baby not eating enough.

[binxyboo]

Hi guys.
My baby is nearly 5 weeks old now, but just isn't interested in food.
He was on 4 hourly feeds, and I would make up a 4oz bottle, but he only takes about 2 - 3oz and then refuses any more.

He was weighed yesterday and has only put on 8oz in 2 weeks - apparently, this is the minimum amount of weight gain before they start to worry!!
The HV said that he wasn't eating enough, and should really be having 4-5oz every 4 hours. She told me to wake him up every 3 hours and make sure he eats. Now this is easier said than done. If he is not hungry, he refuses point blank to take the bottle. He isn't full of wind cos I can burp him really easily.

He is currently on antibiotics for an infection he got, and I wondered if this might be supressing his appetite, but the HV still said 'get it down him!!'

What can I do to increase the amount of food that LO will take.

Feeding is starting to become a stressful issue for me now cos I am really concerned that he won't have gained enough weight when he is reweighed on monday, but I can't force it down him!!

HELP

 

[ellie27]

I was always very concerned about Annas feeding as she lost a lot of weight early on and took 3 wks to get her back to her birthweight.

I kept a notebook with her feeds and at 5 wks she was on 3-4 oz roughly every 4 hours. Do total up the total he is taking in the full 24hrs - thats whats important - Anna would take about 21oz a day.

You cant force LO to take milk, but maybe make 3 oz and try give it every 3 hours - small amounts regularly and see if that helps?

 

[fiveohmy]

He has an infection, it is very likely his appetite is down because of that and once he is feeling better, he will make up for what he has got.

My baby is 5 months old and he was the same, he contracted bronchilitus and was not interested in feeding at all. He took the same amount as yours for around two weeks...then after he got better, he ate loads and loads!

Your health visitor should not be worrying you like that. Its not as if he is suddenly going to waste away, honestly hun. I have 4 under 6 so have been through the weight thing many times!

Dont let yourself get stressed, babies are very sensitive and he may pick up on that. Just try your best to make sure he has taken as much as he can and I bet you he will be just fine.

Some things that can help to encourage them to take more:

Tap the end of the bottle when they begin to slow down, like a heart beat. It does encourage them to suckle more.

Check the teat size of the bottle, if its too slow he wont take as much.

Give him a break, start feeding then when he stops, wind him well, puthim down for a kick about on a play mat and after half an hour, pick him up, another good winding and try offering more. Split feed basically.

If he is a sleepy feeder, make sure he is cool or he will drift off to sleep.

He will be fine really, you cant do more than what you are doing, every baby is different x

 

[Blah11]

Ugh, idk why HVs are so insistant of force feeding your LO. He's still gaining weight and its not as if hes starving hungry. I dont FF but I always say if you were BF you wouldnt have a clue how many oz hes taking If hes happy and growing, personally I wouldn't worry.

 

[OmarsMum]

Mine was taking 3-4 oz every 4 hrs & sleeping through for 5-6 hrs at night without feeds. Some babies r not big drinkers. The max he went for was 28 oz at 4 mnths. Did u try changing formula? We changed formula 4 times until we found one he was keen to take. Until now he's not a bring drinker.

 

[Laucu]

I have to agree with Blah11, if you were BFing you wouldn't have a clue how many ounces your baby is drinking. You'd only have signs such as wet nappies, general wellness, etc to go by.

Like nmwb78's LO, my Emma has never been a big drinker. I BFed for the first 3 months and was constantly worrying about whether or not she was getting enough (no thanks to my mum saying 'is she getting enough?' every time I spoke to her). I think as long as baby is happy, meeting milestones, and wetting plenty of nappies, then he's probably fine!

 

[sandrass]

This is a problem we have always had with Alessa. It took her over 3 weeks to gain back her weight. She is 11 weeks now, and still only takes roughly 3-4 oz every 4 hours!!!

The doctors are not overly concerned because she is still gaining weight. We just go to the doctors a little more frequently than normal to have her weighed and checked.

I would not force feed your baby. Let him take what he wants, and unless he starts losing weight or shows signs of dehydration try to relax.

I know that is easier said than done, I have stressed out SOOOOO much over Alessa's eating!! But she seems perfectly healthy and happy, so I am TRYING to relax more


I am lucky to get 24 oz into her in 24 hours and she is double your lo age

-Some things that help OCCASIONALLY for Alessa are:
1.She is drinking from Dr.Browns bottles
2.She is on Soy formula now (always talk to his doctor before switching though!)
3.I put gripe water in 2 of her bottles every day, and it helps with the gas.
4.I walk around and bounce a little while feeding her and she seems to eat better...

EDIT-

Oh and when she was that age I woke her up every 3 hours and tried to feed her. Sometimes she took it, sometimes she didn't but I never really forced her..I would wake her up by changing her diaper.

 

[binxyboo]

Thank you all for your replies so far.
It seems to me that some HV seem to only go by the book. She even asked me if he was alert when he was awake as he was sat on my lap - alert and awake!!

I have been waking him every 3 hours, and letting him take what he wants.

I am trying not to worry, but it seems part of a HV training is to instill panic in new mums!

And as my mum told me - someone has to be on the lower percentile so that they can work out what is average!

 

[sandrass]

Thank you all for your replies so far.
It seems to me that some HV seem to only go by the book. She even asked me if he was alert when he was awake as he was sat on my lap - alert and awake!!

I have been waking him every 3 hours, and letting him take what he wants.

I am trying not to worry, but it seems part of a HV training is to instill panic in new mums!

And as my mum told me - someone has to be on the lower percentile so that they can work out what is average!

Alessa was sick in hosp for over 2 weeks and you wouldn't BELIEVE how much they had us worrying!!

Telling us if she doesn't eat more, she could dehydrate and get so sick...or that if we go home and she keeps eating like she was that she would end up back in hosp etc.

In the end she is ok though!

I think they like worrying mothers! Its nor fair

 

[x-li-x]

hun i wouldnt worry, u cant force feed a baby, it will just make them uncomfortable afterwards and they will proberly just sick it up anyway,ive been told many times to up my daughters oz but i wont, she drinks what she wants when she wants, we make up 6oz bottles a time and shel normally drink 4-5 of these in a day but will never finish the whole bottle, sometimes leaving 1-2 oz's, i did once keep trying to get more down her and she was just sick so it was pointless int he end as it just came back up and it didnt help her in the slightest!
shes happy, healthy, alert and having plent wet nappies so im happy, so if your lo is the same, dont worry

hv's annoy me, how would they like it if we shoved alot of food down there mouths if they werent hungry huh?! xx