she's better off on the bottle. She's currently tracking the 25th centile.

Plus I can't express for toffee - can get about 50ml over a day so bottle feeding would mean losing the breast milk almost completely.

Climber - I do try to have some milk already on the nipple, but she often doesn't even give it half a chance!

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