Baby doesnt seem to eat much. Is this normal?

[pudding25]

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?

check inside her mouth for ant little ulcer that may be there,..sometimes form if baby is a stong latch

An ulcer? Both mine got "sucking blisters" in the middle of thier top lips, and both had very strong latches, is that what you mean? In that case they are not painful, as long as you don't pick them (no matter how tempting that little flap of skin is, leave it along!!!) and are quite normal as far as I'm aware.

No, little white ulcers on the gums. one of mine did and doc told me to do a few feeds on a spoon to let it heal. It worked. was not a problem when went onto bottles.

Small white ulcers or patches on a baby's gums is not from a strong latch, it's more likely to be thrush. The advice your GP gave you just reinforces the reputation most GP's have for knowing Feck All about breastfeeding.

Incidently, many women think they have run out of milk at 6 or 12 weeks, this is because babies have growth spurts at these points, (also at 10 days, 3 weeks and 18-20 weeks). During these times they fuss and fret and seem to be unhappy and hungry all the time and lots of women think they don't have enough milk or that thier milk isn't "good enough" or "satisfying" for thier baby's needs. The switch that so many make to formula at this point is totally unneccessary as if you feed on demand your milk supply increases to meet your baby's demands. How much you can express is no indication of how much milk you are making, lots of women can't express anything but still have gallons of milk and feed exclusively with no need for supplementary feeds.

Breastfed babies rarely follow the centile lines, many drop down, without actually losing weight, and the weight gain of a breastfed baby fluctuates, some weeks gaining lots, other weeks barely gaining any, unlike formula fed babies who tend to follow the centiles and gain similar amounts every week. As long as a baby is happy, alert, producing wet and dirty nappies and gaining, even if it is not huge amounts each week, and not actually losing weight, and looks healthy, not skinny or pale, then there is nothing wrong and no need to supplement with or switch to formula.

Whilst I do not disagree per se with points you makes in your posting green monkies,...it is precisely this dismissive attitude to a situation that caused my difficulties in the first place...and which is incredibly condescending to anyone who "dares" to feed formula.

JayneF, I am not dismissing your difficulties, but to truly run out of milk is very rare, unless you have PCOS or something then there is no reason why your milk supply would just fail like this. I have no idea how skilled or educated the people were who helped you (or not as the case may be) so I can't comment on exactly happened with you.

But for you to assume that this is the case with another mum and suggest they introduce or increase formula supplements is unhelpful and misleading.

I am not condescending any one who "dares" to formula feed, merely trying to make sure anyone else who reads these threads has the kind of information that they need to be able to make well informed choices and decisions.

I have not and would not suggest to anyone to introduce formula. Pudding was already using formula. My point is and always has been simply that if a baby is not thriving it needs feeding up, (with milk of any whatever nature and food where relevant)..sooner rather than later. Nothing about that is unhelpful or misleading.

Nor have I made any judgement on whether her baby is thriving or not,..only she can see that!

but bf babies go through phases where they drop through a centile or two and don't feed as often as previously. If you inc the formula then (as you suggested) then the BM supply will decrease accordingly (not good if you want to conitnue to BF)

This isn't what I am suggesting happened in your case but it is a common pattern I think.

Oh I agree completely. It is sustained dropping over long period that should raise alarm bells.

Well, just an update but baby pudding has been feeding a bit better! Instead of feeding her every 3hrs, stressing that she is not taking very much and then trying unsuccessfully to top her up before naps, I have been feeding her every 3.5hrs and if she only takes a bit, wait 5 mins and try again. She seems to be taking in more this way.
She is so alert and smiley and is definitely thriving but it is good to hear that BF babies can fluctuate a lot.
By the way, JayneF, I agree with you. If, god forbid, baby pudding wasnt thriving, I would have no hesitation than to give her formula after talking to a bf specialist. My issue was that DD doesnt eat very much, formula or breast milk. IMO, the health of a baby is what is important and at the end of the day, formula is not the evil it is made out to be!

That sounds like good news pudding! It can be very stressful, I know that from my first baby. Good luck with her and or you. J