Gone off Nutripem 2 and sleeping more in the day?

[Minimin]

Just wondering if any of you ladies had this. Serena is 5 months actual. She was born at 35w. She has been pretty good with taking her bottle so far. This week I changed the teat to 3 as she has been taking over an hour to have just 4oz. She has 5-6 bottles a day and I have now increased to 5oz. Which she can take after alot of persistence on my part . The past 2-3 days she has been crying when I try to feed her. She knows the bottle is coming and starts up. She has to be hungry as I am spacing her feeds every 3-4h. I can hear the milk gurlging in her tummy. She has lots of wet nappies and poos. though come to think of it not so many of those.

I did try some baby rice and banana to start weaning about a week ago. we got her weighed and she dropped from 9th to 2nd percentil so I have stopped the rice and maintained the milk- as suggested by the 'oh so knowledgeable MW!!' I know for her weight 4.98kg (10lb 15oz) she is not having enough milk but she has never taking the 'amount' they say she should be (2.5x weight in lb) Shall I go back to weaning and ignore the MW- who doesnt actually know anything about preemies!

Along with all this I noticed she is sleeping more and better in the day. She was not really doing more than 40-60 min naps 3x a day and now she is doing more like 90-120mins at least once and two other 60 min naps.

When she goes down for the night (6-7pm if we are lucky) she has to be woken for a feed around 11. Most of the times that feed she has only 10-50mls!!! So I feel like she doesnt need it. She doesnt normally get up through the night until 6.30-8am!

Wow this was meant to be a quick question! LOL. Hope it isnt confusing and advice and comments most welcome!

 

[lindseymw]

I didn't want to read & run...

Unfortunately, I don't know much about Nutriprem 2 as both my DS's (both prem) have never been on it, they went straight onto Aptimal (& BM).

You say you have to wake your LO up at 11pm to feed but she doesn't take much, have you tried skipping that feed and seeing if she'll take more during the day after having 12 hours sleep?

Joshua slept 12/13 hours through the night from about 10 weeks old (4 weeks adjusted) but when he did, he increased the amount he had during the day to compensate.

Not sure what advice to give regarding weaning. The advice I was given for Joshua was to wean him at when he would be 6 months adjusted age (7.5mth actual). He ended up being weaned at 5.5mths (actual) because he was ready then.

 

[Minimin]

Thanks Lindseymw for taking the time to reply.
Serena was given Nutriprem as she was only 3lb 8oz when she was born!


I have tried skipping the eleven feed to see if she would take more in the morning but that wasnt necessarily the case.
She takes around 550-650mls in the day- hard work at the moment as she seems to not want to take anything!

I read on the Bliss website to wean them earlier than 6m but like your MW I was told 6m by mine too. I am just starting to introduce some Baby Rice, banana and porridge. She is about 5.5m. I think she is pretty ready- she watches when we eat, can sit up- in my lap not on her own- and has full head control.

Once again thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[lozzy21]

Bliss recomposed weaning at 6 months actual as that's when Iron stores start to deplete, in preemies more than term babys and this was the advice given by my HV.

Its perfectly normal for babys weight gain to slow down or even stay the same for a while when weaning. After 6 months Health visitors are not as bothered about weight gain as long as baby is developing at the right pace. My daughter only put an oz on in a month the last time we was weighed and they just said bring her back in a month.

 

[Minimin]

Thanks Lozzie- I was using this page as a guideline
https://www.bliss.org.uk/page.asp?section=584&sectionTitle=Weaning+your+p
I am scared to get her weighed again this week. I know she will feed when she is hungry and she will tell me but I am so worried she isnt having enough! I dont think she is really eating anything of the Baby Rice!
Thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[Minimin]

Hey Lozzie- I just called Bliss and the lady I spoke to did say the above site is their current recommendation.
Here's some of the things she said- Hope it helps
She said over all- it can be as early as 4m but to take your cue from the baby. I think there are a list of things the baby should be doing eg sitting with head up and well supported, interested in adults eating etc. At first you spend about 6-8w just introducing tastes- so less than a teaspoon worth of food. Actually they are still getting all their nutrition from their Milk. The food is just to introduce texture and taste.
With regards to Serena not wanting Milk she suggested speaking to my GP and asking for a referral to the dietician. She may just not like the taste of it anymore!!! She said this can happen and even with regular formula babies sometimes need/want to switch!

all good in theory but I still worry on her weight. I will of course try not to

Hope you and your LO are well and thanks again for replying

 

[lozzy21]

A tea spoon for 6-8 weeks? I wish lol, We started weaning at 23 weeks actual and after 4 weeks she had dropped herself to 16oz of milk a day. She decided she liked food more so was on 3 good meals a day and two 8 oz bottles.

 

[Minimin]

lol

 

[vickyd]

Minimin do you think maybe she has a case of silent reflux? The fact that she cries when she sees the bottle could mean that she is in some pain during feeding...Just a thought? Hero has proper projectile refluc but at the beginning when it wasnt coming out she would resist the feeding too. Serena is a total cutie by the way!

 

[Minimin]

Not sure Vicky D- as she will after a bit of persistence take the bottle. This afternoon she had a feed at 12pm, 4pm and then 9pm. the 4 and 9 she took around 180ml (6oz) which is a rarity. She did take the 9pm bottle but again after an ounce went off it. Then took the next two oz together. I have to take her off to wind her otherwise it comes back off. If I hadnt taken her off she probably would have still kept on! I don't know much about reflux so will have a read up.

How is Hero doing? and you? I hope her reflux is better!

 

[vickyd]

There are degrees of reflux, sometimes its very light that the doctors wont do anything about it. The signs to look for are arching of the back during or after the feeding, refusing to feed and throwing up. Hero has quite severe reflux but at the last doc appointment they saw a marked improvement so they have reduced her meds.
180 ml is excellent!!! Hero has never taken anything above 150 ml! Serena's feeding sounds good hun, maybe shes just a smaller baby!

 

[Minimin]

She does arch her back- my I better do some research. We are seeing the nurse tomorrow so I will mention all this. She took 180 again this morning but that is all she has had since 9 last night so in 12h. Also arched her back again but making this weird noise which she makes when she is playing- I think she is messing. Today not as much fighting and still has kept it all down. Followed it with a bit of porridge and she has been good so far. Fingers crossed!
I'll keep you posted on Docs tomorrow! It is such an open deep ocean it is hard to know whats going on!

Hero doesn't seem to be doing too bad 150ml is good! how old is she now, and what is her weight? I think they all vary and have their own appetites. We have to try and get to know what their own 'norm' is I guess!

Are you weaning at all?

 

[vickyd]

Hero takes 120 ml every 3-4 hours but sleeps through from 10 to 7 am. Her weight is 6.7 Kg but remember that she has been mediacted and on special formula since 40 days old! Before we git the meds ect, she wasnt putting on as much weight as the doctors would have liked. It is a struggle and sometimes you feel like no one will take you seriously! I remember before her choking incident when i was telling my doc about her arching, grunting noises and constant conjestion that she has reflux/allergy but he would just tell me im overreacting....I wanted to kill him when we ended up in hospital....

 

[vickyd]

Oh and im gonna start the weaning when shes 6 months!

 

[Minimin]

OMG what a sily doc!! Not sure but I cant recall what happened that you ended up in hospital! That is so awful! As if we have not been through enough! grrh!

I am glad she got the help that she needed and the meds helped her. She sounds like she is doing well with her weight. Like her Serena is on special formula to help her weight but is now apparently off it! LMAO. She is 6m on Sunday (24w) So I am starting a week earlier. I am sure that wont make a massive difference to her.

She arches her back but doesnt seem to do it to the milk all the time- more to the nipple and trying to get away from it. I am seeing the nurse tomorrow- hope they figure out something I can try as I feel like I am at my wits end by the end of the day. She has only had 2.5 bottles today! I know I shouldnt get too hung up on her mls but she really hasnt increased the amount of milk she takes at all since MARCH!!!

On a good note I saw a little orange in her Poo so I guess some of yesterday's carrot went in! LMAO. She also had at least a teaspoon if not two this afternoon! and about the same for porridge this morning.

Hope you and hero are fine.. oh and one more thing- what meds did they give you?

 

[vickyd]

She is on ranitidine for the reflux and hypoallergenic formula for the cow milk allergy.
Im not looking forward to the weaning...Im scared that she wont eat enough and start loosing weight again, i know thats to be expected but as you say after all weve been through i dont need any more worries!!!

 

[Minimin]

I hope she will be fine- if she is anything like Serena she will welcome the change

So... Docs said (and she worked as a Paed before GP so MOOOREE qualified and experienced that HV) go ahead and start weaning as she is prob bored with just milk. Told me to try reg off shelf milk not special milk for preemie- GUESS WHAT! Madame scoffed 190 of it at 2pm and 5pm had 200ml! Never known her to have that much EVER! At 5pm- little bit of not wanting it but managed to persuade her and she had it all! Have got more of it (Aptamil) in for tomorrow and full steam ahead with Weaning. I got DH to get lots of fresh stuff which I will puree. i made her Sweet pot today and she liked that. Tomorrow will make Brocolli. also doc said to squeeze her fresh juice (apple and pears) and try smoothies (innocent-not sure available in greece).

Felt so much better when doc said to not worry. Also cried when she had her first 190 'new' milk bottle as she had it in about 25 mins without much fuss at all!

Dont worry about weaning hun- at least you can try lots of foods and find the ones she likes and she will eat that!

 

[vickyd]

Great news!!! Shell be piling on the weight now i bet!
Well my doc actually gave me a waening programme that i have to stick to apparently.... 6 months 1 week we start with riceflour cream, then next week we add a apple and pear puree and 1 week after that we introduce a carrot, potatoe and zuccini puree. I wonder why here in Greece they are so strict with the weaning process???

 

[Minimin]

hmm.. I wonder- My doc said just to try most things. I only have to try one thing so just one veg first so she gets used to the taste of it alone. then play with mixing! She had some strawberry yogurt today (petit filous) and had half the pot! Wow! I gave her Porridge for breakfast (with banana and strawberry- from packet) and she had a fair bit of that too. her milk intake has been a little less but I am trying not to worry!

How is Hero doing- so when is she 6m?

 

[Minimin]

???perhaps he is being cautious as she was a preemie? I wonder why?