4 months old and fussing

[Lmw1702]

My DD is four months old now and has gone from a really good routine feeder(formula) 4 hourly bottles of 180-220ml to 5 sometimes 6 hourly feeding of anything from 80-150ml each time. I've wasted so many bottles making them up on the four hourly mark thinking she's hungry but she shows no signs of hunger or wanting the bottles.When feeding, she'll take a few sucks then stop look around at everything and play with my hands or the bottle and it's very hard to get her back on again and drinking. I try to persevere and I can usually get to her have a few more sucks but she gets so distracted and ends up wiggling around and pushing the bottle away. She's waking up at 2-3am and again at 5-6am and both times drinks the whole 200 ml without fuss and in about 5 minutes or less then goes back to sleep.Up until about 2 weeks ago she was sleeping 7-8 hrs through and having regular bottles during the day.Now it's like she's completely out of routine and it's so frustrating because I'll make bottles up in between thinking that she's not had enough and she doesn't want a bar of them.I'm so worried she's not getting enough nutrients but she's been gaining an average of 300grams a week! Last week she only gained 100grams which is no wonder since she's not feeding near as much as she was. Help! What to do?? It seems way too long between feeds but anything under 5 hourly and she won't drink much of the bottle at all. Everything is in the mouth now and she's constantly chewing and munching on her clothing and hands and anything else she can get her hands on which I know is normal but I'm wondering if I should start to introduce solids??? I've tried feeding with dimmed lights,no noise and facing the wall even but she still seems distracted and wanting to look around and play.Is it a common 4 mth phase or is she ready for something more substantial than milk?? Is anyone else having the same fussy feeding issues??or can anyone lend a few tips or hints to get back on track with some sort of routine?I'm just so Wish she would go back to her awesome feed/play/sleep routine that was working a treat for so long!

[sparklesare]

Had a similar problem with my DS F. He was a big drinker too, always around 210-240mls four hourly, fussed a bit for a week or two and like you hands everywhere, in the mouth, nit interested after a few sips etc, but I think it's more teething fir my little guy. He takes about 20 mins to drain a bottle, and has never been quicker than that.

[Lmw1702]

She woke this morning at 3 had a full 220ml bottle without even opening her eyes then went back down till 830 then had another full bottle at 9 no issues, was all smiles had a play for about an hour but wouldn't settle for a nap, it took me about an hour and a half to get her down, she was so obviously tired and screamed herself into a tizzy, nothing was working so I tried her with a smaller 180ml bottle and she drank the whole thing and went off to sleep!! she seems to be all out of whack with eating and getting hungry when i think she's not ready and vice versa, it's all a bit confusing at the moment, I'm hoping this will pass, i checked and can't see anything that looks like a tooth showing but I have been told they can start anywhere from 4 mths with teeth..

[AndrewTheEmu]

My DD is doing the same thing but shes only 3 months old (today) Was drinking 180-210mls 6 times a day, now drinking 80-150mls 5 times a day (shes just started ocassionally skipping the3-4am feed) she is also Formula fed and i dont know whats causing it. Dr said maybe she was going through a growth spurt before and has stopped now. doesnt make sense as she was drinking that much consistently for 3 weeks. growth spurts dont last 3 weeks at her young age.
I too hate pouring so much of that expensive formula straight down the drain but theres not much i can do about it. If i feed her anymore often the hourly it makes her reflux so much worse, no matter how much she drank at the last feed. Worries me because shes still throwing up as offen as she was when she was drinking almost twice as much and she too has stopped putting on weight, but the DRs not concerned because shes in the 75percentile for her lenght and weight, and the 95percentile for her head circumfrence. But even so i cant help thinking its not healthy for a bub to stop putting on weight no matter how big they are (unless theyre obease ofcourse )
I used to feed my DD in the loungeroom, talking to her and my DH and watching TV, cant do that now because she gets so distracted, stares at the TV and barely sucks, smiles her big gummy smile atme and goos and garrs with the bottle still in he mouth, if DH starts talking she'll try turning her head 360 degrees if she has to to try and see him.
and my DD has also started being a little piggy at 1030pm, and 4am, usually finishing her whole bottle. I cant understand why she would need so much formula at night when all she is doing is sleeping, and so little through the day when she spends an hours kicking and playing on the floor.
Im thinking about just making her little bottles (120mls) at night, and making her 180mls during the day. just to encourage her that night timeis for sleeping, not eatting, not playing, sleep time, and then hopfully shell drink more during the day (a bit concerned about doing this though as she has stopped putting on weight and i kinda happy that shes drinking at all)
i think the distraction fase is very common for a four month old but all ive heard is to feed them somewhere quite/facing the wall, which your already doing.
I would keep offering the bottle every 4-5 hours and just let her drink as much as she likes (thats what im doing) and keep getting her weighed regularly, as long as shes still putting some weight on I dont think its a huge concern, when they start going backwards is when its time to worry.

[Lmw1702]

Good advice Lionheart, You know what, she's gone and changed the rules again, she slept 11 hours right through last night and all of yesterday and so far this morning has had full bottles!! Fed at 8 then 12!!! now sound asleep!!! It's a never ending game of trial and error...I don't think there's too much to worry about and unfortunately she needs to have her 4 month vax done this evening, so I'm bracing for an unsettled night! She did go through a growth spurt for about a week when she turned 3 mths so your little bundle of joy could be doing the same..BTW they do all their growing when they are sleeping so that's prob why she's hungry, imagine all of those cells dividing and the energy it takes!!! Thanks for replying!!

My DD is doing the same thing but shes only 3 months old (today) Was drinking 180-210mls 6 times a day, now drinking 80-150mls 5 times a day (shes just started ocassionally skipping the3-4am feed) she is also Formula fed and i dont know whats causing it. Dr said maybe she was going through a growth spurt before and has stopped now. doesnt make sense as she was drinking that much consistently for 3 weeks. growth spurts dont last 3 weeks at her young age.
I too hate pouring so much of that expensive formula straight down the drain but theres not much i can do about it. If i feed her anymore often the hourly it makes her reflux so much worse, no matter how much she drank at the last feed. Worries me because shes still throwing up as offen as she was when she was drinking almost twice as much and she too has stopped putting on weight, but the DRs not concerned because shes in the 75percentile for her lenght and weight, and the 95percentile for her head circumfrence. But even so i cant help thinking its not healthy for a bub to stop putting on weight no matter how big they are (unless theyre obease ofcourse )
I used to feed my DD in the loungeroom, talking to her and my DH and watching TV, cant do that now because she gets so distracted, stares at the TV and barely sucks, smiles her big gummy smile atme and goos and garrs with the bottle still in he mouth, if DH starts talking she'll try turning her head 360 degrees if she has to to try and see him.
and my DD has also started being a little piggy at 1030pm, and 4am, usually finishing her whole bottle. I cant understand why she would need so much formula at night when all she is doing is sleeping, and so little through the day when she spends an hours kicking and playing on the floor.
Im thinking about just making her little bottles (120mls) at night, and making her 180mls during the day. just to encourage her that night timeis for sleeping, not eatting, not playing, sleep time, and then hopfully shell drink more during the day (a bit concerned about doing this though as she has stopped putting on weight and i kinda happy that shes drinking at all)
i think the distraction fase is very common for a four month old but all ive heard is to feed them somewhere quite/facing the wall, which your already doing.
I would keep offering the bottle every 4-5 hours and just let her drink as much as she likes (thats what im doing) and keep getting her weighed regularly, as long as shes still putting some weight on I dont think its a huge concern, when they start going backwards is when its time to worry.

[kiki07]

Listen to what you baby is telling you. At 4 months they are becoming much more aware of the amazing world around them. It's not surprising they are distracted at feeds during the day, and take more feed at night to compensate. To keep your bub interested in feeds you can wear a funky necklace or a funny hat or sing songs or talk to bub- see what works to keep them looking at you and drinking. Make up smaller bottles and offer them more often during the day.

As adults, we don't always eat the same amounts at regular times during the day. Babies too have hungrier times. I wouldn't want to be force fed and then given less at a time when i was hungry, and i remind myself this when bub changes her pattern.

[Lmw1702]

Thanks Kiki your advice makes a lot of sense! I've been going with the flow with her and I figure she will eat when she's hungry enough to want the bottle !

Listen to what you baby is telling you. At 4 months they are becoming much more aware of the amazing world around them. It's not surprising they are distracted at feeds during the day, and take more feed at night to compensate. To keep your bub interested in feeds you can wear a funky necklace or a funny hat or sing songs or talk to bub- see what works to keep them looking at you and drinking. Make up smaller bottles and offer them more often during the day.

As adults, we don't always eat the same amounts at regular times during the day. Babies too have hungrier times. I wouldn't want to be force fed and then given less at a time when i was hungry, and i remind myself this when bub changes her pattern.