Is baby eating enough?

[Onlinecaroline]

A bit of background my LO is 15 weeks old, has been diagnosed with CMPA since around 9/10 weeks and is on Apatimil Pepti 1. She had a little trouble gaining weight and dropped from 25th to the 9th centile but has stayed there since and was 10lbs 8oz when last weighed about a month ago.

The problem is she never really seems hungry and struggling to get into a feeding pattern. Over the course of the day she takes between 20-24oz (she’s dropped her night feed naturally) but we have to fight her to get bottles down. She will happily take 3oz, stop and not feed for another four hours if we let her. I’ve phoned to have her weighed again. If she’s gained weight I know ot isn’t too much of an issue but if not I’ve no idea how to make her feed if she doesn’t want to.

I also have a baby with CMPA and reflux. Iv had a nightmare with feeding. He’s 4 months and drinks 2-4 oz every 2-3 hours. He’s also on aptamil pepti one, before the change of milk almost 2 months ago he would refuse bottles. Since bringing him home I have done absolutely everything to try and get him to drink more milk. At one point I was feeding 1oz an hour (recommended by HV) Iv tried waiting till he’s really hungry, keeping to strict timing, waiting for him to tell me, setting my alarm to feed at night to get extra bottles in, changed teats and bottles. No matter what I done he always feeds the same amount, he also dropped centiles but he later went back up. Iv just learnt to stop worrying about how much he’s drinking, I don’t force him if he shows he’s had enough I leave him and try again later. Before I was constantly topping him up causing him to be uncomfortable and windy. Basically he feeds like a breastfed baby and I go by him and not what I think he should be drinking or comparing him to what other babies he’s age are. As long as he’s happy, healthy and content even if he loses a little bit of weight it’s not that big a deal. I used to worry that I was doing something wrong or there was something wrong with him but he’s just not a milk lover and will take only enough to sustain himself. As he’s got older, rolling over and winding himself things improved. He’s exactly 19 weeks and because he needs more milk, the last weeks he’s barely making 2hours which is causes a lot of wind, making he’s sleep unsettled. I starting introducing solids yesterday. I was advice by the paediatrician consultant to start early and I was planning to at 5months but after a bit of a crap week with constant feeding I started. The only advice I can offer you is try not to stress around bottles, try and make them relaxed with nice music as you don’t want to connect bottles with negative feelings (if that makes sense) or she may develop a bottle/food avoidance, if she is showing signs of not wanting any more leave her and try again later. I brought scales of Amazon so I could weigh my little one myself but If she is otherwise happy and healthy don’t worry to much about a little bit of weight loss babies fluctuate. It may help to not lay her flat after feeds, this helped my LO massively. I work in early years 0-5 and know every child is difficult. It will get easier, if she’s otherwise happy and not refusing milk altogether let the anxiety go and enjoy your baby. You know what to do if there really is something wrong, trust your instincts.