Baby not drinking his milk! Help!

[lockdownpregnancy]

Hi all.
DS is 18 weeks and is 91st centile so a big boy.
He usually has 7-8oz milk per bottle and 5 feeds per day.
As of yesterday he has been half of each bottle and then refusing the rest!
He doesn't have a temperature, good wet and dirty nappies and generally seems happy.
We started weaning him from last week, as per HV advice, but I'm talking a teaspoon here and there as we are trying everything to check for allergies before we start feeding him properly, so there is no way he's full off one teaspoon of puréed veg!
I gave him his bottle this morning (last one was 8pm last night) and the same again. Got 4oz's in and then refused it.
Is this normal as I'm really worried as this has never happened before! He's always wanting more milk and now this!
So worried! Please help 😫

Why has the HV advised weaning OP?

Both of my children did this.
They just went through phases of barely eating or drinking for about a week and would then go back to normal. My youngest is 10 months and will have about 3 ounces per feed for a few days before returning to normal.

Don't worry, he would soon eat and drink if he needed it. Nice that he's a good weight as well because at least he has a bit extra to keep him going.

@JiltedJohnsJulie he's a big baby and we are (or were) giving him 8oz every 3 hours and he was getting upset after 2 hours because he was hungry again.
HV said to start weaning to fill the gaps in between feeds but obviously he isn't on mega meals or anything yet, it's just the odd teaspoon here and there to get him used to everything before we actually settle in to 'meals' if you will.

And thank you @Ineedsleepzz that makes me feel a bit better!
Could it be that the bottle teat we are feeding him isn't big enough and he's getting no frustrated?
He's in size 2 MAM but maybe we need to up to size 3 now he's passed 4 months? Could that be it? Or am I overthinking it al! 😬😬

HV a should not be advising early weaning. NICE guidelines are clear that it should only be done under supervision of a paediatrician or a paediatric dietitian. There are concerns that early weaning can cause life telling gut problems. I’ve had in depth discussions with my DDs paediatrician about the pros and cons. There is a case for early weaning but not just for a hungry baby.

You should feeding on demand. That means he feed him milk as soon as he shows a cue, even if he has milk to hours a go that’s fine. He also should never be allowed to drain a bottle, if he does finish it then it means he needs more milk. Paced feeding will make sure he isn’t over feeding.

He could be teething as well. When they teethbthe sucking action hurts so they quite often will only feed until the pain is too much. But definitely get into contact with your GP about early weaning. 18 weeks is so little!

I’d try a faster teat to see if that helps.

I’d leave the solids for a couple of weeks. Even though it’s only a small amount it can upset their digestive system at first so he may be a bit uncomfortable.

I would stop the weaning and increase the teat size.

@GreenLeafTurnip he may be actually, as he has all the symptoms of teething but can't see any teeth. I'm a FTM so I don't have a clue with these things! I assume you can't see the teeth straight away after they start showing signs of teething? His cheeks are flush a lot but not all the time though?
@OverTheRainbow88 & @Vicky1989x I have just been out and bought bigger teats and still the same thing.
The strange thing is, is that his mouth is open making the 'give me my milk face' and then once he starts sucking he gets upset, which now that it's been mentioned about it potentially hurting his gums if he is teething makes sense.

@Thatwentbadly who has a paediatrician unless there is something medically wrong with your baby? Are you from the states? You're lucky to speak with a GP at the minute with the pandemic going on, so I've been taking advice from my HV and other mommy friends.
My issue isn't with the weaning as tbf I'd barely call it that at the minute with how small of the amounts he's getting, it's his lack of milk drinking that is my concern.
As it's only day 2 of this I want to try and nip this in the bud ASAP, but if the other pp's are right with potentially teething then at least I know and I can just go with the flow.

I hate not knowing what to expect! I just want to help him and make sure he's happy 😔

Maybe he’s just levelling out now and needs less. How many oz is he having in 24 hours?

Maybe before was too much?

Am in the U.K. my girls have allergies which is one of the situation when early weaning be recommended but there is no medical reason why an otherwise healthy baby who is putting on weight should be weaning so very early. For the last 20 years the advice in the UK and from the WHO has been to wean at around 6 months. Can you lo sit up and support himself yet?

I also have a pediatrician and pediatric dietician for my lo in the UK.
Similarly this is due to allergies which presented before weaning.
Is he hitting the signs for readiness to wean? Health visitors are really hit and miss and they do not receive any training in diet and nutrition ( including when to wean)
Perhaps take a look at the NHS weaning website to check if your lo is ready.

@OverTheRainbow88 he 'normally' has 8oz for his morning and bedtime feeds and 7oz for the others. He has 5 feeds per day and sleep through the night so night time feeds. Total 37oz give or take.
He is fed every 3 hours, so his usual day is 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm & 8pm feeds. This has been like this since he was around 8 weeks old pretty much.

@Thatwentbadly totally get your reason as to why you see a paediatrician. My DS is nearly there with sitting up. He sits in a mamas & papas chair that supports his back and promotes good posture whilst his back strengthens up ready for him to sit up independently.
I appreciate your comments about the weaning but (and said with love between us mommy's) I'm not concerned about his weaning, I'm concerned about him refusing milk.
@StacySoloman we didn't give him anything yesterday as we wanted to concentrate on his milk but he still wasn't having it! He's been pooping fine and no grumpiness for the last 10 days we have been giving him the odd teaspoon. I don't think e have given him enough to actually cause him to have a upset tummy?? 🤷‍♀️

Maybe he is just teething then?

God I hate this!!! I don't like not knowing what to do! I'd never have thought babies were this big of a mine field! 🤯🤯

Your health visitors advice it a lot of rubbish tbh. I had a big baby, he always had more than the "recommended" amount of milk. If he was extra hungry he got more milk. We weaned at 6 months and he was able to feed himself and could have a big range of foods.

As far as going of his milk a bit now I would just keep offering when he seems hungry, he could be teething as mentioned so have a wee look at that. DS went through the odd phase of not being so interested and then he'd come back round.

I made the comments about weaning because it could be linked to the refusal to take milk. Potentially babies can get sore tummies from weaning, especially early weaning and this in extreme cases can lead to a feeding aversion. Many early weaning foods are low calorie which is a problem for small babies because they know how much milk they need by volume so they may fill up on low calories foods which feel heavier than milk.

@Aimee1987 he shows all the signs of wanting to wean, which is why I spoke to HV about it and she said to go for it. She said if my baby is hungry then you need to react accordingly and if that means early weaning then to go for it but to take it slow, which is exactly what we are doing.

His milk was just not cutting it which is why I discussed it with my HV at length. The GP hasn't got time for me with these matters, they just tell me to speak to my HV!

🤦🏻‍♀️

[quote lockdownpregnancy]@Aimee1987 he shows all the signs of wanting to wean, which is why I spoke to HV about it and she said to go for it. She said if my baby is hungry then you need to react accordingly and if that means early weaning then to go for it but to take it slow, which is exactly what we are doing.

His milk was just not cutting it which is why I discussed it with my HV at length. The GP hasn't got time for me with these matters, they just tell me to speak to my HV!

🤦🏻‍♀️[/quote]
Every hv I saw sung off a different hymn sheet. I would speak to a GP. You never know early weaning maybe having the opposite effect?

Also teeth move around in the gums long before you see them and my girl always went off her food when this happened

37oz seems a lot, had a quick Google and for his age 25oz is needed (check I may be wrong)

So maybe before he had loads and now he’s having the normal amount which has thrown you?

who has a paediatrician unless there is something medically wrong with your baby

The point is that early weaning isn't recommended though, unless there's some issue for which your baby is under a paediatrician and they recommend it. It's crap advice from your HV.

Honestly I'd just try not to worry about the milk. He's still alert and his nappies are fine so there's no reason to think he's not getting what he needs. If you were breastfeeding you'd have no idea how much he was having 🤷‍♀️ just offer when he's hungry.

@lockdownpregnancy Good idea about the teat size!

My youngest still has weeks of not drinking/eating much, however she did start getting really frustrated with the teat size and pulling away for weeks when she was little. Sorry, didn't think of that straight away! But sounds like a good idea!!

@OverTheRainbow88

37oz seems a lot, had a quick Google and for his age 25oz is needed (check I may be wrong)

So maybe before he had loads and now he’s having the normal amount which has thrown you?

I found age to be very little help, there's a calculation for weight but I can't remember what it is.

OP health visitors are not infallible, some are better than others. Obviously if you are determined to wean early then we can't stop you but it's not advisable.

@lockdownpregnancy

Hi all. DS is 18 weeks and is 91st centile so a big boy. He usually has 7-8oz milk per bottle and 5 feeds per day. As of yesterday he has been half of each bottle and then refusing the rest! He doesn't have a temperature, good wet and dirty nappies and generally seems happy. We started weaning him from last week, as per HV advice, but I'm talking a teaspoon here and there as we are trying everything to check for allergies before we start feeding him properly, so there is no way he's full off one teaspoon of puréed veg! I gave him his bottle this morning (last one was 8pm last night) and the same again. Got 4oz's in and then refused it. Is this normal as I'm really worried as this has never happened before! He's always wanting more milk and now this! So worried! Please help 😫

Never happened before? Apart from last month, you mean?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/4111570-3-month-old-feeding-less

Since then you’ve introduced food for no medical reason which changes the gut (the 6 month recommendation is for a reason), replacing milk with lower calorie food which kind of goes against your “hungry baby” argument.

Are you going to be trying to force him to walk at 6 months too, or is it okay to wait for him to be biologically ready for that?

@DicklessWonder thank you for reminding me of my previous post. How much time do you have to actually scroll through everything and then throw it back in my face???

I'm aware that the amount of milk he will drink will be reduced when he is fully weaned but that won't be until he is 6 months.

And I do not appreciate your comments about forcing him to walk!
These forums are to give helpful advice not to be a bitch and extremely unhelpful!
I'm a FTM and these things are confusing. I do not force my baby to do anything thank you very much! If you have nothing helpful to say then piss off. I don't need pedantic and condescending comments from someone like you

Your reply says more about you than it does me, sweetie.

The search function is surprisingly fast. Most posters who start early today weaning post before they do it. You didn’t, but you did post about your abby’s milk intake dropping. Last time you were a lot less bothered about it after a brief explanation. This time you’re defending weaning because it couldn’t possibly be that. One minute you’re a FTM who doesn’t know and the next you know for certain it couldn’t be to do with weaning. Which just shows how important the weaning is to you, rather than your baby.

Just an observation on my lunch break.

*early weaning