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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Baby doesnt seem to eat much. Is this normal?

36 replies

pudding25 · 21/08/2008 18:52

DD is 14 wks. She doesnt seem to eat much or ever get really hungry. She was 7lb 11oz at birth and a week ago was 12lb 2 oz, putting on 4 oz a wk.
Here is what she usually has.

7.30am 10 min bf
11.30am 90ml bottle formula, 5 min BF

2pm 20 min BF

5.30pm 15min bf
6.30pm 20 min BF

dreamfeed 11pm 60ml bottle formula

3am approx 20 min bf

If I try to get her to take more, she refuses. If I was to try to demand feed her, she would never eat apart from at 3am!
These amounts have increased over the past couple of days by the odd minute.
Do you think she is eating too little?

OP posts:
smallwhitecat · 21/08/2008 19:02

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Original poster
pudding25 · 21/08/2008 19:23

Thanks for the reassurance. I suppose I am just worried that she is not putting on enough weight. I keep reading on forums of babies her age weighing 14/15 pounds or more and feeding loads, especially formula.
Last wk, she was 12lb 2oz (7lb 11oz at birth). She is bright, alert, happy and healthy so I presume she is fine - hoping I am just a neurotic first time mum!

OP posts:
baltimore97 · 21/08/2008 20:09

When weighed last week DD2 was 12lb 6oz at 15.5 wks. She was 7lbs 6oz at birth. DD1 was almost identical in weight at the same age. People always comment that they are very "delicate" or "petite" - I'm just relieved they haven't inherited my figure (my mother politely referred to me as "big boned" as a child!).

JayneF · 21/08/2008 20:35

In my experience it is possible to "run out "of breast milk. I have 2 boys very close together and the experience of my first very definitely shaped my approach with the second.

If you feel that baby is not feeding much and is dropping down the centiles as time goes on,..do not hesitate to up the formula. First son was born on the 50th and is just on the 2nd now and he is tiny for his age... Second son started dropping at 8 weeks just like his brother and I was on totla formula by 12 weeks,..but so is a wopper in comparison despite aso being a 50th centile baby at birth.

I am angry that HV did not spot the trend and give practical advice with first son.

I do belive that my body was capable of only supporting babies for 8-12 weeks with breast milk,..despite me being verykeen.

Bottom line, ...if baby is dropping centiles at each weigh or putting on paltry amounts for a sustained period feed the little lamb up.

smallwhitecat · 21/08/2008 21:32

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BigBadMousey · 21/08/2008 21:50

JayneF - Whhaaaaa?

pudding25 - 4oz a week is fine - better than a lot of babies I know. No need to move over to 100% formula unless you want to do so for other reasons.

LittleMyDancingForJoy · 21/08/2008 21:51

by that logic i ought to have stopped feeding DS within weeks of birth as well.....as it is I bf for a year and he's a happy healthy 2yo.

DS leapt up the centiles, he was on the 90th for a week or so, and then settled somewhere between the 9th and the 25th.

Aitch · 21/08/2008 21:53

gawd, jaynef...

LittleMyDancingForJoy · 21/08/2008 21:54
GreenMonkies · 21/08/2008 22:00

Hmm, why are you giving her any formula at all??

By this age she is probably a very efficient feeder, and can fill her belly quickly, so the "short" feeds are not really a problem. And to be honest, the formula feed she is having are probably sitting in her stomach and taking longer to move along and stopping her from being hungry for long periods. Breastmilk is very easily digested, it passes through the gut quite quickly, but formula is not, it forms large, hard to digest curds which move very slowly through the gut, meaning she won't feel hungry for longer.

If you really are worried about her weight gain (and too be honest 4oz a week is fine!) but if you are worried, reduce/remove the formula feeds and give her more breastmilk, it will be digested quicker, meaning she'll be hungry quicker, so she'll eat nore, more often.

Have faith in yourself and ignore unsupportive advice that tells you to up the formula!!

JayneF · 21/08/2008 22:12

Whoa,..staedy on! I said for a sustained period! I am just saying that babies who do not eat much and who consistently drop (rather than fluctuate) may not be getting enough breast milk.

It is not a logic for you all to follow,...I am just stating that in my experience, it is possible that breast milk may not be enough. I am VERY pro breastfeeding,..but noone ever says anything negative against it! What happened to me with first son was entirely down to insufficient milk and I was not experienced enough then to realise it.

Topping up ith formula and then moving to it toatlly was a very difficult decision butit solved the problem.
Just the way it was.

Dalrymps · 21/08/2008 22:18

JayneF - the more you bf the more milk you make, thats why topping up with formula doesn't work. If you think you haven't got enough milk you just need to feed more then you will have more.

StormInanEcup · 21/08/2008 22:19

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BigBadMousey · 21/08/2008 22:20

I think people do say bad things about BF - it is hard to do at times, sometimes it hurts like hell and you may feel uncomfortable feeding your DC in public etc etc but it does have huge, well researched health benefits fot the DC and mother than FF does not offer.

It is entire up to the mother how she feeds her baby but I feel you have made a dangerous comment that could be taken the wrong way. Hopefully pudding realises it is not neccessary to top up.

JayneF · 21/08/2008 22:21

Dalrymps, I know the theory,..it just did not work for me.

JayneF · 21/08/2008 22:22

...to the detriment of my boy

BigBadMousey · 21/08/2008 22:26

If they are hungry they let you know and they feed more, not less.

BigBadMousey · 21/08/2008 22:30

Pudding25 - In answer to your question in the title of you thread yes, totally normal IME

JayneF · 21/08/2008 22:43

Yep,..I agree, they do feed more,..bt if there is no more milk to be had then they do not thrive. Simple as that.

I did not say top baby up I suggested feed baby up,(BF or F) if it is not thrivig...how is that dangerous??!

Original poster
pudding25 · 21/08/2008 22:55

Wow, didnt think this would start such a debate! Thanks for your replies.
She gets some formula as I desperately needed a break. I tried to express and could hardly get anything out and was sitting there for ages.
Even I was going to top up more with formula, she wouldnt take it anyway. As you can see, when she does have her formula, she hardly has any. At her age, it says on the tub she should be having 180ml for a feed.

I am pretty sure i have tons of milk - there is always boobie milk still there after she feeds!

I definitely DONT think she isnt thriving and the hv seemed to think she was fine and it is ok to drop down a bit. Will obviously keep an eye on her.
Like Baltimore94 - maybe she is just petite -could well take after DH's family who are small and slim (he's not small) and not like my lardy side!

OP posts:
JayneF · 21/08/2008 23:09

Pudding, tons of milk is good! It is just something I never had. . Sounds like you and she are doing fine. I wish you well.

Original poster
pudding25 · 21/08/2008 23:19

BBM - thanks for the link. DD is very easily distracted when feeding too. She just wants to look at everything and I think that is prob why she feeds best when she is sleepy. In the morning, she has a bit, comes off, gives me a big grin, goes on again, watches tv etc - very cute but have been switching the tv off now!

OP posts:
BigBadMousey · 22/08/2008 09:45

pudding25 - that is exactly what my DS is doing right now! It is very cute but all that repeated latching on and coming off makes me sore

Original poster
pudding25 · 22/08/2008 09:52

She did it again this morning - always the worst at her first feed, You would think she would be really hungry! On and off, being a monkey. Took her into her bedroom with the light off to get her to feed for another few mins. Luckily, it doesnt hurt me.

OP posts:
BigBadMousey · 22/08/2008 10:23

Well I wouldn't mind but it just occurred to me that DS was being very vocal about his need for milk just before I latched him on - after three minutes of on and off feeding he is now sitting with a big grin on his face and giving me that 'don't you dare put me down, I may still need you' look