FTM Feeding Worries

[HereWeGoAgain07]

Hello everyone

I've posted before on here about my daughters feeding which seemed to settle down but I just feel its always 2 steps forward 1 step back !

So my daughter has reflux and has been on carovel for a number of weeks after trying lots of other things, it seemed to settle other than giving her horrendous wind (bottom end) but I felt she's happy other than that so felt like we had turned a corner!

Now for the past couple of days she's been taking less and less oz (normally need to feed her when she's drowsy otherwise she won't take a bottle) but today since midnight she had literally had 4 oz, has been fussy but not like crying and wanting to sleep.

I'm waiting on the doctor calling back but I wanted to know, if these days are normal ? I worry myself sick with her feeding.

Also, the hv has said to phone the doctor of she takes less than 15 oz in a day.. but when I do the doctor says she's gaining weight and is a picture of health so I feel like I'm going round in circles.

And words of advice or reassurance would be appreciated, its really getting me down as her feeding/ oz intake is on my mind 24 7

I have no words of advice but I feel your pain completely. My son is 10 weeks and feeding him is a fight to the death. He rarely takes more than 2 oz each feed and that can take an hour. I've tried multiple bottles and teats. His milk has been changed for possible cows milk intolerance and he has just been put on gaviscon as I think it is silent reflux.

My HV makes it out to be problematic as he is dropping through the centiles. My docs aren't interested unless he loses weight. I'm stressed out and hate feeding him. I too obsess about every feed and intake in case he gets dehydrated.

Have you tried changing the teat flow? All the reading I've done suggests that for the thickeners.

@Mamaux

It's so stressful isn't it, and you feel awful for feeling stressed as it isn't their fault :(
I feel like the doctors aren't listening to me, we have tried anti reflux milk, gaviscon and now on thickener with a size 3 teat... its was going OK but yesterday she only took maybe 10oz.. I don't feel like I'm being heard when I say I can't get her to take a bottle comfortably!

I don't know about you but it doesn't help when you are told an amount they are 'supposed' to take and I have such a fear when she takes less,, I try and remind myself they are not robots.

Hope you are ok, its such a hard time. We found that carobel thickener has helped the most, she's a lot more settled.. big hugs to you

Change to a variflow teat instead of the size 3. Variflow lets the milk go through at a pace baby will want.
With carobel, it was about finding the right balance. Eventually 1scoop per 100ml worked for my son. He eventually had to have omeprazole for the pain but with carobel to keep the milk down. he went through a phase of barely drinking because it was hurting him. Paediatrician was a better help than the drs.
When baby is feeding try having her at a more sitting up angle, will help the milk go down and stay down. Keep her upright half an hour after a feed too, good excuse for more cuddles.

@Danikm151 thank you, I did look into the variflow but these seem to be the extra fast flow ones?
Right now we use 2 scoops for a 6oz bottle and it seemed to be OK.. I tried her with normal milk yest just to see how we went and she took 2 oz and kept spitting up/hiccupping and coughing for hours. Just seems to be never ending right now, been trial and error with things since 8 weeks and it's taking a toll now x

They’re not extra fast really. The teat has an x shaped cross so will open and close according to baby. As the carobel gets so thick you need that thicker x for the milk to come through.

Yes! I think I found myself almost trying to force feed because I was panicking over amounts. I then found this... static1.squarespace.com/static/59f75004f09ca48694070f3b/t/6011867a17a3582de4282ee9/1611761274701/Infant+milks_+a+simple+guide_Jan21.pdf

Which made me feel better as the amounts on this is much lower than what we are told.

I look at other parents feeding their babies whilst they stare into each others eyes and go green with envy 🤣

@Danikm151 eat make does variflow? I've been trying to find some. My mam bottles don't and Avent are these strange ones where you xsn change the flow.

@Mamaux sorry didn’t see your post

mam do an xshaped teat
i used the tommy tippee

I’m so sorry to hear this, I too had feeding struggles and reflux. My advice would be-

check the milk comes out as a steady drip as carobel thickens the milk (you probably already know this but just saying in case!)

does he get upset during feeds? If so it could be that the reflux is still hurting him. My baby had more silent reflux where not much actually came out but he was crying and getting upset during feeds. after trying gaviscon and carobel we finally tried omeprazole and he was like a different baby (it takes about 4 weeks to start working) the poor boy was hurting which is why he didn’t want his milk, and the omeprazole made it not hurt anymore. He is so much happier now.

good luck x