My DD doesn't suck properly! Help! Anyone with the same problem?????

[Gina1981]

My dd is 5 months old and she doesn't suck properly on her bottle or her dummy! She is not tongue tied and have checked her mouth for thrush and no evidience of either.
I don't understand what is going on as she use to suck on her bottle really well especially when she was newborn. She has been quite a difficult feeder from about 1 month old and have tried and tested everything you can imagine from differnt types of teats to changing milk oh the list is endless!
It takes for ever to feed her - to be honest she doesn't even want it half the time! She never indicates to me that she is hungry. There are times she cries and cries and once i have taken the bottle out of her mouth she stops!
Anyway have started weaning but not too sure what to think of it all as she never brings her tongue forward. I'm so confused about it all and feel so alone.
Would really like any advice and Help as i think i'm going round the bend!

What do you mean she doesn't suck 'properly'? Is she a normal weight?

Hi Gina, I had a similar experience with ds2 - he never wanted to feed either although he was always fine with a dummy. He is now 19 months and since I put him on cows milk at 12 months he has been fine - I can only assume he didn't like formula. How much milk a day would you say your dd is having? It will probably take her a while to get the hang of solids so I wouldn't worry too much if she's not taking them too well.

When i put the bottle in her mouth she doesn't suck it - looks like she is trying to latch on but won't do it anymore - doesn't seem likes it distressing her just playing around with it.

She never indicates that she is hungry she would go hours and hours without anything!
I offer 5 bottles a day and only drinks about 3oz ago some feeds she won't have any.
There are no signs of illness.

She has started to lose weight in the past 2 weeks and seeing a paedeatrician on monday - i have been on an on at my HV and GP for the past 2 months and it's only now that she has started to lose weight that my GP arranged an appointment.

There are hardly any wet nappies and she goes 3-4days without opening her bowels.

I have tried everything you can imagine. I'm so worried

That does sound worrying. I wonder, do you think she might be teething? I hope the appointment gives you some answers. Does she cry at all?

has your gp or HV suggested cup feeding? just use something like an egg cup maybe, or a plastic beaker for the time being. you can buy special shaped cups but anything will do really, just maybe a bit more messy that something designed especially.

you just tip the cup so the milk touches her lips and usually baby will lap it up, a bit like a kitten.

Thanks everyone

DD has been a very content baby and has been since birth - you don't hear a peak out of her, she actually never cries about anything! (which i am very grateful for). We have alot of cooing and other noises. She does moan from time to time usually wanting to sleep. Which infact she does a hell of alot not only through the day but she goes through the night. (which i am also grateful for).

Was told to leave her to sleep her full 12 hours and not to wake her for the 5th bottle so that she would be hungry in the morning. But unfortunately that didn't happen infact she wasn't interested at all. So i do wake her for that last feed.

I did put my finger in her mouth to search for teeth but can't feel any at the moment and there aren't any signs of teething.

I have tried so many things i think i have over done it! I tried all the teats on the market and have found that orthodontic standard neck from mothercare are the best for her. Haven't heard of the ones that you mention FioFio so i will look into to that, Thanks!

I have tried cup feeding with the famous Doidy cup and no luck with that either. She won't take a beaker with a spout flat one of round free flow or non spill. Am on another thread at the moment having a discussion with another member as she is having a hard time with her ds. Mentioned on there all the things i have tried.

Heres the link if anyone is interested and can shine some light on my situation

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=265259&stamp=070118200424

Thanks everyone for support and making time to reply.

Thanks FioFio will pop to Mothercare tomorrow and grab somes!

I will try anything

Gina - For what it's worth, the only way I could get my ds to drink milk was when he was asleep (like a dream feed. I strugged some days to get 12oz down him.

It's funny you should say that wools my dd drinks her milk better when she is sleeping infact she does suck better although it can take about 45 minutes! Atleast i don't get her thrashing at the bottle or crying!

The only problem is that you have to wait till she is sleepy and it can get very unpredictable and your life becomes revolved around feeding. I have days where i can hardly get anything down her and some days i can get a reasonable amount.

It just doesn't make sense! Babies are born with the instict to secure a feed. They have nothing to compare milk to either. I really do wish that she latched on to breastfeed but she just wouldn't work at it!

How old is your ds?

Gina, yes I agree it does make life difficult - hard to take them out and about when they are difficult to feed. My ds is now 19 months and loves his (cows) milk. I do have a 16wk dd who, although not as bad as ds is still very awkward about taking her bottle - again she takes it well when she is sleepy. Up to 8 weeks she was a great feeder, I was mix feeding both breast and bottle and she was happy with either - then almost overnight she started to get awkward. She refuses the breast entirely and it can take me 1.5 hours to get 5/6 oz bottledown her. I don;t worry as much about her as ds probably because I have seen it all before and I know that she will turn out fine. I just try and cram it down her when she is going off to sleep.

I had similar problems with dd2. She never latched on, I spent a few days in hopspital trying to get breastfeeding established with various mws helping. None of them could help though. Even with botlefeeding shw wouldn't suck much, and just roll the teat in er mouth. I tied all of the different teats too.
In the end she dropped right down on their charts and they starde talking about weaning - she was 16 weeks. The HV recommended seeing a Paed if her weight didnt stabilise.
I did wean her, and she did stabilise, but I'm not sure that it was to do with weaning. I think she was just emant to be little. But it did mean that I wasn't a sconcerned as I could add milk to everything. And yes, when she went on to cows milk she was much easier to get to drink. And she started using a beaker which again she found easier.
Hope you get some help, as it is worrying.

When dt1 was a little younger than your dd she stopped feeding from her bottle too, I eventually discovered it was because she was holing her tongue to the roof of her mouth, I had to put my finger in her mouth to push her tounge down before putting the bottle in.

What i don't understand is that she was such a good feeder when she was born and up to about 6/7 weeks.

I noticed a huge differnce in her feeding after her first infection. She didn't get any side effects at all just went off her milk - but was told it shouldn't haven't been due to the injections but since then she has got worst each week! Did this happen to anyone else?

Very surprised that there are so many out there having to deal with similar situations or have done in the past! When your at home all day battling on your own you feel so alone! No one wants to take any notice of you. You feel like your the only one dealing with it!

I don't think there is anything medically wrong with her but i just feel that i must be either doing something wrong or there is something underlining this problem.

I only get out to pick dd1 up from school then have to rush home to feed.

I know she will be ok in the long run. It's getting through the days and weeks without going round the bend!

The HV keep telling me that she probably will grow up to be on the petite side - a bit hard to beleive when she was 3 weeks early weighing 8lbs 1oz!

Thanks for all the advice any more will be appreciated - will be interesting to see what the paed says on Monday will keep you all posted!

Anyway off to try her with some sweet potato, she seem to like it yesterday!

HI everyone

Just to let you all know that dd is being treated for 'silent' reflux e.g heartburn!

Only started the Gaviscon yesterday so will be able to tell if there is any difference over the next couple of days!

As for the sucking nothing has improved as yet. My HV and I have disscussed weaning and have devised a timetable to try and get as much nutrition in dd as possible!

Weaning is becoming more enjoyable now and dd is getting the hang of it all.

Would like to say thank you all for all the advice and support.

Will keep you updated on how we are getting on.

xxx

Gina - Glad that the paed thinks he's found the problem and that it can be resolved. Wishing you both all the best and good luck with the weaning.