very distractible 6mo dd is so hard to give a full feed - shd I introduce a daytime bottle?

[titferbrains]

DD is 6 mo and we're going to US for a week with my mum on mon. Am a bit stressed as she's so hard to feed during the day, very on/off, looking over shoulder, arching back etc. Think there may be a wind issue but I can't see my osteo b4 we go, but jsut wonder if anyone has any thoughts about getting thru the next week and how to help her focus a bit more. She is very small indeed, on 0.4th percentile I think (haven't had her weighed for bloody ages but she's about 6kg with her nappy and clothes on so prob nearer 5kg naked)so I don't wnat to stretch her between feeds. SHe's doing a very long 1st nap(at about 10.30, she can go for 3 hrs)and takes a better feed after that but still bobs on and off in the 2nd half of feed.

Unfortunately my mum is gagging for me to put her on bottle as she's obsessed with DD and wants to be able to spend more time wiht her - I think she is actually a bit jealous of my bfing time with DD! so last tiem I saw her she said "I think DD is trying to tell you to put her on the bottle". I was too cross to respond to this, it's just infuriating. DD is very noisy during feeds, makes sounds like she is getting impatient sometimes - and yet can feed for 40 min at night! She is defo growing so I am not worried about her size but am htinking maybe to replace the lunchtime feed with a bottle, after her nap, to ensure she's getting enough? Sorry this is long but need to explain.

meant to say, she currently takes a 7oz bottle at 6.30pm(after a 30min breastfeed and 3 or 4 oz at 1115 ish.

hello?

hello?

I would review the situation after your holiday! Has she started on solids yet? I found that once DS2 was on solids, he was more settled. Like you, I also gave him a bottle each day but as soon as he started solids, he didnt want the bottle anymore.

No real advice as am not an expert but I sympathise about your mum - mine too is a firm believer in bottle feeding!

I wouldn't do anything just to please your mum - you'll probably end up resenting her and mad at yourself. My mum would have weaned my DS months ago and couldn't understand why I waited so long - until she came across the DoH booklet in her doc's surgery last week - and now she's the world's expert and phones me to "check that I'm offering finger foods too".

My DS is 6 months and ridiculously distracted during feeds (I posted about it is despair about a week ago). For him the world is just too interesting to waste time staring at my boobs (unless it's 3 in the morning when he can also go for 40 mins...) He doesn't take a bottle so I am carrying on for the moment - and he's been a bit better over the last couple of days (been on solids a couple of weeks). I think he's getting enough milk as all is okay in weight/wee respects - I think they get to be more efficient feeders than we give them credit for. Perhaps as Tryharder says - review after your hols when the decision is not connected with what your mum wants?

My DS is the same - he feeds longer at night because it is dark, quiet, just us etc - nothing to distract him unlike in the day.

I can get a full feed in to him in the day if I stretch him out between feeds or, better, go into a very quiet, slightly darkened room (so dull, but it works). Sometimes I put my hand over the eye I can see while he's feeding, like a horse's blinker, which often has the added benefit of making him nod off after he's had his feed. But if I'm out and about and can;t go somewhere quiet then he gets lots of short feeds, so he's probably getting enough overall.

I don't see that a bottle would help, as eating would still be less interesting than looking around.

I think this is a very common thing... babies at this age are so distractible. I do the same with charitygirl, for the 2.30 pm feed I have to go (when I'm home) to a slightly dark, quiet room & that definitely helps. However, personally I have introduced top-up feeds (EBM) whenever I feel they're needed, as I do want DS to be having bigger feeds. I disagree on this with charitygirl, I think that during noisy times (e.g. when out & about) bottles are easier, as you can move the bottle around, continuing with the feed, while LO is also looking around. So yes, I would definitely do that, as long as you feel that bf is well established (which I assume it is at 6 months). In any case once you start on solids (are you about to start soon?) then things will change, as gradually the milk feeds will become fewer.

titfer - it's a tricky situation but no baby should be given formula just because the granny is jealous ...time to put your foot down, I wonder? 'Look mum, this is what I am doing, it's important to me [insert reason if wished, but none is needed really!] and it's not negotiable - appreciate your concern but that's how it is.'

Many babies beyond newborn show exactly the behaviour you describe and they are not saying 'please give me a bottle' - as you well know They are behaving like the curious, intense, learning and busy creatures they are at this stage. Giving a bottle instead of a bf - I don't understand the logic of this. Breastmilk is slightly more calorific than formula anyway - and while you don't know how much breastmilk your baby gets a lunchtime, she's presumably feeding to satiety, however short the feeds are and however fighty she gets! There's no reason to assume a bottle would be better at getting calories inside her

She will be having solids soon, so your mum can be involved in that if she wants to be