Baby not feeding in heat

[PrincessBailey]

Hi,
I am in need of some guidance.
My baby hadn't been a great feeder (I've noticed this since 16 week vaccinations tbh and is now over 22 weeks)
Should be consuming around 1000ml in 24 hours and we have never had that much. He is on the smaller side from what the HV told me, looks healthy and is generally happy with the occasional meltdown or crying episode. He is gaining weight slowly and is just staying on track.
I'm just worried because it is so hot and he is not bothered about feeding. I've been advised by dietician and HV to start weaning slightly earlier, so he has been having a spoon of puree or baby rice a day (not that it stays in his mouth)
He will take about 800-900ml in 24 hours.
He is never starving hungry in the morning, even though he's not need fed for hours.
He can handle 210ml (7oz) before bedtime but the rest of the time it is hit and miss. Sometimes he might take 5oz, or like today he only had 2oz for a feed. I can't get it down him!
I try to feed him every 3-4hours nornally. Sometimes he doesn't seem hungry at all. He is very active and would rather play!

Am I worrying too much?!
Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks in advance

You can give an ounce or two of cool boiled water if you think he's disliking it because of the heat?

I would also try making the feed about an hour before and give it fridge temp.

Although it might not be the heat, it might be just his age - lots of babies get fussy and distracted against feeding at this age.

My 19 week old is a terrible feeder. Its really hit and miss, except at night where he'll happily have bottles. I was advised to start weaning early and its been good so far, he likes his purees. I mix formula into the puree to get more nutrients into him. Maybe you can do that to get more into him?

This might be a really silly question.. But how do you give your baby water?
Cooled, boiled water and use a spoon? Or is it in a bottle?
Tbh, he just bites on the teat or cries if he doesn't want it so I can't imagine he would even have water.

I'm hoping weaning gets better fingers crossed

If he's not hitting his target amount of milk, is that terrible? It is really, really stressing me out trying to keep up with it and he is generally content on what he is having . Sleeps well at night, sometimes waking. Not sure if it is to feed but I make sure he has a bottle anyway!
He's learnt to roll over from his tummy to his back so I don't know if this affects things? He is also dribbling and chewing his hand a lot. I thought he could be teething but I've thought this for about 6 weeks!

You can give them water in a bottle yep.

I think it's not too bad if they aren't getting the exact recommended amount, as long as you keep offering (ie it's OK if it's their choice, but don't restrict their milk yourself) but I'd look up the signs of dehydration in babies and keep an eye out for those. That would be the primary issue in not drinking enough at the moment I think.

I eat less when it's hot, as do many people,... As does our cat... Obviously your baby isn't a cat but what I'm trying to say is as long as you can keep baby hydrated on a hot day it'll be fine.
Water in a bottle off or off a spoon... Even if take a mouthful then look at you in disgust.. That's fine

As long as he is following his weight curve, happy, and having enough wet and dirty nappies then I wouldn’t worry about if he’s taking 1000ml..

My 21 week DS is a chunk (8.5kg) and should be having at least 42.5oz a day based on weight going by NHS guidelines. He doesn’t! Max is 30oz (900ml). Takes 6oz bottles only. And in the heat he takes less in the day. But he is happy, nappies are as they should be, and he’s gaining enough weight and following his line. We are under the dietitian (allergies) and they are happy with his intake because he is happy and growing. So I don’t worry anymore. He will tell me if he’s hungry!

If you’re worried about weight gain you could use formula to thin down the purées, and introduce healthy fats like avocado.

We’ve also been teething for weeks. I’ve taken a peek everyday and can see the teeth moving up. I doubt he will cut them anytime soon though. But can imagine it’s also quite uncomfortable (!)

What's his weight?

Thanks for your replies everyone.
He is around 15lbs but is getting weighed again in a few weeks.
Each day is a different amount! Thrre is no way I can see him taking 1000ml, his little tummy can't seem to handle any more than 7oz and that really is a push! I've just had it rammed into my brain that he needs to be having more. But he is generally happy, wet nappies and poops once a day.
He is following his weight curve, only slowed slightly but is being monitored with Wright by HV.
Maybe I'm worrying too much.
First time mum and no idea what I'm doing!!
How long does it take for teeth to come through? I feel the same, it feels like weeks he's been teething. I can see two white bumps on his bottom gums, always chewing and dribbling..who knows?!

So many typos sorry.
I mean 7oz at a time with each bottle. But he never finishes, maybe one of those bottles.

And weight being monitored by HV

Honestly, I think you’re getting too hung up on exact amounts. Anyone that is breastfeeding has no idea of how much their baby is having! Babies (and adults) have appetites that vary from day to day, and everyone needs fewer calories when it is hot. If he is happy, apparently healthy and producing wet and dirty nappies, then the only thing to watch is weight gain, but again - it is normal for babies to have spurts and times of slower gain. I think you are overthinking.

Where did you get the 1000ml target from? It sounds like a lot to me, and seems to be causing you a fair bit of worry!

For comparison, my DD is 6 months, weighs around 15.5lb and has about 24oz/700ml per day. She's following her 50th centile curve nicely.

She seems to have less on a hot day too, which can be a little worrying but as long as she's not showing signs of dehydration I'm just letting her have what she wants.

I've been told to convert weight into kgs and then x150. So, 15lbs into kgs is 6.8.
6.8x 150=1020.
It's meant to roughly calculate 150ml per kilo of weight.
So baby shoukd be having around 1020ml in 24 hours. Once baby is having solids and meals this is obviously reduced. But my baby is no where near this amount!

I think it is a lot too! But HV has told me he needs to up his milk intake but he just doesn't want it.

I'm a very confused mummy!

At the moment, I'm just offering milk often to see if he wants it, especially as it is warm weather.

He is absolutely fine, not dehydrated. Plenty of wet nappies. But it sounds like maybe I need to take a chill pill!

My DS is breastfed, below 25th centile, but can go ages without a feed or feed in short bursts just enough to tide him over before playing.

We started weaning around 5 months too and basically decided to put him on 3 meals a day within 2 weeks. Found baby led weaning worked better with him than feeding purees at the beginning - maybe give it a go? DS loved to put everything into his mouth and so ate far more when he fed himself.

I give lots of high calorie and high protein items with veggies - tofu straight from the bag, full fat greek yoghurt, full fat cream cheese, bananas, mangoes, avocadoes, pure peanut butter (Meridian do one with just peanuts). Full fat double cream. Basically everything was dipped or double dipped in something. Even in his porridge in the morning was made from cream / full fat milk and had peanut butter swirled in.

Ive just used that calculation and it says my son is supposed to be having 1370ml a day. There is absolutely no way hes getting that. He does have a few spoons of puree a day at lunch and dinner. When he gets to 6 months ill move to a combination of BLW and spoon feeding I think.

Im not worried that hes not getting what the calculation says. He has wet/dirty nappies and is following his chunky 98th centile growth curve (according to my home scales).

I would add the HV in my area has been next to useless. He was put on a healthy weight pathway when he was born as be was on a big centile, which apparently meant his weight would be monitered. Ive heard nothing from them about it despite me trying to contact them. I think we're all left to just muddle along.

Yes, I've also discovered he does not want me to spoon feed him and he'd rather do it himself. Not that much managed to get into his mouth but he had a good go at it

I'm sure I've read this calculation on NHS feeding guidelines, and HV has told me about it.

I know, it's so hard at the moment. I'm very lucky he is getting weighed every few weeks as I know many aren't getting HV visits at the mo due to Covid

Are there any concerns around your baby's actual weight, his weight gain or his centile? It's just that you've mentioned early weaning, a dietician, and HV regularly weighing and recommending increasing milk intake?

If there are no additional concerns then if it were me I'd just keep offering milk often and let baby get on with regulating his intake. But if there's something else going on, then I'd be speaking to the professionals for more advice.

Following 25th centile.
He's under dietician because of a potential CMPA. And HV involved to weigh him regularly (mainly because I've asked for this as I had no idea how much he weighed since he was born, and because he's been off his milk in general, and even more so during the hot weather)
Dietician not too concerned about his milk intake but HV would like him to drink more.
They've suggested early weaning and I'm doing it slowly.
His milk tastes absolutely vile.. I wouldn't want to drink it either

Thanks for your replies everyone

Sounds like you've got it all under control