10 week old doesn't like milk!

[MrsSamR]

Hi ladies,

I'm hoping someone may be able to offer me some advice as no one I know seems to have the same problem as me with regards to my daughter's feeding.

She is 10 weeks old and since birth has just not been interested in milk! My first daughter wasn't a big milk drinker either but my second daughter is worse and I'm at my wit's end! I honestly think the main reason breastfeeding didn't work out for us is because she just doesn't like milk so can't be bothered to try to get it!

So she is bottle fed but just never seems hungry or drinks much milk and it's worrying me so much. She was 8lbs 15ozs at birth so a big baby but she only takes anywhere between 50ml and 110ml of milk per feed. I actually took her to A&E as there was a day she just slept and only took 380ml in 24 hours! She has been poorly with pretty much a constant cough and cold since she came home thanks to her older sister and nursery germs so that hasn't helped! The Dr at A&E said they will regulate their intake and not to worry but at her 8 week check the following week the GP did say she wasn't gaining as much weight as they'd like.

She was born on the 97th percentile, dropped to the 75th and is now somewhere between the 50th and 75th. I know she has a way to go until they are concerned but I don't know how it won't keep dropping unless she ups her feeding. The GP said that obviously you can't force them to eat but if I let her she'd literally have about 50ml a feed. Last night she slept from 9 until 3.30am so 6 1/2 hours between feeds and then only had 110ml!

Has anyone experienced this and is there anything you can do to get a baby to feed more? I worry about her development and growth.

Thanks in advance!

I should say she has plenty of wet and dirty nappies and is happy enough in herself - smiling and cooing etc. The GP was surprised when she weighed her that she'd gained that little weight as she looked so healthy and seemed so content.

You do mean properly measured first-stage formula don't you? In sterilised bottles with newborn sized teats? I sure hope so!

My DD was a jaundice/sleepy baby and would not stay at the breast long. I had to offer her feeds every 30-45 mins in the first 12 weeks (and every 2 hrs through the night!) until she really got a taste for it. Not sure if that would work with bottles? Little and often with plenty of burping if she won't do big feeds.

What a strange comment? Where does it suggest anything but this?
OP have you tried dream feeding her whilst she's lightly asleep to see if you can get some more milk into her that way?

I think this really. Some babies just won't take a big feed. In these cases I think breast feeding is easier, but I guess that bird has flown...

I'd hazard a guess that the OP isn't thick and knows how to prepare her baby's bottles!

What a bizarre comment

@Redebs err yes!

@ASCADHDBAME we did try offering her feeds more often but unless she is hungryish and wakes naturally for a feed she will just clamp her mouth shut and refuse to take anything at all so we went back to just following her lead.

@NamelessNinja if I try and dream feed her she just kind of flutters her jaw and doesn't actually drunk anything and we can do that for ages with no results. It's frustrating because she's perfectly capable of drinking her milk if/when she wants to. She just never seems hungry!

@babyyodaxmas I had a nightmare trying to breastfeed both of mine with jaw issues, cranial osteopathy, tongue tie, lip tie etc so had to reluctantly bottle feed. Definitely hasn't been the easier option in my case!

It's not that she doesn't like milk op, just that she only likes to eat small amounts. I think if she is taking small feeds it would be sensible to set an alarm and wake her regularly (or try dreamfeeding) to ensure she gets enough smaller feeds in to help her gain weight. This would be my approach rather than letting her keep dropping through the centiles which is quite worrying. Have you spoken to a health visitor?

Yes just so difficult with a "snacker" to bottle feed as the milk isn't supposed to sit around for more than ?2-3 hours,so constantly making up small volumes of milk. My BFF had one of these...

We did try waking her and offering her feeds more regularly as I was concerned about her getting dehydrated but she just got irritated and would only take tiny amounts and over the 24 hours it actually totalled less than allowing her to naturally wake for the 5/6 feeds she'd prefer so we reverted to that. Believe me I'm not 'letting her drop through the centiles' I am genuinely very concerned but I can't pour milk down her throat if she doesn't want it and all the advice I've had from medical professionals has been to let her sleep and regulate her feeds but as you can imagine this is starting to become problematic.

Mine fed 12-14 times a day, maybe more sometimes. They were breastfed and this isn't uncommon. It's harder to frequently feed with bottles but I would replicate this and gradually decrease once intake increases

What flow teats do you use? Sometimes the newborn ones are too much like hard work so you need to up the flow to make it easier?

Have you tried changing formula? Has she any other signs that could suggest cmpa? Reflux? Sometimes reflux can be silent.

Your baby is a really good weight. It sounds like they just have a small appetite and may actually end up on a lower centile. It would be interesting to know the length and head circumference
centiles. If they are below the 50th centile, then the baby is probably just genetically smaller, and will have a small appetite to match.

Thank you for all the suggestions - I just want some things to try as feel like doing the same thing isn't working! I may get faster flow teats - she is still on newborn. I had in my head to keep her on them until she was 12 weeks but it couldn't hurt to try!

I'm pretty confident it's not reflux or cmpa as she doesn't seem uncomfortable or bring up feeds and there are the odd days she'll feed normally and with no issues so I think she just has a small appetite as others have said.

When I spoke to the HV she said she may naturally end up on a lower centile and to be honest I'm happy for her not to stay on the 97th but it's at what point you start worrying as she drops through them.

I'm going to her her weighed in January so will chat the GP/HV then too.

Mine slept straight through at 10w for about 10hrs a night consistently so I wouldn’t worry too much about the night. I’d try and keep offering small amounts often. If they’re having plenty of wet and dry nappies. Having bf and ff, I don’t think it’s harder ff for snacking babies. Either get a machine, or just use the cartons of ready made. You can keep them in the fridge once opened and just use what you need. I never heated milk (formula or expressed milk), so it’s was no more bother putting some milk in a bottle than it was to pour myself a glass of water!

My first daughter also slept through at 10 weeks so I wouldn't be worried if she was drinking enough milk in the day to make up for it. I'm happy to let her sleep as much as she likes but worry when she wakes after a long sleep and still takes a small feed. Little and often hasn't helped as she just doesn't want it and actually takes less that way over 24 hours. We have the PP machine but the smallest feed you can make up is 4ozs so we seem to be throwing a lot away. She's fussy about premade and temperature so I try and stick to bottles made on the PP.

Have you tried the small pre-made bottles?

From memory they can be stored in the fridge 24 hours so even though they are more expensive to buy there is little wastage as you can use what she will feed?

It might be cheaper to do the pre-made than throw away all the formula

My 6mo was born on 75th percentile for weight and has steadily dropped to 45th since then. She is a snacker and not a guzzler.

Since she is also 98th for height, I have ended up with a very long, thin baby which garners a lot of unwanted comments from strangers in the street! 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

It has worried me in the past but we’ve made it all the way to weaning with no feed-related health issues. Some days she would only eat 2oz.

I used to feel like she found milk “boring”. Which I know sounds crackers… but it does become the only thing you think about, and I was obsessed!

Like you, I had to bottle feed when I didn’t want to. Which made it much harder to cope with because I felt like I was failing to nourish my baby in a multitude of ways. In hindsight, this clouded my judgement and breast-is-best advice was unhelpful and deeply hurtful.

I did ultimately find night feeding was the best, in a dark room with no distractions. I then ended up with a “reverse cycler” (a habit I looked to break around 4-5 months in preparation for weaning)

Have you tried any ready mixed? They seem to prefer it. I think it tastes slightly better.

Don’t fret. If baby has no obvious issues such as tongue tie, and her nappies are okay, she is okay.

@PeeAche2 thank you so much for your response - it's nice to hear from someone else who has been through it! My DD is also very long so it sounds like a very similar situation. I'll try and relax about it a bit but still get her weighed in January to make sure all is OK. Bring on weaning when I can offer her something other than milk! As I say my first daughter wasn't a fan and neither are me or my husband!

My now 10 month old is the same. Always drank small amounts. Even now max he will drink is 5 ounces (150 ml). He was born 75th percentile and kept dropping until 25th and I was out of my mind with worry.
He does have cmpa but even on the correct milk and tummy issues resolved, he has never drank lots. Just not bothered and not his thing. However he LOVES food. Took to weaning so well and is now close to 50th percentile. Some just aren’t fussed about milk.
It is annoying making small amounts and feeding frequently (we used to have to feed every 2.5-3 hours) but like you said, you can’t force them to drink more and in fact that’s definitely what you don’t want to do.
if she’s happy and having wet and dirty nappies, try not to worry. Babies can be born quite big but naturally settle on a lower percentile that’s right for them.

Have you tried feeding from an open cup rather than a bottle?
My ds1 absolutely hated bottles and refused to use one, he was bf but had expressed milk when I went back to work and he took it from a cup instead.
We used this one www.bickiepegs.com/product/doidy-cup/

breastfeeding.support/cup-feeding-newborn/