Bottle feeding premie now 5 months

[edmatmum]

I am trying to bottlefeed my little girl who was born at 28 weeks now is 5 months. She has always been a bit of a monster to feed but now will take 2oz of nutriprem2 formula before screaming and refusing to take anymore. I have tried different teats, bottles etc and am now feeling fed up and wishing i could just get some milk into her -anyone know of a magical cure?

Have you been breast feeding up untill now?

No breastfeeding - always been bottlefed always been a little tricky but now getting harder and harder to feed her.

Do you mean 5 months corrected or 5 actual months?

5 actual months so in fact I only have a month to go and I then could start weaning which is of some comfort but is of little comfort each feed she screams at me!!

Ds3 was born at 32 weeks but was out of hospital after 2 weeks. He was bf but took a bottle at first on occasion. Then when he was 3 months corrected he started refusing bottles. Couldn't leave him with anyone! Nursery staff when he was bigger seemed to feel he was weak at sucking but tbh, as all of my other boys were bf, I had nothing to compare with.

Might your little one have reflux?

I thought you had to go by the age they would be if born at term? Especially with weaning. Sorry for being really thick but would she be only a month by her due date?

I don't know Its not something I had considered because up until now although she has been tricky she has always taken enough to gain good/acceptable weight but now I fear that it is affecting her weight gain because she is taking so little.

When ds3 was born, the paed told me that you wean at 6 months from the actual date of birth, not at 6 months corrected. He said for developement you go by corrected age but for food by actual age. So I weaned ds3 at the age that he should have been 4 months old. I did feel a bit funny about it, but thought it was better to take the advice as general advice relates to full term babies.

Re age you go by premie's actual age not corrected age (she would be coming up to 13 weeks corrected).

Have you tried a Haberman feeder? No idea if they're good for premie's but I know Tracy Hogg 'Baby Whisperer'swears by them. Not that I think she's 'all that'.

Actually I was about to order a Haberman feeder for ds3 when he started taking the Playtex bottle. But they have changed the name to Special Needs Feeder, even though they are also good for bottle refusers with no SNs

What is a haberman feeder?....and playtex bottles?

haberman feeder

playtex disposable bottles

These did turn out to be a PITA although I was very happy that ds3 would take any bottle! You have to keep buying more liners and they are very hard to get in Ireland and the UK. I had to order them from the US!

Thanks for all your help - i now have to go feed. wish me luck!!

I'm sure you've probably thought of this but is it gas? My son arches his back, screams, pushes the bottle out of my hand and refuses his milk whenever he's too gassy. Have you tried infacol, dentinox, gripe water etc? Infacol really works for us. Without it I can barley get 1oz into him, with it he'll take 6 ozs! The special haberman feeders etc sound interesting too. Let us know how you get on!