Need help - Baby not eating enough!!!!!

[Horseymum]

Hi everyone - I am really worried and need some help!

My son will be 7months on Tuesday and he is only drinking half of what everyone else seems to be feeding their babies at this age! His birth weight was great - 4.1kg but he has been falling ever since and is now sitting just under the 50% line on the weight chart - 8kg. My doctor doesnt' seem to be concerned as he looks really healthy but he definetly isn't carrying any excess weight.

He has been crawling since he was 6 months and is very very active. He is now pulling himself up to a stand on everything and climbing stuff so obviously he is using a lot of energy but he just doesn't seem to be that hungry???!!!.....

This is what he gets daily (If he is hungry - if not.....)

3.30am - Breastfeed

6.00am - Bottle of formula (100mls)
Water
9.30 - Bottle of formula (100mls) and solids (rice cereal and fruit puree)
Water
1.00 - Bottle of formula (100mls) and solids (mashed banana, avacado or vegies)
Water
5.30 - Bottle of formula (100mls) and solids (vegies and meat or lentils)

6.45 - Breast feed and bed

10.00 - Breastfeed

According to back of formula tin and what other people are feeding, he should be taking about 240mls with each bottle but I can't get him to take more than 125mls and sometimes he doesn't even take 60mls. He has always been a snacker and fed 2 hourly when younger due to reflux (this has since gotten much better and he is no longer medicated for it). I offer him water between feeds as I am worried he is not getting enough fluids.

Am I just being paranoid or am I right to worry?????????
I would love to hear peoples thoughts......

Karen

[the_queen]

You're being a good mummy by worrying about it! But I think you should stop stressing, and certainly don't worry about what other people are feeding their babies. Your little darling might just be a small eater. My DD stopped having her bottles altogether at 9 months :eek: I was horrified, all I could think was "she's supposed to be having formula until 12 months!" but my doctor told me that as long as she's healthy, active and happy, then I'm doing a good job. Your little one sounds like he's getting all the food he needs.... if he wasn't taking in enough, he wouldn't have the energy to crawl around, pull himself up on furniture, etc etc. If I was you I would maybe increase the amount of solids he's getting, and stop worrying about how many mls of formula he's getting. And the formula company wants you to feed him the maximum, because then you spend more money buying more of their product. Listen to your motherly instinct, and if your doctor isn't worried about his weight, then listen to him. (I know sometimes we mothers think maybe doctors don't know what we're talking about, but the doctor wouldn't lie to you would he? He'd tell you if there was something to worry about)

:) Just keep offering lots of solids, and if you're worried about his calcium intake then give him some yogurt.
You sound like you're doing a great job, keep up the good work !! :)

[Chickadee]

What you're offering looks ok to me. You could try dropping one or both of the waters if he's having a lot of that - unless he's actively sweating, constipated or not having enough wet nappies he probably doesn't need the water and it may just be filling his belly up.

[Shazbutt]

I agree with MarthaM about the water. Maybe its filling him up so he doesn't want much milk at the next feed?

I wouldn't worry too much....Like the others have said, if he wasn't getting what he needed then he wouldn't be able to be as active as he is.....

[reAllytee]

I agree with the others about the water as that is what can fill their bellies up. At about 7mths my bubs dropped down to 3 bottles of 200ml so if you actually look at how much your boy is having overall he is doing fine.
Over the last week ive had dramas with bubs also he was refusing to have his bottles altogether & its been soooo hot ive been more stressed about it than he has. So i went & spoke with my CHN & she said not to worry too much as he is obviously getting enough from his solids & if he was thirsty he would drink.
As the_queen said give some more yoghurt to top up his calcium but otherwise if your keeping up fruit & vegies they get a lot of fluid from these.

[Horseymum]

Thanks for the support!

Some days it seems like he prefers water to his formula but I guess you are right and this might be compounding the problem not helping it.

I didn't think you could introduce dairy until 9 months or do I have this wrong??

Karen

[BigW]

Hey Karen!
Wow, you think you've got problems! My son will be 7 months tomorrow - monday 12 nov - and I have had to wean him 3 1/2 weeks ago due to my health reasons.
We have been wrestling for that full time trying to get milk into him, as he is just not interested. (lost 500 gms last time I had him weighed)
I am off to the CHN tomorrow to have him weighed and measured so will see how we've gone. Total today for his milk was 490mls - over four feeds. :eek:
I know exactly why you're concerned.
Izak is eating heaps of solids - like weetbix & yoghurt for brekkie, four cubes of veges for lunch then four cubes of veges and one of meat for dinner. But the milk issue is getting to me.
As for your question on dairy, I have been giving DS yoghurt for almost a month now. No one in either side of our families has any food allergies, so I decided I'd give it a go, and he loves it. It's another one of those as you see fit kinda things. For example I've given Zak meat for a while now, but a lot of people don't recommend it for their under-developed digestive systems.
Hope this helps a bit. I'm having a chat to the nurses tomorrow, so will try and post to let you know what they thought.

[Horseymum]

Hi Paula

I feel your pain!!

Please let me know how you go at the CHN and if she had any advice - I went to mine for Jett's 6 month check up and discussed the problem then but at that stage he was sitting just above the 50% line and she wasn't too worried. He has dropped below it since then and thats what bothers me...

My hubby is lactose intolerant so I have been careful with dairy with Jett, but then he hasn't shown any sign of intolerance to his formula so maybe he will be fine. I might give yoghurt a try and see how he goes.

Good luck with you appointment!

Karen

[cobysmummy]

i wouldnt be too worried... Coby hasnt put on weight for so long and he has only just hit 8kgs and is almost 9 months! he was 7 kgs since 4 months and since then has not been putting on much weight,....

the amount u r feeding seems right for the age and since he is crawling, standing up etc.. as someone else said... he wouldnt do that if he wasnt getting enough in!

dont stress... the CHN has tried to make me sound bad and that coby isnt getting enough but like ur bub he is happy healthy and active so dont stress!

[BigW]

Hey Karen,
Just had to write as soon as I got home from our appointment!
Ok, so I feel so much better after my chat with the nurses.
Basically, she said that it sounds as though everything I am doing is right, ie; the solids and also trying to get more milk into Zak. She mentioned that if he enjoys his dairy - cheese sticks, yoghurt etc - keep trying to get that into him for a few serves a day.
With regard to the formula feeding - after I broke down at the clinic, I mean, I wouldn't put up a fight for four weeks! :o - she said that 600mls per day for this age is ample, and if it's 140 - 180ml per feed we're doing really well. So, pat yourself on the back Karen, we're doing ok apparently! :D
Another tactic she said was to have Zak drink his formula from his cup now - just an ordinary sippy cup, or a plastic beaker type - as they generally try to encourage cup feeding about this age. I tried it when we got home (he had only 40mls with his breakfast today :eek: ) and he had almost another 50mls without any complaint whatsoever!
So, I'll be persuing the sippy mug more now. She also mentioned that he may only take 50 - 100 mls per time, but maybe try a little before solids, then some more after. Also have some water only top ups during the day as you need to.
Let me know how you get on Karen, I'll keep you posted re; our efforts. I'm beginning to see the light after this little drink when we got home!
Take care, and don't give up!

[Ky]

Karen ...

You are obviously doing and incredible job as a Mum and from the info you have given, your little man seems to be doing extremely well!

I know it is incredibly hard, but try not to worry too much ... I did with my son ... I was really worried when he hadn't doubled his birthweight before he was 12 mths, let alone tripled it as the "average child" supposedly did! He was just over 2yo when he finally doubled his birthweight and is only just over that now and will be 3yo in February!

Every child is incredibly different ... for some, they follow a steady line on their growth chart and others are all over the place. My son started off the charts in weight and has dropped now down just over the 20th centile. He is happy, healthy, active, tall and slim, intelligent, communicating well and an all round nice and polite little boy! This is how he should be and the best indicator that he is doing well! Some days he eats like a horse and then there are weeks at a time where he does not much more than have a few drinks and a couple of weetbix each day ... he is normal - for him!

Keep being such a great Mum!

[jasminesmum]

My little girl is 7 1/2 mths old and only weighs 6.7kg.
She only drinks about 100 -110 mls per bottle.Occasionly she will drink 150mls,usually at bed time.
At her 6mth needles I asked the doc about her not putting on much weight and he said as long as her weight is on an upward curve shes fine and don't worry about the charts.It made me feel a bit better.
She is also very active and has been crawling and pulling herself up on furniture since 6mths.
So try not to worry,I know thats hard. Your ds sounds like hes doing fine to me.

All the best,
Michelle

[Horseymum]

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences with me!
It is really nice to hear that babies can be happy and healthy without fitting into the "norm"!

I am feeling much more relaxed about the whole situation now and have decided to focus us the quality and nutritional value of what Jett is getting rather than just sheer quantity. Having said that I have noticed over the last few days that he has wanted more solids and has been happier taking his bottle (still only 100mls).

I have started him on yoghurt which he seems to love so I guess it is onwards and upwards from here!

Thanks again everyone :)

Karen

[~beckkles~]

Hi Karen,
Sorry I am only new but had to respond. My daughter is 9 months old and only drinks 100-125ml bottles. She has never had a big appertite. She was drinking 10mls for the first 2weeks of her life. After talking to my paed who isn't worried he suggested a white sauce that is mixed with vegies. I'm no gourmet cook but it uses up 120ml of formula. It is just a little butter- 2 tsp of flour and 120 ml of formula. You can add alittle cheese in you want heat it up and it thickens. Also a tub of yougurt = 240mls of formula. Needless to say alot of yougurt is eaten here.
Good luck - I still want to throttle the nurses at the hospital that said one day she will start to feed properly..I am still waiting
Bec

[annsam]

Hi Karen, my baby too never took the amount of formula 'recommended'. Now hes 15 months and takes more than is recommended. The formula tins are only a guide so as long as bubs is active, healthy, happy and developing well then I wouldn't be worried........though I do remember what its like and thats easier said than done isn't it?