Problems with ff out of the blue

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Hi - posted this in breast and bottle feeding but no replies so hoping for a bit more traffic here.
My DS is 11 weeks and over the weekend has become very agitated when I'm feeding him. He had been having 5oz every 3 hours now he's struggling to have 3oz. Sometimes he's then wanting more an hour later, sometimes not. Its taking around an hour to take 4oz as he keeps pushing the bottle away and crying. He also keeps pushing his fist in his mouth and is drooling more than usual. He's happy enough between feeds - maybe a little bit clingy and sleepy but I think this could be because he's upset from the problematic feeds. I had been using gripe water and stopped to see if it could be this causing problems but it hasn't made a difference. Any ideas what the problem could be? Would call hv but its a never ending bank holiday weekend so no one answering till weds. I don't feel like its an emergency as his temperature is normal and between feeds he's ok.
Thanks in advance.

He could have something as simple as a sore throat or a blocked nose making it uncomfortable to swallow. Fist in mouth and drooling is often a sign of teething... bit early at 11 weeks but not unheard of. Check the teat-size on the bottle as, if it's too small, the extra sucking required can mean they get worn out before they get enough to drink. Good luck

I wondered about teething but the little angel clamps his mouth shut when i try to feel his gums. He had a cold when he was 4 weeks and struggled to drink but this seems different. Then he was a bit whingy but now its full on screaming with tears and clenched fists so looks like he's in a lot of pain. I'll try next teat size and see what happens. Thanks.

It's always a process of elimination with small babies. Hand in mouth and drooling is a classic teething response so have you tried painkillers?

It could be teething but it could be a sign of not wanting a feed as often. He might want to go 4 hours between feefs.

I think it's very likely that he is either teething or has a bit of a cold or similar. Have you tried giving calpol or other paracetamol based medicine? If you are worried though take him to an out of hours doctor, even if it isn't an emergency no doctor would mind seeing him to put your mind at rest while he is so young.

I gave him some calpol last night which settled him but at his age he can only have 2 x 2.5 ml doses in 24 hours so its limited really. He still leaks a lot of milk out of his mouth during feeds so will a faster flow teat make that worsedo you think? Also tried Nelsons powders but no luck - I think they're one of those things that are a bit hit and miss though with them being homeopathic.

Teething pain comes and goes in waves so if Calpol helps, give him the recommended dose until things get back to normal.

newmum, i've tried to go to 4 hours but he gets agitated before then. I think he gets hungry but he can't take enough physically to keep him satisfied. He's a little bit small for his age and I think sometimes his tummy can't take what he wants. He's also still having a dreamfeeed and a feed about 3am and this hasn't changed since he was 4 weeks.

Corgito - it says on the bottle that if synptoms persist after 2 doses to see a doctor but I guess all medicines say that?
Thanks for all of your replies - I'm waiting on callback from NHS direct to put my mind at rest.

English i would definitely try a faster flow teat! Dd used to fuss if she couldn't get her milk quickly enough and i completely forgot we had to use different flow teats as she grew. I remember dd being very fussy with bottles a few times, it is worrying but was never anything to worry about if you see what i mean.

I'll try the teats as well - its possible he's tiring himself out trying to get the milk I guess? Its all bloody guesswork isn't it?!

It really is, and just when you get the feeding sorted again he'll throw something else at you :) hope you sort it soon.

English, my DD started mucking around with her feeds at about 11w (ff too). She dropped down to only having about 25oz a day, which was almost 2 feeds less than the recommended amount for her size - she kept spitting the bottle out, hitting it away, getting very stressed and crying a lot when feeding, splitting her feeds so it was 2oz here, 2oz there. The drooling and hand chewing started then as well. I got really stressed about it, which didn't help as feed time became issues.

It turns out that there was absolutely nothing wrong. She just didn't want as much food as she had been having. About two weeks ago (so 16w) she started eating much more, suddenly added about 8-10oz onto her daily amount. I kept getting her weighed and pestering the HV's for advice but she was putting on weight so they all said she was fine. And she was .

11w is about the right time for drooling and hand chewing to start naturally - I was sure it was teething but now she's calmed down a bit I can see that it wasn't really, or at the most it was a few teeth moving around high up. Hopefully your LO is just changing his habits and will pick up soon. Obviously get him checked out if you think he is a bit poorly though. I assume his nappies are still wet?

The two things which really helped us when DD was being a right pain mucking around was 1) offering food often, and not worrying about her usual timescales and 2) dreamfeeding through the day. We had one awful day when she took all her feeds as dreamfeeds! But if you have a bottle ready for when he wakes up he might feed more easily when he is a bit dozy and calm.

Hope it gets better soon, but I just wanted to reassure you that it sounds like something we went through that wasn't a serious problem at all in the end x

If it helps, our DS is 10 weeks and drooling, hand in mouth, sometimes fussy when feeding - we are pretty sure he is teething...once we worked out the reason we didn't worry too much. I think it sounds similar for your LO. Maybe try a teething ring and another make of teething gel?

My daughter is now nearly 7 months but she went through a phase of doing this and it made feeding her a bit stressful.
I think I started offering milk every 2 hours rather than 3 and just let her have what she wanted. It sorted it's self out after a few weeks and she went back to 3 hourly drinking 4/5oz.

I would recommend trying a change of teat size just incase too

Thanks everyone - today has been a real battle but I've been and bought a different teat size and some gel so fingers crossed. Lexies - Nappies are still wet so not worried about that and going to get him weighed tomorrow so I'll see if he's still gaining. I'm glad others have had this too it reassures me that it probably isn't anything serious! It's such a shame as he's developing so well and he's such a smiley little thing normally then feed times become a battle! I'll try to chill out about how much he takes and let him decide when he's full and see how we get on,

Good luck - I know chilling out is hard when you're worried about how much they are eating. Strangely DD put on as much weight when she was eating as much as she is now when she is eating more! I had a lovely HV who talked me down from getting so stressed. If you are still worried in a week or so then do have a chat with one, they are much more helpful than a doctor and they have seen it all.

Ladies thank you - I've changed teat size and things seem to be getting better. He isn't fighting me during a feed any more and is taking 4oz each feed so getting there! I would never have thought of that in a million years! I do think he's teething too but the powders seem to be helping enough to make him mire comfortable during feeds.
Thanks so much :)

Yay!!!

Great news!

Great news. Teat size isnt really mentioned by health visitors (or it wasn't by ours) so i don't think its something you naturally think of. I'm so glad he's doing better though.