Finishing Bottle

Just wanted to know if I'm not alone here. I'm beginning to come to terms with my girls not being big eaters. They drink the bare minimum for their age and instead of pulling my hair out wondering what the heck is wrong with them I'm learning to just go with the flow. They eat 5 oz every 3 -4 hours and sometimes they will drink 6 oz before bedtime. My issue is that most of the time they will float between 4-5 ounces. In the morning they never finish a whole bottle and will sometimes only eat 3 or 4 oz. My mother told me not to worry that babies do this and I'm starting to believe her. Anyone else in the same boat?

Pretty simple poll. Just wanted to see the stats.

TIA

 

No way!!! It's hit or miss. If I make 8 oz they eat 6. If I make 6 oz they inhale it and could have had more. I think they just like to see me get worked up lol. They actually laugh when I get mad.

 

QUOTE(TandC @ Jun 5 2009, 12:03 PM) [snapback]1342445[/snapback]
No way!!! It's hit or miss. If I make 8 oz they eat 6. If I make 6 oz they inhale it and could have had more. I think they just like to see me get worked up lol. They actually laugh when I get mad.


Sweet, Sweet babies have a funny way of testing us.

 

QUOTE(orangeyaglad @ Jun 5 2009, 08:55 AM) [snapback]1342424[/snapback]
Just wanted to know if I'm not alone here. I'm beginning to come to terms with my girls not being big eaters. They drink the bare minimum for their age and instead of pulling my hair out wondering what the heck is wrong with them I'm learning to just go with the flow. They eat 5 oz every 3 -4 hours and sometimes they will drink 6 oz before bedtime. My issue is that most of the time they will float between 4-5 ounces. In the morning they never finish a whole bottle and will sometimes only eat 3 or 4 oz. My mother told me not to worry that babies do this and I'm starting to believe her. Anyone else in the same boat?

Pretty simple poll. Just wanted to see the stats.

TIA




lol my little girl now likes to smile and talk instead of eat. my boy likes to fall asleep.... haha

 

Jonathan is a huge eater. He will eat anything I put into his mouth. David will eat, but slowly and he takes his time. Sometimes he will eat all of it and others not-so-much. Both of them get 5oz and if David eats 3, I am fine with that.

I know, so frustrating.

Jenn

 

QUOTE(nicinthebu @ Jun 5 2009, 12:07 PM) [snapback]1342454[/snapback]
lol my little girl now likes to smile and talk instead of eat. my boy likes to fall asleep.... haha


I think this is part of the problem. The girls are at the age where everything is so interesting. They stop drinking look around, fool around with the nipple. So, I think they are done and pull it out of their mouth and it's as if the world has ended...they will start screaming bloody murder! Like, "Hey mom, what the heck did you stop feeding me I'm starving!"

 

eating has never been my boys' strong suit. i think because of their severe reflux they've developed a bit of an aversion, but whatever the cause is they've just never wanted to eat much. i know what their minimum requirements are and i watch their weight gain and i pace, rock, jiggle, entertain, distract, do whatever i need to do to make sure they're getting enough. it's exhausting, but it's just how it is in our house.

 

QUOTE(TandC @ Jun 5 2009, 11:03 AM) [snapback]1342445[/snapback]
No way!!! It's hit or miss. If I make 8 oz they eat 6. If I make 6 oz they inhale it and could have had more. I think they just like to see me get worked up lol. They actually laugh when I get mad.


LOL! That is exactly the same as us. I make 5 they want 6. I make 6 they want 4 : ) They only drink the whole bottle when they have had a long nap or the middle of the night feeding.

 

QUOTE(tbeards @ Jun 5 2009, 12:03 PM) [snapback]1342520[/snapback]
LOL! That is exactly the same as us. I make 5 they want 6. I make 6 they want 4 : ) They only drink the whole bottle when they have had a long nap or the middle of the night feeding.


Which has made me think to myself why the formula makers don't make a double ended scoop. One for 2 oz and one for 1 oz. Then you can at least measure it out instead of eyeballing the one extra ounce ; )

 

I voted Yes but that's only because I pretty much know how much they want and they never deviate from that. Hannah sometimes doesn't finish 1 oz. to 1/2 oz, but she's pretty consistent if you just stick it out with her. Their solids intake is what varies at this point.

 

QUOTE(piccologirl @ Jun 5 2009, 12:13 PM) [snapback]1342462[/snapback]
eating has never been my boys' strong suit. i think because of their severe reflux they've developed a bit of an aversion, but whatever the cause is they've just never wanted to eat much. i know what their minimum requirements are and i watch their weight gain and i pace, rock, jiggle, entertain, distract, do whatever i need to do to make sure they're getting enough. it's exhausting, but it's just how it is in our house.


i feel you on the exhaustion. I do whatever it takes to make sure they get at least the minimum but it just doesn't happen on some days. I finally got the go ahead to start them on solids just to make up for a few ounces here and there.

 

Jack usually finishes his bottles, but Nate....never! I have a very hard time getting him to take anything from a bottle, and end up having to mix the leftovers with rice cereal and feed it to him on a spoon just so he'll get near the minimum daily intake requirements.

 

Mine very rarely finish their bottle. I've gotten to the point of making 4 oz unless I know there is a good chance they'll be starving. They were major snackers when I was breastfeeding and they're still working their way up to being able to take more than 5 oz at a time. It's very hit and miss how much they'll take. Sometimes I'll make 4 oz and they'll only take 2 oz and other times I'll have to make another 2 oz for them. Oh and mine very rarely eat much out of the bottle in the morning. They do great with cereal and fruit after the bottle but I have a hard time getting them to drink much formula until after they've had breakfast.

 

One will inhale the whole bottle, the other will leave 40 - 60 mls --- so I will feed the leftovers to the more hungry one... and it never fails, if one is still hungry, if I warm up a bottle, they will fall alseep before I can get it warmed up !

 

My boys are TERRIBLE with finishing bottles!! I make them 4.5oz bottles and they'll maybe finish 2 off completely. Other times I'm lucky if I get them to drink 2.5! It stinks because I know when they only eat 2.5 they end up being realllly cranky and then I have to feed them again earlier and then they still won't drink the whole thing! Ah, it's exhausting sometimes!

 

This drives me so crazy but I have also recently "let it go" somewhat. I consistently make up 4 oz right now for my express milk LO. Sometimes she inhales it, sometimes she dillies around 2 -2.5 and might finish is 30 mins later. Sometimes she is done at 2 oz. I used to calculate what she is taking in and stress myself out because she is almost a pound lighter than my power eater, but she is still steadily gaining - now I am just going with the flow. They were born only 2 oz apart so in my mind it seems like they should maintain that consistency, but they are two different little girls. Fun times.

 

It almost NEVER matters how much I make. It's always wrong.

 

No. DS did.. Normally. But my DD was always a slow/light eater. She ate only 2 oz at a time for 5 months.

 

That sounds pretty normal to me.
Only in the past 3-4 weeks have our boys become consistent in how much they eat at a time (now their range is "only" about 2 oz--they are down to 4 bottles a day and they usually have 8-9 oz. Occasionally 7 or 10(!)).