5m old takes hardely no milk, anyone else’s!?!

[AmberM223]

So my little one is just over 5m, never been a ‘milk monster’ but always taken his bottles quite well as a newborn. Around September he just started taking less and less, no rhyme or reason. Changed the teat size, bottles - nothing. Then every week it just gets less and less, he quite literally won’t put a bottle anywhere near his mouth less than 4/5 hours apart, he prefers 5 hours between, and then takes about 2/3oz before he quite simply refuses. Tried distraction, feeding in a dark quiet room, other people feeding. So on average in 25 hours on a good day i get about 17oz into him. As on his 2/3am bottle i can usually get him to take 5/6oz that’s the most.

I just do not know what to do? he’s only 14lbs and was born at 8lbs.
He has no reflux, poo’s has wet nappies. No issues.
Anyone else’s baby been the same!? i get so worried and frustrated

Baby food tends to be lower calorie than milk so the baby may gain even less weight and it’s not going to rule out any serious underlying issues.

But OP is in constant dialogue with GP and HV and neither are concerned. And in their position neither can really suggest introducing some solids after a milk feed. Greek yoghurt, banana, chunks of cheese .... obviously continue to monitor the situation but its just common sense at this point I'd have thought? One of the reasons GPs ARE overwhelmed is because new mothers are being made unable to trust their own judgement at all.

Edited for typos and to try and clarify: given you're probably not suggesting out of hours medical attention this moment (which would be pointless) are you really saying that OP shouldn't offer her baby some food after milk feeds over this weekend? Because if so yes, that's overly rigid interpretation of advice getting in the way of potentially meeting a baby's basic needs.

Google the Frimley Park 'Faltering Growth' pathway, it's a good example based on national pathway for what to do if infant has dropped more than 2 centiles. Should be overseen by a paediatrician

Is his weight plotted in the graph? Just thought if plotted and shown to GP they may realise the issue.

I think going to the weekly weigh in and talking to them would be a good idea.

Which is why things like Greek yogurt are so good for them when they refuse to drink milk. Excellent source of fat, calories and protien and you can add mashed bananas to it.

I felt much better about my baby refusing to drink milk when she loved full fat, natural Greek yogurt.

Calories and fat are good but it doesn’t meet all if their nutritional needs and it doesn’t begin to deal with the underlying cause.

I can only speak from my experience. I cut out the middle men (bad experience with HVs and GPs with my first child that could have cost us his life), and saw a paediatrician on my health insurance who I saw on a regular basis to try to get to the bottom of it. My baby had no underlying causes. She just wasn’t interested in milk. But she was somehow gaining weight on 10oz in 24 hours, so we were just advised to start solids at 15 weeks with natural yogurts to supplement it and make sure she didn’t start dropping down centiles, especially Greek, being recommended.

She was very active, crawling at 5 months, standing and cruising at 6 months and walking unaided at 8 months, so she was burning through the calories, she never stopped!

She continued on 10oz of milk in 24 hours alongside solids (until she was 18 months when she suddenly started demanding milk like it was liquid gold and couldn’t get enough of it).

Obviously the OP should get her own advice on what to do from a health professional.

No tips or experience?
I have 4 children and I am a paediatric nurse. I think I know what I'm talking about.
If you're happy and you aren't concerned, then why post?
I have given you an insight into some of the basic facts from the UK national guidelines in child deterioration related to nutrition. I find it very hard to believe that all of the health visitors including the doctor you have visited have all had zero concerns about your baby's weight loss over the last 6 months.
Are you seriously not concerned? If so, why post?
I certainly know as a mother that there is no way - irregardless of any lack of interest from community health professionals - that I wouldn't have taken this further which to have my babys weight loss dealt with, which is why I find it hard to believe.
There is something off about all of this. Either you aren't telling the truth or you don't seem to care very much. I can't tell which. But none of this sits right.

@rainbows40 you are most certainly not a nurse. You also have no read any of my posts above, or PP for that matter who have stated they received the same from GP. He has followed the 2nd centile since day 5 of birth, so despite taking on average 17oz per 24hr he still seems to be following the graph. I am (and have stated) i am quite clearly concerned as i wanted to hear if anyone else’s baby has been the same and what they did? Which again if you read the posts, others have and suggested things, which i am now trying.
I am also attending the drop in weight clinic tomorrow (again stated previously) - not sure why i would be doing this if i was not concerned?
Not sure about other areas but where i am the wait to see a child peads is around 10 weeks - and i know this from experience with my first born and he seriously needed to be seen. So when he’s clearly not dehydrated, following a centile albeit a low one, wet nappies, poo’s regular and very content, the GP didn’t see any reason to put him forward, told me to swap his milk around and go back if no changes - which i will also be ringing again tomorrow.
AGAIN as stated above he was in a&e not long ago (for bronc) who weighed him, i gave them his red book, expressed my concerns and even they said he looked to be doing great and to see my GP if any worries.

Its disturbing when people like yourself come on here to try make others feel like rubbish for trying their best, which i absolutely know i am doing. I am simply asking for others experiences and to know if anyone has been through the same.

@Ducksurprise yes it has he’s following the 2nd centile and has been ever since day 5 of birth. I actually got his red book out last night again to check this because i thought it was later than this.
Yes going to the clinic tomorrow because i realised from reading his read book that the weights that the HV have been doing and a doctor who did it a few weeks ago are not accurate as the doctor didn’t take his nappy/clothes off and HV does! So i can know for sure tomorrow what is accurate weight it, and there are some HV’s at the clinic so can chat to them and see if they have any other help i can do. Will also ring the GP again tomorrow see if i can see a different one

It’s so hard when people don’t believe you. I had the same when my son was small, “why didn’t you take him to the GP?” I did, repeatedly, and they kept sending me away saying I was an anxious first time mum.

Thankfully, taking it into my own hands and paying for him to see someone privately saved his life. Sometimes GPs and especially health visitors aren’t great.

If he’s following the same centile, no one will care.

I am so sorry that some posters have added to your stress. It’s just awful when they won’t feed properly, the worry is madness inducing.

My first thought was that I’d start to introduce weaning to him too. I hope he likes it!

@Hellodarknessyouoldprick i know i just find it so frustrating, i literally do feel like i have no where else to turn professional wise apart from go private, which after looking this morning there is quite a good one (going from reviews) at a spire hospital around 40 mins from us, so i’m going to enquire tomorrow about this and just go there, it’s all i haven’t tried and is absolutely worth it i think for peace of mind at this point, like you say you just never know what’s going on inside and no one else seems to care.

Thank you for your message, it’s nice to have someone that relates because sometimes i feel crazy! I can’t even explain how frustrated i get when he won’t finish a 5oz bottle i make him, i literally sit and cry and even my own family are just like he looks absolutely fine why are you worrying but when he’s his only source of food how can you not!

OP I just read your posts. My girl was the same. I had to sleep feed her. I tried everything, different milk, different bottle, different teats. Nothing worked. Sleep feeding was difficult as she took ages to fall asleep. She was born 2.3lb but by 5 months she was on the 90+ percentile. She hated milk from day 1. When we got to 6 months we went straight to solids. After 8 months she took no milk at all.

Also she was taking max 3oz. Random times when she took 5oz! Sometimes 2oz!

The thing that used to wind me up as well was the “but baby food contains less calories and less nutrients!” when people found out we introduced food at 15 weeks.

I’d always think, Yeah no shit, Sherlock, but she’s not getting nutrients or calories from milk either, so what do you want me to do, completely starve her?

Bottle aversion?
typical pattern is drank ok early on, then became trickier, starts feeding better when drowsy, reduces volumes more and more and then even the sleepy feeds become impossible.

theres a great book on how to solve it and it works (Rowena Bennett) and there’s lactation consultants who specialise in working through aversion with you and also have good success rates.

could be worth a look

How tall are you & DH and extended family. He could possibly be just very small.

I do agree that you need to push with the HV & GP to ensure there is nothing else going on.

Apparently as a baby I barely ate, never ever made it up to a full bottle usually just a few ounces at a time.

Thanks everyone, i was thinking is it just bottle aversion? HV told me if it was i would probs struggle to give him a dummy too which i dont haha, he takes that straight away. I actually had a thought today, maybe i should try cup feeding? Not sure how easy that will be with a 5 month old 🤣 but possibly something to see if i can do it.
He actually took a 4oz bottle earlier which is amazing for him, i was super chuffed! But then after only took 2oz, so probably just a fluke.

@RandomMess me and DH are not tall, i’m around 5’2 and size 6 - always struggled with weight gain this is just my natural size i have a really fast metabolism. DH is about 5’8 and quite stocky. But yes i agree my first born is not ‘big’ for his age and never has been, he’s 3 and still fits in 1.5-2year clothes bless him! So defo could be a little bit of that.

Yes I am !

I don’t think your experience of professionals not acting it that unusual. I have an older child who has lost 10% of her body weight trying to get professional health is nearly impossible.

@Lookingforthejoy I know it’s quite ridiculous really! Sorry you are having the same. I have another apt for him later on today!!

@AmberM223 The cup feeding is def. possible for a 5month so might be worth a try? There are a couple that a lactation consultant helped my best friend introduce to her little one when bottle aversion nearly ended their mixed feeding. Her 6mo daughter is BF but also now uses a Munchkin 360 cup for her formula feeds and has done for over 2months. Other mum friend has had some success with a ‘doidy cup’ with her 5mo little boy. Good luck!