Cutting down what she's eating; should I?

[Serene123]

And if I do, do I cut down the amount she's eating and just feed her more often if she wants it, or do I make her wait longer? It's so hard to know what to do. I'm only feeding her when she's crying but maybe she's crying for another reason. I thought I could tell when she was hungry. I guess not. I feel so rubbish. I just don't know what to do.



I tried giving her a dummy but she just spits it out and continues crying.

 

[sam's mum]

Maybe try giving her smaller bottles for a day but feed her whenever she seems hungry (that way she won't be sick if she is having too much)? Are you still using the slowest flow teats so it takes her longer to drink?

Is there anything else you can distract her with as soon as she's finished a bottle? Carrying her around the room? Something she likes to look at? x

 

[welshcakes79]

does she drink water for you hun? maybe she is thirsty?
i know weathers pants but maybe a short walk inbewteen showers might distract her?
xxx
dont feel rubbish hun, im 29 and didnt have a clue, you will tune into her i promise, she is still tiny and your both still getting to know each other xxx

 

[Serene123]

Nah she's on the 1month+ teats now. I tried to hold out but she was strugling with the smaller ones.

I really don't think she can honestly want as much as she's having. Last night she had 7oz then woke up 2 hours later and wanted more. I don't even think it's possible. She is sooooo sick now. Before she was only slightly sick. I burp her every ounce so the sickness isn't due to wind. She is just too full.

Ever since I read on a thread about babies starving because of their mums trying to get them into a routine, I've gotten really paranoid. Although I'm not trying to get her into a routine and I would never let her go hungry. I just don't know what to do. Surely eating more than what's recommended for a 4month old isn't doing her any good atall.

I don't mind the crying, I just don't want her to starve out of paranoia. Maybe I just need to get over that.

 

[Serene123]

does she drink water for you hun? maybe she is thirsty?
i know weathers pants but maybe a short walk inbewteen showers might distract her?
xxx
dont feel rubbish hun, im 29 and didnt have a clue, you will tune into her i promise, she is still tiny and your both still getting to know each other xxx

I've been afraid to give her water incase I fill her up on it and she doesn't get enough of what she really needs. I think I need to call my health visitor, this is driving me mad.

 

[missjess]

I would try a little bit of water hun, she's gonna tell the difference she won't drink itas much as formula I'm sure.

 

[xarlenex]

My aunts little girl crys and acts like shes hungry when shes tired and fighting sleep. And if my aunt tries her with a bottle, she takes it yet just pukes it all back up..Maybe you should try other ways of comforting her and see if its just over tiredness?

 

[vicky]

Hun do you do anything inbetween her feeds, ie go for a walk take her to any groups, go to town, things like that? how many hours does she go inbetween feeds? or do u feed on demand? if you feed on demand may be stop it, she takes say a 5oz bottle then make her wait for 3 hours before feeding her again, she wouldn't starve hun if she has taken a 5-7oz bottle she just has to learn that she can;t keep eatting to make her self sick, and if she is throwing up cos is to full then she wouldn't starve, you will find it hard for the first day or two buts it worth it trust me i had to do it with kacy.

 

[mickey]

maybe she is asking for the boob?

did you try to put her on the breast, if she cries?

what did HV say about her weight gain?

I just know my siss was eating to much and my mother had to replace some feeds with tea.

water is an option though, to see if she is thirtsty! doubt you can fill her up with it and as her weight gain seems to be fine, I don't think you have to worry, she is getiing to less nutritions.

and yeah, if she also has sleeping problems, maybe she is overtired and that's why she cries?

 

[Serene123]

I tried giving her just 5oz and she screamed for ages, fell asleep for an hour, then woke up screaming again. I gave her another 5oz and the same happened. She just isn't satisfied with 5oz. Plus she's sick after so she isn't really getting 5oz anyway. I'm so stuck for what to do. The HV wasn't worried about her weight gain because she's following a curve, her own one that doesn't match the percentiles, but a curve never the less. I'm so worried about her getting overweight and it affecting her doing things like learning to walk and crawl. I know she isn't overweight, but she was so small to start with and I can just see her getting so big! I thought maybe she would quit eating so much after the first month. Nope. I am trying so hard to not feed her every time she cries but my mum just told me I'm starving her because I've already stretched her belly out to take more and now I'm putting her on a diet. I don't know what to do!!

 

[welshcakes79]

oh hun, your not putting her on a diet if you dont feed whenever she cries, does she bring her wind up easily? some babies with gripy bellies/colic take a feed coz it comforts them then they struggle with the wind hence the crying,...
if she is not colicy then maybe she is just a hungry baby, are you still combining breast and bottle? what formula is she on if you are? maybe you could ask HV about moving her to a hungrier baby milk..
X

 

[Tilly]

Is she a long baby? cut a long story short (you may have seen me banging on about this story before though) but we got accused of "overfeeding" Bethanie because she vomited a little in her sleep and we took her to hospital just to be 100% sure everything was ok. We were made to feel like crap and treated quite badly! They failed to see that she was a long baby though, and slept straight through the night.. of bloody course she was going to drink more milk!!

Go with your instinct.. if shes hungry feed her. My only advice would be to not be so quick with assuming she is hungry as it can be easy to do that. Do not worry, being a new mummy is so nerve wracking.. soon you will be much more confident.

Im sure all will be fine

 

[bev309]

She's not crying because she is bored is she? Jack does when he is fed up & gets really ratty. With the dummy, I found with Jack that we had to really persevere as he used to spit it straight back out too. It still takes him a little while to latch onto it as he like to mess around with it before he starts sucking - but when he is hungry NOTHING is a susbstitute for his bottle, without ANYprior warning, he will scream the house down with tears until it hit his lips

 

[sam's mum]

Maybe you should try sticking with 5oz bottles and then put her on you if she seems hungry again - I know it'll probably take up far more of your time at first but if she isn't that hungry she hopefully won't overeat too much (if she is doing that now) - Sam never seems to relax with a bottle (so he screams once it's finished), but will happily just lie there and comfort suck for a while once he's full, so he gets a bit but not too much - that way if she is still hungry she'll take what she needs from you but it won't be as much as another whole bottle (even when he's full Sam never seems to stop with a bottle unless he's really tired).

Did any of that make sense?! I'm half asleep! x

 

[Holldoll]

I would try what Sam's Mum said. Bella comfort sucks for quite a while after she eats and then she goes to sleep. If she isn't allowed to comfort suck she freaks out and wakes up and wants to eat again.

 

[Serene123]

It's 3am and she has been on my boobs all night. She is so smiley and content, which makes a nice change from her screaming all night.

 

[Mamafy]

hiya hun,

ok I would feed her whenever she wants/whatever she wants. If she wants 7oz then give her 7 oz but I have abit of a theory for you.

Do you think Caitlin could have reflux? It would explain the inability to settle, crying, constant urge for feeding (they do this to sooth the acid) the sickness. If this rings bells go to your dr and tell him that you think she has reflux and tell him what she has been doing. Reflux is very nasty when not treated but does change babies when they get the medication they need

Its just a theory, I mightnt be right but anything is worth a try eh?

 

[sam's mum]

Glad she wasn't screaming all night last night ...hope you managed to get some sleep though! x

 

[Serene123]

She was brilliant last night, she woke up at 7pm, had a botte at 8pm, went to sleep at 9pm, woke up at 2am then slept untill 6.30am, went back to sleep at 8am and slept untill 3 this afternoon.

I hope she sleeps tonight.

 

[vicky]

thats brillaint, i hope it carries on for u hun