Tips for a slow feeding / reluctant feeding newborn

[Kitten-B]

Having trouble getting our 6 day old soon to feed enough. Tried to breastfeed for the first day or so but nothing was happening so reluctantly gave him a bottle as recommended in hospital and he was slow/reluctant with that.

We were worried he wasn't getting enough and he was still losing weight on the fifth day. Midwife yesterday said he should take a minimum of 60mls 6-8 times a day and we've been waking him every 3 hours (he's a very sleepy baby) and spending up to an hour on each feed trying to get him to take as much as we can and we are just about managing about 400mls a day.

He falls asleep around the 30 ml mark or loses interest and we try everything to get him to 60ml - changing his nappy mid feed, stripping him down to his vest or even just nappy etc.

Worried to death already and was wondering if anyone else had any experience of this?

Wondering if a different teat would help. Currently using Tommee Tippee closer to nature slow flow. Wondering if maybe a faster flow teat would but TT medium flow is recommended for 3mths+. Does anyone know if this would be worth trying or is there is another brand of bottle/teat which may help?

Or whether a different brand of formula would help? Currently using SMA as it was what the hospital used and unsure whether trying something else would disrupt his wee tummy.

Any advice, tips or similar stories would be so helpful .... getting ourselves silly worried about this....

 

[stardust599]

Macy is the same. Didn't want to latch so I gave up BF at 12days and she struggles with bottles too! We've tried TT closer to nature bottles, breastflow bottles and normal TT bottles with slow flow teat and also cheapy tesco latex bottles. The closer to nature ones are best for us but keep trying different bottles and teats to see what works. We just have to persevere. Can you try waking every 2.5hours instead - maybe he can take less but more often??

We tried medium flow on the closer to nature bottles which seems to go down better but it makes Macy throw up her whole feed afterwards so we just have to stick at it. I usually have to let Macy snooze for 10mins halfway through a feed then change her and finish the feed. I also try to keep it warm as she loses interest when it's cold.

Also, ask your midwife or health visitor about switching formula - aptamil is a thinner milk than SMA so might be worth a try as it would go down easier??? I'm not sure how to switch from one to the other though xxx

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Oh yes I remember this!! It has only just started to get better, I changed her teat to no 3. ( at the advise of hv) and put on anti colic bottles, also give it time as tummy will grow, it's v hard at first but let lo guide you, they will take what they want to

 

[AlwaysPraying]

Our boy was like this too!(he's now 11 weeks and eats very well). For the first month or more he would eat very slowly it would break my heart. Ever feed I would rub his cheek, strip him down, tickle him, wiggle him anything to get him to eat! I would sob if he only took half an ounce and would get so angry. I tried six different brands of bottles before settling on one.

For us the biggest issue seemed to be the formula. He didn't take the powder well at all. It was too gritty. We use the liquid now and it changed his feeding dramatically. I also warmed the bottle up a tiny bit more than normal and he seemed to enjoy this more as well.

I was so worried about how much he was taking that I woke him Every two hours for the first three weeks. He took 17 oz a day (in 24 hours). Lots of half ounce to one ounce feedings. It drove me nuts. But he eventually took more and more and settled into a good schedule.

I'd Be hesitant to change the nipples yet only because they do need to learn how to suck. It's a major development skill that their brains need to go through in order to progress. I worry that too many moms change to faster flow too soon and miss this development. But thats just me. For us it was a nipple style more than flow issue.

 

[bathbabe]

my LO was exactly like yours! How much did your baby weigh when born and was he early or on time? We found NUK bottles to be the best. We bought cheap bottles then in the pound shop they usually sell the NUK teats. Then when feeding was getting better we slowly switched back to the TT bottles. Dont worry tho, LO will drink more when they want! We were on 0.5oz to 1oz every 3hrs for the first few weeks! X

 

[AlwaysPraying]

We were told by our nurse that he wasn't gaining enough on breast milk (which I did for only a few days) and then was told he wasn't gaining enough on formula after that too. It really worried me sick.

Try to be calm and patient. The nurses don't always help with their recommendations.

How big was your baby at birth? How big now? Is he loosing weight or just not gaining what they want?

 

[summer rain]

If your baby is gaining ok then it shouldn't be a worry; some babies do better on more or less formula than advised. Also I second the recommendation for the NUK bottles and teats, wouldn't use any other type of bottles now...

 

[Kitten-B]

Thank you for the messages; it's reassuring to know other people have had simialr problems.

Unfortunately he was still losing weight at 7 days (yesterday). His birth weight was 7lbs 10oz (he was a week late), which dropped to 7lbs 3oz at 3 days old (which was fine), and down to 7lbs at 5days. At 7 days he was down to 6lbs 14oz. We saw the GP today and she said he seemed very healthy and she wasn't concerned as he was still within 10% of his birthweight (only just). Really really just need him to start putting on weight in the next 2-3 days.

Tried the nuk bottles but didn't do any good - hard to know whether to stick at it so he learns a new teat, but risky if it means he's taking less and we don't know if it's worthwhile.

Managing to get about 13 or 14 ozs in 24hrs of formula and even that is such a struggle. He loves the first oz of every feed, it's just getting up to 2ozs a go which is the problem.

Really really hope he does better when he's weighed tomorrow ....

 

[bathbabe]

Thank you for the messages; it's reassuring to know other people have had simialr problems.

Unfortunately he was still losing weight at 7 days (yesterday). His birth weight was 7lbs 10oz (he was a week late), which dropped to 7lbs 3oz at 3 days old (which was fine), and down to 7lbs at 5days. At 7 days he was down to 6lbs 14oz. We saw the GP today and she said he seemed very healthy and she wasn't concerned as he was still within 10% of his birthweight (only just). Really really just need him to start putting on weight in the next 2-3 days.

Tried the nuk bottles but didn't do any good - hard to know whether to stick at it so he learns a new teat, but risky if it means he's taking less and we don't know if it's worthwhile.

Managing to get about 13 or 14 ozs in 24hrs of formula and even that is such a struggle. He loves the first oz of every feed, it's just getting up to 2ozs a go which is the problem.

Really really hope he does better when he's weighed tomorrow ....

How about feeding him more often? Every 1.5hrs to 2hrs? Would that work? Id stick with the NUK teats personally x

 

[AlwaysPraying]

I'd also try feeding more often. At the slightest movement in my boy I would stick a bottle in him. Every hour and a half easily. Like I said many half ounce and one ounce feeds. I figured anything would be better than nothing. Now at 11 weeks he eats 6 oz bottles 6 times a day. I never ever thought I'd see that happen!!

I just checked my records and my boy lost 9% in the first week. Then gained only 2% in the second. I know how heart breaking it can be. I remember the nurse saying he wasn't eating enough and wasn't gaining enough. I said there wasn't anything more I could do I tried everything. (crying the whole time while talking to her) she replied "well it's not as if you can force feed him". I was in shock. She had no advice no help just criticism that he wasn't doing well. After that I found a new clinic who slowed me down took the panic out and soon baby did start to gain and eat so much better.

Does anyone else feed baby? It's a little flaky but I remember crying and shaking with frustration over it and he would eat so badly. When he was with dad he would eat so much better. Im sure he picked up on my stress and I didn't make it a comfortable place for him to eat for the first while.

 

[AlwaysPraying]

Do let us know how it goes tomorrow ok?

 

[scq09]

My LO was exactly like this and it really stressed me out! I had bought tommy tippee bottles after lots of friends recommened these but Amelia couldnt get anything out of them and was not gaining weight. In the end I got NUK bottles with the letex teeths and things improved greatly but she still only drank what she wanted. What I learned was you cant force a baby to eat more than she wants as their little tummys are so small.