Why won't she drink?!?

[Breeelizabeth]

Hey ladies, my 9week old has been struggling with feeding lately. She's on NAN lactose free formula, and normally drinks 150mL in about 30 minutes 4 hourly but for the past few weeks she's been taking 20mL every hour and a half and won't sleep (I assume it's because she's hungry.) She's been in hospital due to a UTI that she had and they could get her to drink 60mL at most.

We've seen a speech pathologist who seems to think she can't suck properly, I've been doing all the exercises she gave me, used the teats she recommended and if anything it's made it worse.

She screams whenever a bottle is placed in her mouth, then she screams when she unlatches and then she plays with the teat and stops drinking all together.

I'm at my wits end with the constant screaming and the lack of sleep, and because I'm so worried about her growth/weight gain. Before we went into hospital she had lost 100g in 4 days and I highly suspect she's probably lost more. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions? Anything would be useful!
Thank you!

 

[BabyHopes1974]

What about trying a different kind of formula? I'm not sure what else to think of. I hope things will get better soon.

 

[MrsT&Ben]

Have you tried using a different bottle or different flow of teat?? I know my daughter goes on a feeding strike when she cant get the milk out.

 

[MindUtopia]

I would try a different bottle or different teat/flow and see if that helps. Also, has she been checked for a tongue or lip tie? Both can affect bottle fed babies, just as much as breastfed babies, the only difference being that it doesn't hurt when you bottle feed, so you might not be as aware that there is an issue. My daughter had a upper lip tie, high palate and what the BF counselor described as a 'short tongue', basically it caused the same problems as a tongue tie, but there was nothing to clip. She struggled to latch BF and she also struggled to latch to a bottle for the first 5 months. We had a lot of weight gain issues to start. It might be worth getting checked. The tongue tie could be clipped. The lip tie can as well (but it's expensive and most just leave it), but at least you'll know what the issue is and also know that it will get better in time as she gets stronger and is better able to latch to the bottle. It could also just be that she doesn't feel well still. I know my daughter goes off her food for several weeks after she's been sick, and if she was in hospital, I imagine she probably still doesn't feel 100%, so it might just take time. Also, if she isn't losing weight now, it could be she just isn't hungry except little and often. My daughter was only taking maybe 60-90ml every 3-4 hours at 9 weeks, and usually not all at once. Sometimes that's just what they need even if they used to have more, but again, that's only if there aren't issues with weight loss.