5 1/2 month old baby suddenly appears to have lost all appetite

9 replies

lazyemma · 08/10/2007 15:25

I'm a bit worried about my daughter. Over the last week or so her appetite seems to have dwindled to nothing. She seems fine in herself, she just doesn't get hungry and her feeds take ages. She shakes her head a lot when the bottle approaches, with her mouth shut clam-tight, and she only takes very little at a time. More alarmingly, over the last couple of days, she's thrown up her whole feed when she's nearly finished the bottle.

I don't think she's ill - or is she? She doesn't have a temperature and as I say, is otherwise normal. No squits or anything.

I don't want to force-feed her but I do have to make sure she drinks something at each feed otherwise she'll get dehydrated.

Has anyone got any experience of this? What should I do? I've thought of increasing the frequency of feeds - little and often, sort of thing - but beyond that I'm stumped.

OP posts:

SharpMolarBear · 08/10/2007 16:41

not much advice sorry but a bump
have you tried her with a cup - just to see if the novelty makes a difference?
This, along with vomiting - I would contact GP or HV, just to be on the safe side
is she having wet nappies?

Original poster

lazyemma · 08/10/2007 16:56

thanks SharpMolarBear (good name!). She is having wet nappies - I'm basically trying to make sure she drinks enough so that she doesn't get dehydrated, but it's a struggle.

The vomitting thing - it's like reflux, which she used to get occasionally when she was only a couple of weeks old. It doesn't seem to bother her, she just opens her mouth and the entire contents of her tummy disgorge all over both of us! It's almost as if she gags a bit when she's feeding and that makes it happen. The last feed, I took it v. v. slowly, sat her up and burped her lots, and she didn't do a vom.

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SharpMolarBear · 08/10/2007 19:45

That doesn't sound quite as worrying then - how's she doing now?
It's Katy44 from the April 07 thread by the way, pop in if you have time This is my halloween name

Original poster

lazyemma · 09/10/2007 11:45

thank katy. She is a bit better this morning - willingly took a full bottle for her breakfast. She looked like she was going to spew once but nothing happened. I'm wondering whether it's something to do with her gag reflex, which could be very strong, and if she's messing around with the bottle with her tongue, perhaps she's triggering it? Anyway. fingers crossed we're over the worst.

I do keep meaning to pop in to the April thread but there are so many people to catch up with, and I feel really rude if I just post about how I'm doing and then bugger off again without properly acknowledging everyone else!

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Tangas · 09/10/2007 12:00

Funny you should mention this Lazzyemma. But i'm having the exact same problem with my 5.5MO. He has for some reason gone off his feeds, From having 5 feeds a day to only having 3, & not always finishing a full feed. we haven't got any vomiting though!! He has been ill with a cold so i just put it down to that. But if i think back he started doing it well before he got the cold. i'm seeing my HV tomorrow so i'll ask if this is a normal accurance with babies. it could be that they just are not hungry. have you changed her milk at all?

Original poster

lazyemma · 09/10/2007 14:22

hey tangas! No, we haven't changed her milk. I've had a think about anything in her routine we've changed - nothing, as far as I can tell. As you say, it just seems to be that she's not hungry. Naively, I didn't realise that could happen with babies! Would you mind letting me know what your HV says?

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Tangas · 09/10/2007 16:41

Sure thing, will do.. I reckon they wont starve, they'll eat when they are hungery!! just out of intrest what rountine are you following, coz we were following one but it seems to have gone up the spout. he now makes his own routine, (which is not always the same day in day out)Sleeps when he wants and feeds when he wants. now he has started this, refusing feeds.

Original poster

lazyemma · 09/10/2007 17:01

well, it's a very loose routine, but basically I feed her every four hours roughly. She has 4 feeds a day, of up to 8oz a feed, and some mush for her dinner at 6pm.

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Tangas · 10/10/2007 22:23

Hi ya lazyemma..
Spoke to my HV today about my DS not eating as much lately. She sugested that i go bk on to the milk we was on before. I had changed it to the extra hungery milk. so i have to try that. As you haven't changed anything, i would ask your local HV for advise. Sorry i couldn't be any help. GOOD LUCK

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