formula strike

Olivia seems to be on a formula strike, or maybe not hungry, or teething....I have no idea.

For the past 4-5 days, she will ONLY eat about 4 oz. of formula at a time. During the course of a day, she's eating 16 oz. of formula and 2 jars of stage 2 baby food (we haven't' started a 3rd meal yet). Because she isn't eating much formula, she is waking up at like 10 pm to eat (3-4 oz) and then in the middle ofthe night anywhere between 2 am and 5 am (again, 3-4 more oz).

What is the deal? Before this, she was taking 4 (6oz) bottles and sleeping 12-13 hours at night...NO night waking for formula. Earlier this week, she was refusing her baby food also. The past 2 days, she's eaten it though.

It's just really rough feeding her in the middle of the night b/c she won't eat much and is right back to sleep, but I have no energy to feed her...lol...I have 5 kids to watch during the day and I'm exhausted.

So, is this just a phase? Could it be teething? I've tried going up the next size nipple thinking maybe she's clamping down to hard and makig herself tired with sucking to get formula out...well, she drowns herslef in the next nipple and gets really upset. I guess most days she's still getting 20-24 oz. of formula (which is what she is supposed to be getting at this age), but it's spread out over 24 hours, NOT during her awake, daytime hours.

 

:hug: :hug: :hug:

That's all I can say. No advice for I haven't been there myself [yet].

I can imagine your exhaustion/frustration though

 

maybe she's just getting fuller from solids and doesn't want as much formula. do you give the bottle before the solids?

instead of 4 6oz bottles, could you try and feed her every 3 hours during the day (5 bottles) of 4 or 5 oz then maybe she wouldn't need the night bottle. It seems like she doesn't really need the night bottle anyway since she doestt' eat much then.

 

QUOTE(1stTimeMom26 @ Oct 10 2008, 08:52 PM) [snapback]1021035[/snapback]
maybe she's just getting fuller from solids and doesn't want as much formula. do you give the bottle before the solids?

instead of 4 6oz bottles, could you try and feed her every 3 hours during the day (5 bottles) of 4 or 5 oz then maybe she wouldn't need the night bottle. It seems like she doesn't really need the night bottle anyway since she doestt' eat much then.


I feed her solids AFTER her bottles...about 1.5 hours after. She's been going 4-5 hours in between those 4 oz. feedings. She refuses to eat it before she is ready. I think I just have a very stubborn little girl on my hands. It's Olivia's way or the highway!

 

Is she happy or fussy during the day? How is she napping?

If she's often unhappy, then she could be getting sick or teething. My singleton, Carys, started getting VERY distracted at her age. I ended up feeding her at night so she would get what she needed. Now I think I've created a monster. So what I think I'm going to do is not feed her at night and just deal with her crying for a few nights. Hopefully this will make her hungry during the day!

Of course, I just have to get up the nerve to do it! I'm waiting fo DH to have a day of so he can help a little. There will be a few LONG nights! Good luck!

 

sounds like maybe she is teething - she looks healthy in your avatar! Mine go on formula strikes too when they aren't feeling well.

 

My boys do the same thing before every tooth. For the first tooth, it was almost 2 weeks. For us their norm was 5 oz a feeding, so they went down to 2-3oz and they survived. My bets are on a tooth!

 

QUOTE(Mel G @ Oct 11 2008, 01:55 AM) [snapback]1021434[/snapback]
Is she happy or fussy during the day? How is she napping?

If she's often unhappy, then she could be getting sick or teething. My singleton, Carys, started getting VERY distracted at her age. I ended up feeding her at night so she would get what she needed. Now I think I've created a monster. So what I think I'm going to do is not feed her at night and just deal with her crying for a few nights. Hopefully this will make her hungry during the day!

Of course, I just have to get up the nerve to do it! I'm waiting fo DH to have a day of so he can help a little. There will be a few LONG nights! Good luck!


She's great during the day. Not fussy...the only time the girl cries is when she poops (which we haven't been smelling lately...it's like non-smelly poop or something...weird) or when she's getting too tired and it's past nap time. Her naps have been normal also...3 naps a day (with the long one in the afternoon). So I really don't think she's getting sick or anything like that b/c she's just her normal happy-go-lucky!

QUOTE(aimeethomp @ Oct 11 2008, 12:39 PM) [snapback]1021808[/snapback]
sounds like maybe she is teething - she looks healthy in your avatar! Mine go on formula strikes too when they aren't feeling well.

LOL...yep, she definitely is a "healthy" girl. She was 20 lb. 4 oz at her 6 month app (she was only 6#13oz at birth...lol)! She's definitely got some reserves