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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

14wk old very wriggly during feeds

27 replies

gingernutlover · 19/12/2005 09:10

dd is getting very wriggly during feeds, she wants the milk( I know ecause she is still sucking when she is wriggling and cries if I take it away), does not have wind (she does not suck when she has wind) and I wonder if she is just getting bored with feeds taking so long (up to 40 minutes, I thought this was normal but maybe she doesn't!) she is a very alert and curious baby and I get the feeling she would prefer to be playing than feeding.

She has level 2 dr brown teats and a 6oz bottle takes anything from 20 minutes to 40 minutes to down, should I try the faster teats or even a sippy cup? Is this normal behaviour? If anyone else has experineced it, what did they do?

OP posts:
wools · 19/12/2005 13:49

Hi GNL...can't offer any real advice but just wanted to let you know my ds is very similar - he is now 23 wks but since about 8 weeks has been a terrible wriggler. I think he finds the whole feeding thing a terrible bore and I find he feeds best when he is absolutely pooped. I now feed him just before he is ready for a nap/bed and find it somewhat easier (although he never gives me an easy ride). He too is very alert and curious and I now realise I can't change his behaviour but I can change mine. Try not to stress about it - she won't go hungry. Wishing you all the best.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 20/12/2005 08:38

thanks wools, yesterday was better she was very wriggly and did not finish 2 of her bottles but made up for it by draining her last one that she is never really interested in, like you say, she wont starve - she is really keen to sit now so I'm guessing will enjoy the high chair in a few weeks once she is more proficient! I am hoping weaning will be more enjoyable for her, once she can hold a spoon and "help".

OP posts:
Holymoly321 · 20/12/2005 09:37

My DS is just over 13 weeks and has recently got really wriggly too - it's very annoying!! He'll turn his head this way and that but will eventually drink the whole bottle (or pretty much all of it). I too can't offer any real advice, but just wanted to let you know you're not alone . I think he's just started to teethe too , so maybe that has something to do with it?

Original poster
gingernutlover · 20/12/2005 10:41

snap, I can see a little white speck on dd lower gum so I think maybe she is irritated by the tooth coming through, frustrating that she can't hold a teether yet, but we are practicing every day

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 20/12/2005 10:42

snap, I can see a little white speck on dd lower gum so I think maybe she is irritated by the tooth coming through, frustrating that she can't hold a teether yet, but we are practicing every day

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 20/12/2005 10:42

snap, I can see a little white speck on dd lower gum so I think maybe she is irritated by the tooth coming through, frustrating that she can't hold a teether yet, but we are practicing every day

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 20/12/2005 10:42

snap, I can see a little white speck on dd lower gum so I think maybe she is irritated by the tooth coming through, frustrating that she can't hold a teether yet, but we are practicing every day

OP posts:
Holymoly321 · 20/12/2005 11:28

sorry GNL - I didn't quite catch that - could you repeat it? !

Original poster
gingernutlover · 20/12/2005 14:46

lol don't know what happened there!
lol don't know what happened there!!
lol don't know what happened there!!!
lol don't know what happened there!!!!
lol don't know what happened there!!!!!

OP posts:
Holymoly321 · 21/12/2005 08:56

GNL, I bought a teether from the chemist yesterday by TommyTippee that's made for younger babies who can't hold a teether themselves yet. It's called a gummee and looks like a dummy. I haven't tried it yet as DS was a bit better yesterday (after spending all day on Monday crying his eyes out), but I've left it sterilised and sitting in the fridge for when the pain gets bad again. It cost about 3 quid.

Em32 · 21/12/2005 10:00

I think this is normal around this age. My 16 week old looks around (especially in the mornings when she's not that hungry as has usually fed in the night - unfortunately), grins and smiles at you and shrieks. I have to give up in the end although sometimes it works better if I keep the light off for her first feed. Ds1 was the same at this age and I found I couldn't feed whilst I was out and had to try to feed him at home, somewhere quiet. I took to listening to the radio instead of watching the tv while feeding.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 21/12/2005 12:30

thanks for the advice I will look out for one of the gummee dummys!

Very strange but dd seems better if there is something to look at eg TV, other people, I have tried quiet room but seems to make her even more wriggly, her favourite place to feed is Starbucks!

Oh well, guess they are all different :-)

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 21/12/2005 12:31

Em32 did it get better with your son when he got older?

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inameeting · 21/12/2005 12:39

Mines just the same - he's always turning his head around, usually to the opposite direction of his bottle! I have a found a great distraction is the visualiser on Itunes if you have it on your computer - he usually takes a whole bottle while staring at that. before I discovered that, I'd have to hold him in my arm and pace up and down. Because of this, I've now got chronic pain in my wrist!

inameeting · 21/12/2005 12:40

He's 6 months by the way - not seen much of an improvement I'm afraid since he was tiny

Holymoly321 · 22/12/2005 20:15

GNL - I tried the gummee yesterday and have to say that I wasn't impressed! It gets warm again after thirty seconds and you have to hold it in the baby's mouth - DS hated it! He seems to have calmed down over the past couple of days though, so fingers crossed I won't have to deal with the problem for a while - just thought I'd let you know and possible save you three quid!

Original poster
gingernutlover · 23/12/2005 15:38

drat have just bought one! DD not impressed either.

But the feeds have been better today, just a little bit left in the bottom each time and no screaming at me ......... yet, it is only half 3 so anything could happen still!

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 02/01/2006 18:16

this is now getting worse by the feed. dd now very very wriggly every feed and will not take more than 2oz without screaming at me, what is going on?

I am sure she has not got wind and is not sleepy

she is driving me up the wall

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MuddlingThru · 02/01/2006 18:42

It can be worth trying different positions. Sometimes I find ds will be a real wriggler and you would believe that he really doesn't want any more of his bottle. I then try different positions - opposite side/more laid back/better able to see me/etc and suddenly he will start guzzling.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 02/01/2006 18:48

thanks, I do try and it seems to work for about half an oz

it can now take us up to 1.5 hours to feed and i am really getting fed up

it just seems to have got worse and worse over the last week or so

sometimes she just screams and screams and will not take her bottle, i don't want her to get negative associations with the bottle but I also do not want to be up all nioght because she hasn't taken enough during the day

really fed up and confused

OP posts:
MuddlingThru · 02/01/2006 22:15

One other thought, prompted by another thread on here - have you changed where you store her bottles, could it be a different temperature to what she is used to? In one of your posts you mentioned that she drained her final feed.

We had something similar at the beginning of Sept when the weather got colder. So the bottles that had been sitting in our kitchen over night (only had water in, I add the powder at the time of the feed) had got really chilly and ds fussed loads. By the evening feed the bottles had been sitting in a centrally heated house and had warmed up. Once we warmed the morning bottle he settled down.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 03/01/2006 08:37

Yes, I do the same with keeping water in the bottles and adding powder, they just stand on the side next to the kettle. I guess it has been since it snowed she has been really bad but our house is really warm, guess I could try warming her bottles and see what happens. Have just had disastrous first feed, she woke up at 7 ish and it took me til 8.30 to get 4 oz down her, sooooooooo wriggly it's unbelievable but no screaming at that feed thank god, just kept twisting and turning and pushing teat out with tongue. DH went back to work today which makes me feel worse as it's just me and her today.

I just don't get it she was feeding so well up until lately, what has happened to my lovely baby. It's getting to the point when I am looking forward to her dreamfeed as its the easiest one Can't even speak to lovely HV as she is on holiday til tomorrow

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MuddlingThru · 03/01/2006 08:56

When ds started being a PITA over his 1st bottle that is when I dropped the dreamfeed. I cut down gradually by an oz every few days (didn't want to risk him waking in the night). Once I had cut out the dreamfeed he went back to taking his first bottle of the day quite happily as he was hungry for it.

wools · 03/01/2006 09:37

Hi GNL,
You could almost be writing about my DS....he is just like your DD. I've had a frustrating last few weeks with him - 2 ounces....then 30 mins later another 2ozs - all I seemed to be doing was feeding him. Then last week, he drained all of his bottles, didn't fuss at all and I thought I had cracked it....Needless to say it did not last and yesterday was back to his old tricks. Strangely even though his milk consumption is low - he still doens't want a feed in the middle of the night which I'm grateful for. I think Muddlingthrough makes a very good point about slowly cutting out the dream feed - I think I may try this too. He will be 26 weeks on Saturday and I can't wait to try solids in the hope it will make a difference.

MuddlingThru · 03/01/2006 12:24

Wools - we started solids about 3 weeks ago. I now seem to spend even more of my day feeding ds. Timing getting out the house between naps, milk feeds and solids becomes challenging.

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