19 week old gone from drinking 6oz to 3oz

[Newmum1348]

DS was drinking 6/7oz every 3-3.5 hours at 15 weeks. He then all of a sudden stopped and wanted 3oz every 1.5-2 hours. I thought it was just a phase but he's now 19 weeks and this has been going on for 4 weeks. Sometimes he's looking for more milk after an hour.

I've tried putting the bottle back in and he occasionally takes another 1oz but it causes so much crying its not really worth it. Its definitely not wind. I've tried the next teat size which results in coughing, spluttering and crying and milk going everywhere.

Hes started getting up at 4am for 2oz. He's never been a great napper. Takes me ages to get him down so by the time he goes down he's back awake in 15 mins for milk, and is always over tired.

I know hes still getting enough milk but its becoming a nightmare to go out a walk or anywhere in the car cos he constantly needs milk. Also doesn't sleep in the car and never has. Falls asleep in the pram but wakes as soon as it stops moving.

Anyone any ideas or suggestions on what might be causing it?

I would think about weaning. Tho they recommend 6mths it’s also fine to wean from 17w

@Blondeshavemorefun My health visitor has recently changed. My first one said nothing but milk until 6 months then my new one said the same as you its not advised till 6 months but its safe to start at 17 weeks and just to decide myself whats best.

She was meant to bring me a weaning pack and information booklet about weaning but forgot and told me just to Google it. Not very helpful as theres so much different info on the Internet.

If i wean before 6 months is it just pureed fruit/veg and baby porridge or rice? And do I just start with once a day?

@Newmum1348 I wouldn’t bother with bsby rice. It’s bland and tasteless

Start with sweet veg so parsnip carrot bns swede sweet potato etc

Cook. Mash /Purée and add some of their milk to thin

I’ve been a maternity nurse 12yrs and before that a nanny for 20yrs

Weaning was 3mth when I started nannying in 1991. Then went to 4mth. Then 6. Then back to 4. Then 6

Personally I think the so called sleep regression is down to hunger

Was never about when weaned at 3/4mths years ago

@Blondeshavemorefun thanks. Just once a day to begin with? Then build it up to 2 and then 3 meals gradually?

The back of my milk pack says 35oz a day for his age. Hes probably having around 30 a day just now. How much milk roughly should he be having once I start weaning, or will I just let him decide how much he wants

Sorry for all the questions

I wouldn't start weaning. Weaning should be seen as a separate thing to milk feeds IMO - otherwise it's too much pressure to get them onto more and more solids to replace milk which isn't helpful. Weaning should start out just as a new sensory experience for them to explore and let them control the speed of the transition from 100% milk to 100% food. A 19 week old baby is not normally ready to be weaned although it's under 17 weeks which is really risky which is why they say not to start before then.

I'd carry on feeding on demand - this doesn't sound like too different of a pattern from how I'm feeding my breastfed baby. It should be fairly easy to bring bottles of milk out and about with you? I think you can prepare them, chill and keep them in a cool bag. Or bring cartons of ready made formula. (Do they do the tiny 3oz versions of these in the UK?) Maybe a portable bottle warmer if you prefer to feed them warm. Sometimes there is a period of an hour or two during which I can't feed my baby (e.g. because I will be going in and out of multiple buses/trams, or walking around a supermarket) so I would tend to try and offer a feed immediately before this time. If doing something like shopping in town, I would find somewhere to stop and sit and feed part way through. Yes it does make everything take a bit longer, but it's just part of having a baby. This becomes even more complicated once you add solids into the mix anyway.

IME once they are a bit older and more active (crawling etc) they tend to consolidate their feeds down into fewer and bigger ones again and by that point your baby should be into solids as well so perhaps less reliant on the bottle too.

If you do want some weaning info here is the NHS stuff which I would stick to (it's probably what your HV would have given you) and avoid anything else as will all be conflicting if from different countries etc:

www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/babys-first-solid-foods/

I also wouldn't wean early.

Have you tried going up a teat?

Weaning has no nutritional value at this age. At 17 weeks you're in a massive developmental leap. My 17 week old now barely feeds during the day and feeds all night long to make up for it. This happens every leap and he'll go back to his usual patterns once he's out the otherside!

@Jurassiclover @BertieBotts I'm not sure whether to do it early or not. My HV gave me the impression its fine to do it early, she seemed so laid back about the whole thing compared to the first one. It's confusing getting two totally different attitudes towards it.

I've tried goin up a teat size. Says in my original post it didn't work

Everyone will have different views to weaning

Some are never before 6mtgs

Others fine and happy to after 17w

It’s what you feel happy with and if you think baby needs it

And yes once start to wean I do one meal a day for a few days then add 2nd meal

Oh my apologies, baby brain I missed that bit haha. When was the last time you tried the next teat? How long did you try it for?

It's personal choice of course but NHS website states 6 months and I personally wouldn't start weaning any earlier. As PP said earlier weaning early will have no nutritional value and could mean they take less milk as their stomachs are tiny so the food could fill them up meaning they don't get the nutrition they need from their milk.

@Jurassiclover at the weekend for 2 days as I know it takes time for them to adjust. Will try again in 2 weeks as I don't think it's too far off

Yes but no offence Blondes, you said yourself you trained in 1991. That was 30 years ago, the advice has changed. And it doesn't keep changing all the time, it changed to 4-6 months in 1995 and hasn't really changed since then. Perhaps you simply encountered HCPs with different views (like the OP has).

I am not a "wait to 26 weeks exactly, not a minute before" person but the signs of being ready to wean are sitting up well with support, loss of tongue thrust reflex, and being able to get items to their mouth by themselves. Most 19 week old babies are not doing all of these things. This is the most up to date guidance and it is no longer advised to go by sleep, weight or the other things that used to be advised.

I was looking to see if anyone knew why my son is drinking small amounts more often instead of bigger bottles.

I didn't want to start a weaning debate. Think I will leave you guys to it.

Thanks everyone for their replies

Lol. Know advice changes. I keep up with it

I’m just saying you don’t have to wait to 6mths if you feel your baby is ready

But obv up to each and every mum to decide

Obv I don’t know if good head control or licking lips , observing and following food etc

@Blondeshavemorefun

I would think about weaning. Tho they recommend 6mths it’s also fine to wean from 17w

Shit advice.

@Newmum1348

I was looking to see if anyone knew why my son is drinking small amounts more often instead of bigger bottles.

I didn't want to start a weaning debate. Think I will leave you guys to it.

Thanks everyone for their replies

Have you checked for oral thrush

I also would advise against weaning this early. Milk fills a baby up more than the tiny amount of food they may consume at such a young age. Weaning is also a faf imo, unless there is a reason (ie you are told by a dietitian) to start early I can't see what the rush is.

@Newmum1348 I'd definitely give it another try soon then! Hopefully that resolves it or it's just a phase your LO is going through! One other thing you could try is feeding them whilst sleepy so when LO is starting to get sleepy for nap time try giving him a bottle then, you might find he takes a lot more if he's calm and sleepy then once he starts taking more at a time whilst sleepy he should start accepting more awake, my DS is BF so a little different but the sleepy feeding worked for us when he wouldnt latch on long enough for a full feed.

Good luck OP!

My baby was breastfed so a little different, but I distinctly remember feeds becoming so difficult at about 16-17 weeks. He was so easily distracted and literally had enough to keep going himself going, before wanting to do something else. He too reverse cycled (feeding more at night than day). I think it’s all part of the 4 month sleep regression/catch all term for weird behaviour that 4-6 months old do.

I found that feeding him in a dark room with white noise helped, less easily distracted. I also found that feeding him when he was still pretty much asleep meant he’d have more. My friend who FF had some success with a bigger teat, but quite soon her baby figured that out too DS suddenly started taking proper feeds and stretching them out longer at about 6 months. Hope it passes for you soon x