Help from formula feeders please.

[BroomForMyChin]

I have been formula feeding DD since she was 10 weeks, she is now just over 4 months.

I'm getting quiet worried about the amount she has each day. She barely seems to have any usually about 20 ounces a day, sometimes a bit more but never ever more than 25. I try to feed on demand but she never seems hungry. Her weight gain has slowed down a bit (she did really really well the first few weeks when bf) but she is still gradually going up a curve. She seems to be a very happy baby (as long as she gets enough sleep) but the carton says she should be having about 35 ounces in 24 hours. We don't feed her at night because she doesn't seem to want it. She does wake if she spits her dummy out and we still offer her a bottle then but she doesn't want it. She also usually isn't particularly hungry when she wakes up. The only time she actually seems hungry is in the evenings.

Sorry this is very long but I'm worried. Had anyone else had a baby like this? Will it affect anything? TIA

Hi, I had a baby like this. He would never take more than 4oz at a time and never drank the recommended amount for his age (as per the box). He is small built and has always had a small appetite. Even now he eats like a little bird and seems to survive on small amounts despite having loads of energy (he is 4 now).

When younger he was under the paediatrician to monitor his weight gain as also the dietician to discuss ways of getting high cal foods in to him. To be honest it was not really needed as he was signed off as just being small but perfectly formed

I want to reassure you but also would say that if you are overly worried to speak to your gp or hv (if you've got a good one!)

If your baby is happy, has plenty of energy and wet and dirty nappies and is gaining weight (even if slowly) then Hanes are she's fine. You are the best judge, of you ignore how much she's taking does she seem fine to you?

Hanes? chances

I really don't like my health visitor, she's given me stupid advice which I followed at the time as I was worried, stopped bf and had a horrible CIO incident. If I mentioned it to the hv I know she will say I should start weaning but really don't want to do that yet as hoping to do blw.

Glad to hear your DC was similar. I keep trying to reassure used by saying I'm was quite slim and so is DP so she's probably just small.

It's just another thing I worry about when by worrying about something else

If there wasn't a guide on the packet or a scale on the bottle would you be worried your DD wasn't taking enough?

Does she seem content, meeting her milestones, producing plenty of wet nappies, not constipated, not lethargic or excessively sleepy and her weight gain with in keeping with her centile?

my dd was the same, she never had more than 24-25oz a day right up till 6mths when i weaned her. generally she had 4oz at each feed, sometimes less, very RARELY she would take 5oz. i got quite stressed about it and posted on here as iwas worried, but i neednt have been she continued to grow and was a happy contented little thing, actually big for her age.

she is now 11mths and has 4 bottles of 4oz a day and then i make her porridge for bfast with milk to bump her up to the 20oz, but when she is ill the first thing that goes is her milk intake, she just doesnt want it.

i found it very odd after my 4 boys who were all milk monsters! but have just come to accept that it is how she is and as long as she is happy and growing there is nothing to worry about.

the guildines on the box are just that, a guidline. some babies wil have more, some less! thats how they get an average!

so if she is happy and content and gaining weight then she sounds fine to me :)

and i waited till 6mths till weaning and dd was fine even on her small amount of milk!

She's very bright eyed and energetic. No if I had no idea how much she should be having tbh I wouldn't be worried at all because she's doing very well as far as I can tell. Just worried that she should be taking that much for some sort of reason, is it needed to reach milestones for example?

Also because I'm constantly trying to get her to feed when she clearly doesn't want it (her new trick is pursing her mouth up, she does a perfect cats bum face]) I've suddenly started worrying that I'm going to end up giving her food issues as sometimes it seems like I'm trying to force feed her.

It won't affect her milestones. If she's as bright and energetic and happy as you say then she's getting enough. Offer her the milk and don't stress, she'll take what she needs!

Speaking as someone who's done BLW and 'traditional' weaning my BLW is a fantastic eater. Don't speak to your hv about it if she's horrible, you are under no obligation to do so.

Just concentrate on what you see in front of you, a happy little baby

No not needed to meet milestones, just that if she wasn't making eye contact or couldn't hold her head up at 7m (or something - am struggling to remember milestones as youngest is 2y!).

If she is happy and content in herself then trying to make her eat more than she wants is just an exercise in futility.

The only caveat would be if you were in anyway worried about her development, health or growth independent of her eating.

Thanks that's very reassuring

I have formula fed 3 dds, the youngest is now 9 months. They have all taken various amounts of formula, I never worried that much about the amount as long as their nappies were fine and they were alert and they were their usual happy go luckyselves .

Dd1 was in particular seemed to skip quite a few bottles. She slept through from 6pm - 6am from about 9 weeks (a feat not repeated by the other two!) so she went quite a long time at night with no bottle.