DD not taking enough formula - tried everything - I think! Any help?

[LawrenceHenry]

My DD is formula fed every 4 hours and has never been a great feeder but I have persevered. Recently though she has taken a step back and is taking less and less food. According to the box she should be taking 6 oz per feed and she is now only taking about 4. Her weight is not increasing and I have tried changing all the teats, distracting her and not distracting her.
She really cries, stuffs her fingers in her mouth, pushes the bottle out with her tongue and turns her head back and forth - please help!

what formula is she on and how old is she and what does she weigh?

don't forget she hasn't read what's on the box.....

if she was breastfed you wouldn't know how much she was getting so try not to worry about it unless she seems ill in other ways

is she hungry before 4h is up ie by the time she gets the bottle is she too cross and hungry to settle down and feed?

have you tried different brands of bottle?

different teat flows?

She is on Aptimil stage 1 but I am also now giving her 2 feeds of stage 2 to bulk her up. She went from 11lbs 9 oz to 11lbs 13 ozs in 3 weeks and dropped a centile. She doesn't seem ill, though but also she doesn't seem that bothered before 4 hours is over - whinges a bit but that is it

Aptamil 2 wont "bulk her up" it has nomore calories,She needs to be taking 2 1/2 fluid ounces per pound of bodyweight in 24 hours. If she is roughly 12 lbs that works out at 2.5 x 12 = 30 ounces a day. Is she getting near that?

sorry got to goand break up fighting "darling" daughters.

When you say stage 2, do you mean hungry baby milk or follow-on?

Stage 2 milk will not increase her weight - it just takes longer to digest. I would give stage 1 milk and try feeding her more often - she might prefer smaller amounts more frequently.

Aptamil 2 is 'extra hungry'

but surely she's the opposite of an extra hungry baby?
[genuine bafflement]

I would try and not stress about it or rely on what the box says. My dd is 9 months now and it has taken her to this age to take a full 7oz!! And this is only morning and night!

How old is she? Also, have you tried split feeds if you genuinly think that she is not getting enough? I have had to do this with dd2 and it seemed to do the trick? How much did she weigh when she was born?

my dd and babytwit both had/have about 2-3 sometimes 4 oz every couple of hours.

I agree that you shouldn't worry too much unless she seems unwell. Perhaps she has stopped having a growth spurt and doesn't need quite so much atm.

It is hungry baby milk I am using - i was told this would help because it is richer. Is there a milk on the market for poor feeders? She is certainly not getting near her 24 hr amount in quantity - about 24 ounces per 24 hours is what she currently has

The hungry baby stuff could be making her feel fuller than she is - I'd give her first milk more regularly, as others have said.

Afaik, there aren't more calories in hungry baby milk, it's got a higher level of casein which takes longer to digest. First milk is whey-based, which is more quickly digested.

I thought it was weird being told to use this formula! I have just fed her again and she has taken the full 6 oz this time - this time of the day she takes the most but it still took me ages to calm her down to get her to take the drink - she seems to get so fed up. She was 7 oz when she was born and even at birth I struggled breastfeeding her and she lost too much birth weight. She is now 4 months old and I really don't want this fretful behaviour to be a habit

Perhaps 4hrs between feeds is too long? I have always done 3 hour intervals - sometimes sooner if I think she is getting hungry. How many times/how much does she take in the night?

Hi, I really wouldn't worry if she hasn't put on weight for a while. She isn't showing any other signs of illness etc and she hasn't actually lost weight. At 4 months she could also be fretting and pushing the bottle out if she is starting to teethe.

She goes right through the night without crying for food!

there you go then she's fine!

Maybe I'll just keep an eye on her then and not worry too much - perhaps weigh her in a couple of weeks

What age is she?

Sleeping through the night is not always a good thing. You gat babies who are 'happy starvers' ie just don't waken for feeds.

When does she have her last feed? If she is not feeding well I would try and give her a feed before you go to bed last thiong, or in fact, waken her for a feed in the middle of the night.

woops - just saw that she is 4 months old. OK to sleep through then but a dream feed might be a good idea. THat is when you offer a feed while baby is still more or less aslepp, last thing before you go to bed.