12 week old not able to take much at once

[CreamRose]

Hi, my 12 week old is only able to take 90 mls at a time unless it’s at night when he has 120 mls. My HV seems to think he should be having 120 at a time. He does have reflux which is another concern.

I’d always planned to breastfeed so feel at a loss with formula feeding!

@CreamRose are you using anti reflux milk?
How long do they take to drink a bottle, if it's quite slow perhaps try the next teat up or s variflow one

He’s just recently moved to the size 2s but he isn’t particularly slow I don’t think. But he starts turning his face away and getting annoyed when he’s had enough.

He has gaviscon for reflux but it does make him a bit constipated. So I try to minimise it.

Mine never had more than 3-4oz of milk at a time even when 6+ months. Even if I give my 3 year old a cup of milk now I only put 100ml in it.
Why stretch their little stomachs unnecessarily.

If he only want 3oz then give him 3 oz.
If he has reflux it's better to give smaller amounts at a time anyway

It isn’t about wanting to stretch him for no reason. It would be good if he could have more before he goes to bed for the night as then he would sleep a bit longer - good for both of us.

If he can’t, he can’t, that’s fine, but as I said I planned to breastfeed so not sure what ‘normal’ is

Babies are not all the same, even in same family, I had one DC who fed very often but each feed was below the average amount. It didn’t matter because their daily total was sufficient. So look at how much yours is taking in over the course of 24hrs, not per feed. This DC of mine is the same way as a adult, we have nicknamed them hummingbird because they constantly graze all day. They cannot eat a “full” meal in one sitting without feeling ill. But every 1-2hrs, they’re having a bite to eat. They’re perfectly normal weight, if a bit on thin side, and healthy.

@CreamRose sleeps a bit of luck really, my baby was on 7oz at that age and he just started sleeping through at 13 weeks by chance more than anything.

I know and like I say, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t, but it’s obviously good for us both if he sleeps as long as possible at night! He does wake at around 2 for food and the more he has before bed the longer he sleeps so it is linked to hunger.

The other thing is that since the gaviscon has side effects it would be good if he took more in one feed because then I use less.

So not really important but would be nice.

How long does he sleep at night? My 2 never slept through until 6 months and 8 months respectively.

Like I say it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t.

But it would be nice for him and for me. I know some babies are terrible sleepers, mine is pretty good really but he does seem pretty fixated with the fact 5am is a good time to get up. So not being disturbed in the night would be good!

If he can’t, he can’t, that’s fine, but as I said I planned to breastfeed so not sure what ‘normal’ is

Only taking 3oz is normal.

Waking for a feed is normal, however you feed your baby.

Waking up at 12 weeks is very normal no matter what you've had before bed. Babies are programmed to wake and check in with their carers through the night.

All of what you've said is normal OP

If you think the Gaviscon is making him constipated, have you tried putting Dentinox in each bottle instead?

Which milk is he currently on?

I don’t think at any point I said it wasn’t normal

It’s also normal to be able to take more, so ...

I don’t think at any point I said it wasn’t normal.

No, I know, but you did say that you didn't know what normal was and I did quote that at the beginning.

As you'd said that you didn't know what normal was, I was just trying to reassure you

It's obviously not your baby's 'normal' though.
I think you might have to lessen your expectations

Oh can we please not do this

Thanks bunny I did indeed say that!

I breastfed for 7.5m and when I stopped my DC couldn’t do more than 2.5 ish oz at a time. He was on and off my breast 15-17 times on average throughout the day and night. He was a snacker. Now after bottle feeding for a good few weeks he can take bigger bottles but still feeds more frequently than ‘normal’.

Please don’t try and cram more in just to get more sleep.

Don't ask for advice then groan when you get advice

demented I’m sorry if you felt I was being abrupt but it is a trend on MN just now that whenever someone asks advice about their baby they are told their expectations are too high.

That is not the case. I fully expected to be woken multiple times a night when I had a baby and I am quite grateful he doesn’t wake up more.

But. It would be better for both of us if he didn’t (especially as he’s now decided 5am is when we get up. He wakes at 230/3, I have to hold him for an hour - bloody reflux - and then he starts stirring at 430 so some nights my day really starts at 3 which is tiring.)

I don’t mind, I expect it and it’s fine - but there might be a fairly easy trick someone tried with theirs that helped them take more milk and so there really isn’t any harm in asking, is there?

Ft, I don’t. Gosh, why do people jump to horrible inferences? Even if I did, he’d bring it back up.

It would be good if he could have more before he goes to bed for the night as then he would sleep a bit longer

You said it up thread @CreamRose I haven’t jumped to any inference.

Hello there. From a slightly different angle have you thought about pulling his feeds closer together through the day?

My other thought is has he a TT? Inefficient feeding/milk transfer is really tiring for a baby. Thoughts on this?

And that means I’m shoving it down his throat?

Flibberty, I do just feed him when he’s hungry and he tends to vary - sometimes an hour and a half and he wants milk and sometimes three and a half hours can go by! I offer regularly as he does tend to have a sleep after he’s full - naps can be tricky in the day!

He had a tongue tie snipped at a few days old when I was trying to breastfeed. The woman did say it was only a small one. So not sure if it’s reattached.

He'll let you know when it's time to up his bottles. My baby is now 7 months old and the most he's ever taken is 5oz at a time. He has silent reflux and is on gaviscon as well. As long as baby is having plenty of wet nappies and is gaining weight steadily, I'd just leave it.

Thanks thng

@CreamRose

Hi, my 12 week old is only able to take 90 mls at a time unless it’s at night when he has 120 mls. My HV seems to think he should be having 120 at a time. He does have reflux which is another concern.

I’d always planned to breastfeed so feel at a loss with formula feeding!

Hi @CreamRose

There are two things you have said that make me suspect that your baby is in the early stages of bottle aversion.

• You mentioned that he will eat a larger amount at night. This is a big clue that when he is drowsy and therefore more relaxed he feels happier to feed more. If his reflux was the cause then he would stop at the same amounts at night too.

• You said that he turns his head and gets visibly annoyed after 3oz in the day. Most non-aversive babies just passively come off the bottle. If he is tense it is a sign that there may be an issue

Have a google of “bottle aversion” and you’ll find many articles by Rowena Bennett. Read the signs she lists and you may recognise more than you expect xx