Baby very fussy on bottle - HELP!

[aconfusedmama]

Hi everyone

I am a FTM to a lovely 14 week old baby girl who has been a good feeder up until a couple of weeks ago. She is formula fed on Cow & Gate Stage 1 milk using the Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles.

She usually has a great appetite and has been taking 180mls (sometimes 210mls) every 4 hours in the day and 1 feed at night, but for the past couple of weeks she has been very fussy on the bottle. Sometimes it will be half way through a bottle but most of the time it’s almost straight away when she starts feeding. She shakes her head from side to side as if to try and get off the bottle and flails her arms and legs around but as soon as I take the bottle out of her mouth she stops completely.

I thought she may have trapped wind so I try burping her regularly during feeding and she sometimes burps but other times not. She isn’t uncomfortable once the bottle has been taken out of her mouth so I don’t think it’s wind.

I also thought she possibly has reflux but she’s very happy to be laid flat under her baby gym and sleeps lovely in her cot at night time so I don’t think it’s this, but I’m a FTM so I could be wrong.

I have tried getting DH to feed her, I have tried different positions like sitting her more upright, facing her forwards, sitting her in her bouncy chair in front of the TV as a distraction but nothing is making a difference. I have also tried changing her up a teat size but this hasn’t helped at all.

She is now taking on average 100-120mls (with a lot of perseverance!) every 4 hours which is a lot less than previously, and isn’t showing any hunger signs in between so I am still feeding her every 4 hours. She’s still producing just as many wet nappies but her dirty nappies have been a bit softer/more watery than usual. I don’t think she has diarrhoea because she’s still producing dirty nappies every other day or so, which has been her schedule for a couple of months.

She had her 2nd rotavirus vaccine almost 2 weeks ago so could this be the problem? Is it possible she no longer likes the Tommee Tippee bottles and we should try another brand? She is still happy and settled and is just like her usual self apart from feeding and it’s getting me down.

My HV never answers the phone so I thought I would ask you lovely ladies for any advice.

Thank you x

Could you try waiting till she's hungry? She maybe ready to drop a bottle. In a 24hr period is she drinking the minimum about for her age?

The recommended on the back of the box for her age is 180mls x 5 in a 24 hour period which is what she was taking but she’s dropped it to 100-120mls x 5 in a 24 hour period :( so I’m worried if I wait til she’s hungry she’ll take even less x

She may prefer to have regular big meals instead of lots of little ones. Maybe try it for 24? hrs and see how she does. Her feeding schedule will change as she gets bigger. Does she have a dummy?

Okay that sounds like a good idea. I will try that for 24 hours and see how she goes. Yes she has a dummy but she only has it when she’s napping in the daytime or if she fidgets in the middle of the night. Other than that she’s happy to be awake and play without it and sleep at night without it x

My DD was also like this. Never had anywhere near what was recommended on the box! I would just keep doing what you are doing and try (although hard) to stay calm and relaxed, as I’m sure DD could sense when I was getting anxious about her feeds!

The other thing that sometimes helped was playing white noise whilst we fed her.

She’s 18 months now and a total beefcake!

Thank you both so much for your replies. You’ve put my mind more at ease! I will definitely be trying both of your ideas xx

Good luck let us know how you get on

Hi both
I tried both of your recommendations and she’s been feeding a lot better since so thank you! She’s upped her milk intake again now. Some of her poos are still a bit softer/more watery than usual but she’s weeing just as much as usual. Does this sound okay? Can nappies change like this sometimes? Thanks x

Glad she's feeding better, don't think pooh consistency is meant to change until you wean. I'd mention it to the health visitor or check in with the Dr if it's been more than 2 days xx

Okay I will do, thank you xx