15wk FF DS losing interest in feeding - advice?

[fabulosa]

I'm posting a lot at the moment about DS and his feeding (sorry!) but I'm really feeling increasingly at sea with it all, particularly as up to about 12 weeks things seemed to be going well. Basically, some days he's fine with his bottles and will take between 5 and 7 oz at each feed, approx every 3 hours. However, increasingly he's not interested at all and can only be persuaded to take 3 or 4 oz through the day. He's then hungry in the night and wakes up any time after about 2, at which he'll happily take a full bottle. Obviously this is infuriating as if he'd just take the full feeds during the day he'd have enough to get him through the night. He seems quite calm and happy, just won't feed!

I've read that this can be quite common at this age as they're just more interested in the world around them and so feeding isn't so important to them as they're not so completely driven by hunger. I'm just finding it SO annoying and stressful though - does anyone have experience of this and be able to suggest how long it may last?

i have experience of this!

the key is to make yourself chill out and calm down, your ds will be picking up on your stress.

my ds was a terrible feeder and once only had 1/2oz in a whole day. he never ever had the reccomended 30+ oz a day but once i calmed down and stopped worrying feeding got much better, and offer feeds more often if he doesn't take much at one feed.

which formula do you use BTW? perhaps he doesn't like it anymore.

i was always changing brands and Hipp turned out to be his favourite.

oh yes, and try feeding somewhere darkish and boring so he focuses on his feeds.

It's so good to know I'm not alone! Sorry to hear about your difficulties with a baby who won't feed, I'll try my best to calm down about it. Did your DS wake in the night to make up for what he'd missed out on during the day? I don't know what's going on with him as some days he's much better than others with his feeds, any ideas why that may be?

i really can't remember much about it tbh, probably blocked it all out

i remember he took a dream feed at about 11pm and took loads then as he was asleep, so it kept him going until 5am.

have you tried dream feeding?

I've not tried dream feeding or changing the formula. To be honest I've been hoping that he would just sort himself out and go back to taking full feeds through the day and sleeping through the night again! Depressingly I have a feeling I'm not being very realistic!

dream feeding is quite easy. keep the room dark, perhaps leave the door open a bit so you can see.
if he is in a deep sleep try picking him up and hold as usual or lean over the cot and prop him up on your arm. gently rub the teat on his nose or cheek and when he opens his mouth pop it in and he should guzzle it down.

if you want to try a different brand just buy a few travel cartons and see which he likes best.

Thanks, I'll see how we go and if he continues to lose interest in day feeds I'll have a go at dream feeding him. I thought that he;d get hungry through the day and then get grumpy with it but he doesn't seem to. I'm comforting myself with the thought that as his interest in the world grows feeding becomes less of the be all and end all that it was in the early days!