Okay so here I am, posting again! OCD maybe? Or just a ridiculous worry wart!!

Anyway, I posted somewhere else about a different problem but did mention George's eating habits. After having him weighed today I am more concerned so wondered if anyone had any similar experience or any suggestions!

At about 8-9 weeks George was taking 4-5oz in a feed, 6-7 times a day. Now, at 11 weeks, for the last three weeks or so he has been doing the same thing...he drinks between 2-3oz no problem, then he pushes it out with his tongue. I burp him, and when I go to put the teat back in, he screams and moves his head away. He sounds a little like he's in pain, it's quite a sharp high pitched scream, but I can't be sure!! He does have reflux and is on gaviscon which has worked brilliantly since he was like 4 weeks old! He isn't sick (or very rarely) but does hiccup a lot still, and is coughing a bit more than usual lately and swallowing, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it or is completely unrelated!

Anyway, we have been trying to hold the teat in when he has his bottle when he starts screaming and turning his head away. Sometimes he will continue to drink another oz or two, sometimes he will just totally refuse and get more upset so I have to stop. but the thing is.

Took him to be weighed today and he has put on 8oz in two weeks and is falling from 50th percentile to 25th (he has almost hit the 25th now). The lady at clinic advised me to try feeding him 3oz at a time, but giving it to him more often. I tried this tonight, e took 3 oz, fell asleep and i had to wake him 3 hours later cause he hadn't woken up hungry! He then took 2oz and wouldn't take anymore!! We waited 30 mins (he has a bit of a cold at the minute so is sleeping a lot) and he was getting sleepy, managed to get another 1.5oz down him with lots of him thrashing about and fidgeting like he really didn't want it and he has gone back to sleep.

I am starting to get concerned, as surely at his age he should be hungrier than this? I can usually get 24-26oz down him in a day if I more or less force some of the latter halves of his bottles down him. If I let him have what he wanted I swear he'd only take about 15oz!

I've looked in his mouth and can't see any sore gums or teeth starting to poke through. He doesn't have thrush, and I have tried a bigger teat - size 3 (he's already on DR Browns 3+ mnths (size 2) because the gaviscon blocked size 1 teats) but it practically drowned him and he still didn't drink anymore.

The clinic lady said if he still isn't taking more to take him to Dr's next week, but I guess I just wondered in the meantime if anyone had any ideas or been through something similar?

George is 11 weeks old, 7lbs 8oz when born and now weighs 12lbs 3oz

Thanks

if he was bf youd have no idea how much he was taking. hes full up after 3oz obviously 8oz in 2 weeks is a good gain and 12lb3 at 11 weeks sounds great! my little guy has dropped 75th to under the 25th but my hv isnt concerned so odd why yours is suggesting the gp

I know how worrying it is but to reassure you, my LO was 7lb6 at birth and is now only 12lb2 at nearly 17 weeks. She started on the 50th centile and is now on the 9th. I just try and remember they won't go hungry x if he wanted more he would take it. It may be because of his cold so keep offering more and I'm sure he will pick up.

If you think it's his reflux then go and see doc and ask for referral. My girly has domperidone and ranitidine so there are more options.

Hello, My LO is nearly 15 weeks and was 7lb 9 when he was born. I had him weighed yesterday and he is 13lb 8oz, just gone above the 25th centile line, at 10 weeks he was 11lb 14oz, so your LO's weight sounds fine. At around this time the growth charts indicate that their weight gain is meant to slow down slightly. Obviously if you think your LO is distressed or unwell then you should definately seek help, but As long as he is gaining try not to worry and just let him eat what he wants when he wants it. My LO has around 5-6 feeds a day and normally takes 5-7 oz, but sometimes he will take a bottle in 2 stages over a 3 hour period. X

Willow takes less than your lo, she's 13 weeks now. She was 7lb 1oz born and 11lb 9oz today.

She drinks only four bottles a day, and her total amount is between 20-25oz, which is the same if I give her four or eight bottles a day, do I've given up feeding her so often when she wasn't hungry.

She is very similar, takes half the bottle then shakes her head/pushes out with her tongue etc if she's not hungry. Felt like I was force feeding her. I've given up doing this now, and when she starts wriggling away I stop feeding her no matter how much she's taken.

She's on gaviscon and ranitidine for reflux as well as on comfort milk.

I think some babies just eat more, some eat less. And if he's happy, weeing ok, pooing ok and not crying for food etc, then personally I would be tempted to just give him what he wants and not force the issue!

See thats the other thing... we change his nappy about every 3-4 hours but it is not often very heavy. Sometimes it is actually quite light. It's usually quite heavy on a morning, or if i leave it maybe 5-6 hours, but otherwise not. Should that be a worry? He is such a happy little baby - he never cries unless he's hungry, and he only whinges when he gets really tired. Smiles and laughs all the time, is very wide eyed and alert! He poos fine, only once a day but plenty in the nappy usually. I hate being such a worrier!!!

he sounds completely normal all babies are different and grow in at their own pace, as long as he is gaining weight at all, and he pees several times a day, it's all good.

Also I should probably add he has 6 bottles a day. About 8am, 11am, 3pm, 5.30pm and 8.30pm and then about 5am so he already feeds quite often, so i'm worried if i'm giving him smaller amounts there isn't really any room for 'more often' and he is actually just going to be getting less! I feel awful forcing any down him but when i do and if i manage to get 5oz down him, he still wakes up 2-3 hours later for next feed crying that he's hungry the same as if I only gave him 3oz which makes me think that he is still only just satisfied when he gets the 5oz, not stuffed. He doesn't throw up or anything so it's not like his tummy is too full. Agh! I never knew having a baby would cause me this much worry! I used to worry about myself!! Now there's only enough room to worry about him!! lol

their tummies are tiny hun. 3oz is a huge amount when their stomachs should be the size of their fists! little & often is fine.

Gosh I know how much babies cause worries, I worry non-stop about willow, I think it's natural, but those of us who were worriers beforehand go into overdrive!

I've also had the health visitors asking about feeds, telling me to feed her more often etc etc etc, which really doesn't help, when you take their advice and your baby still slowly dips centiles.

. I've resigned myself to willow just being willow, and she'll settle herself into the size she's meant to be, she was born on 50th for weight, now just above the 9th, and 25th for length and she's now below the 2nd....am I worried, yes, but I've accepted there's little I can do about it, she's happy if I let her eat what she wants, she's unhappy if I try and force milk down her.