Hi all
Due to issues I was sadly unable to breast feed (same with 2 year old dd) and new baby is having trouble with eating more than 2 oz at a time. Given she is 13 lbs (9 lbs 10 oz at birth) she should be eating 24-32 oz a day- I am lucky if we get 20 oz in her. Some feedings are like a dream and she'll down 3-4 oz no problem, but 1 in 3 or 1/2 of the time she will take 1-2 oz and then arch and start screaming. Sometimes if I give her a paci and wait 20 mins I can get another couple of ounces in her. Dr has perscribed baby Zantac for acid reflux and we have been on it for about 5 days. Dr says weight gain is "just ok, not great" we are using similac advance (used same for 2 year old)- was going to try similac sensitive but dr says that it is usually for intolerance and babies this young aren't usually intolerant.
Anyone else gotten through this and what did you do/try to make the feedings better? Things went so much better with first baby - I'm at a loss as to what to do. Dr says to check in on wed and if Zantac doesn't work we'll try something stronger - also have gi doc appt next week if things don't get better soon.
Thanks for your help!
Maybe the issue is that she can't stomach more than that at a time yet. Their stomachs are still very small at that age. OR maybe it's the type of formula?
Everyone else has given wonderful suggestions, I have one more. Have you checked the nipples, maybe they are too slow and the baby is getting to tired to finish, or going too fast therefore filling up too fast. Or just try a different type nipple all together. My son loved the NUK and my daughter hated it. Just thought I would put that out there. Good luck!!
I like what everyone had to say here.
I would check for thrush. Didn't have that w/my baby but you never know.
My baby did that sometimes due to gas. Try the gas relief drops for infants . Also, check nipple hole. If too small, baby can be sucking air &
not getting enough formula so gassy belly AND hungry quickly.
You could try changing formula.
Also, the amount she is eating may be just enough. Weight gain will tell
you if she's getting enough. My baby only ate 2 oz at a time every feeding for months every 3 hrs.
Both my sons where allergic to milk based formula. We had got have them on soy and it helped a whole lot. Also we would give them gas drops. They were amazing. I have known people that actually have had to put gas drops in each bottle of formula. I never put it in the formula but would give it to them right after a lot of times and sometimes before.
Good luck and God Bless!
Check on the roof of her mouth. If there is a white cloudy coloring, she could have developed thrush, and that is very painful and babies won't eat, or will hardly eat because of it.
I fed my babies the Enfamil Prosobee. Worked wonders. May be try that instead?
I hope she gets to feeling better. Poor little sweetheart!
she is allergic to her formula put her on soy.My oldest did that he was allergic to his formula and we cahnged him to soy.
DS had similar symptoms and eventually we switched him to Similac Alimentum (similar to Nutrimagen). He has been much much better after the switch. No more back arching and screaming during feeds.
We (or rather the dr) finally realized he has a milk protein allergy after we found small streaks of blood in his poop (not as scary as it sounds). That symptom takes awhile to develop though.
Also I've heard some insurance covers the cost of the formula (mine didn't) but worth checking since it's so expensive.
If she's arching her back after an ounce or so it is probably reflux. Zantac does nothing to prevent reflux, it just numbs the esophagus so the acid doesn't hurt as much. Talk to your pedi about Prevacid or Prilosec, and maybe a hypoallergenic formula like Nutramigen. Even before you do any of that, make sure you keel her upright at each feeding and for 30 minutes afterwards. Have her sleep with her head elevated too. Good luck, reflux stinks!
I would try the SImilac Sensitive and if the problem persists try soy or Nutramigen. Kids that young definitely have sensitivities, I am surprised the doctor said kids that young don't have intolerances.
Good luck, I know it is hard for the mommy to see your little one in pain at the same time you are frustrated. Hang in there!
Ever think it could be the bottle itself? It might be hard to suck on. That's what happened to me. The hospital gave me these little starter throw away bottles and my son had no problem with them. When I got home, all I had was the Platex bottles with the flat nipples and bags. Guess what? He refused to drink from them. MIL said the holes were too small, but when she steralized a needle she made the hole too big and he still wouldn't drink. Hubby had to run out and get the normal cheap bottles, then everything was fine. No problems after that.
My son who is now 2, had the very same exact problem that you are having with you baby, he was very fussy and I could not get him to eat, he was eating here and there but not enough and not gaining the weight that he should have been, like your baby my son was also prescribed zantac for acid reflux, which i though was not doing anything for him. He was 3 months old and weighed only 9lbs (barely) eating but throwing up every few hours. I took him to dr after dr and even the emergency room, chiropractor, you name it, if someone said they could help him in some way I was there, finally I just had enough and took him to a childrens facility in SLC. Primary Childrens hospital.
They tried him on the formula NUTRAMIGEN, it is made by enfamil and you can get it pretty much anywhere, all though it is quite a bit more expensive, but that formula is what helped my son gain weight and he was a completely happy baby after that, I just wish someone could have told me about this formula or had i known about this website then we could have saved ourselves a few thousand dollars in medical bills.
Hope you find something that works for your baby. Good Luck
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