She will not take her bottle!

We have been having bottle issues with one of our girls for about a month and a half. She will eat about 3 ounces and then stop. We can usually get another ounce to an ounce and a half in her and with all her feedings can get about 20 ounces in her a day (the number our Pedi gave us as the minimum she should be eating.) We give 4 bottles a day - she will eat 7 at the first and usually between 4 and 4.5 at the others.

Well - yesterday she decided that she only wanted to eat 1 ounce before stopping at her 11 and 3 o'clock feedings. I tried everything - bottle, holding her and giving the bottle, sippy cup, cup. NOTHING! She will eat her solids no problem but I know that she needs the calories in the formula more. (Oh - I also tried EBM and she didn't want that either)

I have a call into the nurse but does anyone have ANY suggestions? I am getting VERY frustrated with her and I don't want to be mad at her for not eating but it is really hard. She is already my tiny one and at their 9 month appt there was a pound difference between them - more than there has ever been. She is already in the 3rd percentile.

I don't think that it is teething because she is not fussy and is sucking on her paci. Yesterday I gave her some Tylenol and that didn't help. She has also been napping GREAT. Today she slept from 9 to 11:15 (actually making it 4.5 hours between bottles though there was breakfast).

I didn't give her any lunch (which we just added last week) in hopes that she will eat more at the 3:00 feeding.

OK - sorry to ramble but I am really at my wits end and wanted to give you guys as much info as I could. Any ideas???

 

We had similar issues with my DS. Ends up, he had severe reflux, which was causing him to
self-limit on bottles. We were able to control the reflux with meds, with keeping him upright for 30 min after feeding and by feeding him less amounts but more frequently. He never (ever) took in the recommended amount of formula/pumped breast milk, but he is at 50% for the wght for hght chart.

It caused me a lot of stress, since he refused bottles so much (or drank so little), but the pedi GI specialist kept telling me to relax and keep feedings calm and not "force" him to drink.

Good luck -- I know how frustrating the bottle refusal can be!

 

I forgot to add that Pedi put her on Axid for reflux and we started it last week - she gets 1 ml twice a day.

The nurse is going to talk to the pedi and give me a call back.

 

QUOTE(40+mom @ Apr 24 2007, 03:02 PM) [snapback]232337[/snapback]
We had similar issues with my DS. Ends up, he had severe reflux, which was causing him to
self-limit on bottles. We were able to control the reflux with meds, with keeping him upright for 30 min after feeding and by feeding him less amounts but more frequently. He never (ever) took in the recommended amount of formula/pumped breast milk, but he is at 50% for the wght for hght chart.

It caused me a lot of stress, since he refused bottles so much (or drank so little), but the pedi GI specialist kept telling me to relax and keep feedings calm and not "force" him to drink.

Good luck -- I know how frustrating the bottle refusal can be!



This was what was happening with ds as well, it was reflux. I don't have any suggestions as it seems you have tried alot already. Just wanted to offer you some hugs since I know that feeling all to well. I felt frustrated toward him not eating. The main thing my doc said was not to force feed because that could cause problems later on, it was easy for them to say that while I was at home crying because he wouldn't eat.
Have you tried putting her in a bouncy seat? This seems to be the perfect incline {even without reflux, my dd loves it} so that they can hang out, look around better and feel more "independent". I have been doing this for a while and it seems that they both like not being held. <_<
Also what I did was take anywhere from 2-3 oz of formula and mix it with veggies/fruits and then he got some more formula. Since you said she isn't having problems with solids, it's a good way to trick in some more oz!
Hope that she gets to eating better soon... :hug99:

 

We, too, have severe reflux, and have had the same battles from day one with these babies. Emma doesn't even spit up at all and still was refusing bottles due to the reflux. It is horrible, depressing, and frustrating...I know exactly where you are coming from. You never in a million years would ever think you would have to almost force a baby to eat, but that is what ends up happening with refluxers.

We are on meds and have been since they were 2 weeks old, we have changed them a lot though. What age does your ped recommend changing to whole milk? At our 9 month, my ped switched us from soy formula to regular soy milk, and they went from drinking, at the most, 24 oz, to 32 oz, almost overnight. They just like it better. We switched Josh(my 3rd) at 9 months, as well, and he did great also.

:hug99: :hug99: :hug99: :hug99: :hug99: :hug99:

 

I just talked to the nurse again - they said not to give her solids till she eats enough formula - but that I need to give her solids too. So they really didn't help me out that much. I guess they are as baffled as I am. Our pedi doesn't want us switching to cows milk until 1 year. God I can't wait till they just eat like regular people!

TwinLove - I am going to try your suggestion of putting some formula or EBM in with her fruits and veggies. I am not to proud to try to trick her into eating! I she wants to play dirty so can I! :lol:

Becky - Do you think it is worth trying a soy formula? I have been using Enfamil with Iron since they were born and since it is formula and EBM that she is refusing I didn't think it the problem.

I don't know - maybe this is just the really low point and the Axid is going to kick in and fix everything...I know - wishful thinking - but I have to pump myself up - I have to feed her again in an hour and a half

 

I have had issues with my Jacob not wanting to eat at times the solids (I know yours is the bottle) but, since you want to get food into also I would just add the fruit and cereal in the bottle and make sure the nipple is big enough to let it flow. Maybe that will help her not only get the food but, maybe she will want the milk as well.

 

No I would not change to soy formula...I guess the point of my rambling was that they actually liked the soy milk better than the soy formula....am I making any sense? Probably not!

When they were really young we put them on soy formula because we thought that there was an intolerance to milk based formulas. It helped some, but not much. So at their 9 month, my ped suggested switching them to regular soy milk(the equivalent to whole milk)in the hopes that they would just like the taste better. And I think that they do. I hope that made it a little clearer!

I am hoping that you will see a change after a few days on the Axid...that is the med that Emma is on, and we saw a pretty good improvement after a few days on that med.


:hug99: s, you will get through this! Feel free to PM me..and I will confuse you some more!

 

When ours wouldn't eat as much formula as *I* would like, (the pedi said at that age, they decrease their formula intake as they are getting ready for more solids/table foods) I would mix formula with cereal, that way not only were they getting solids, BUT they were getting the extra ounces of formula. Works the same way.

 

Thanks for all your advice everyone! I got her to eat 2 ounces around 1:30, put her down for her nap and then began to dread the 3:30 feeding.

After refusing the bottle for about 5 minutes she finally gave in and ate 4 OUNCES! You'd have thought she stood up, walked across the room and recited the Declaration of Independence!

So..we are at 15 ounces and have one more feeding to go. Luckily my DH will be home for that one and get to feed her!

I guess we are just in a little battle over who is in charge here

 

QUOTE(Hillybean @ Apr 24 2007, 04:05 PM) [snapback]232423[/snapback]
I am not to proud to try to trick her into eating! I she wants to play dirty so can I! :lol:

You're funny! :rotflmbo:

QUOTE(Hillybean @ Apr 24 2007, 06:40 PM) [snapback]232596[/snapback]
So..we are at 15 ounces and have one more feeding to go. Luckily my DH will be home for that one and get to feed her!
I guess we are just in a little battle over who is in charge here

Oh, I remember that feeling oh to well {well, I should it was only about two months ago! } I couldn't wait for dh, my mom, mil, anyone who could and would feed him, to come over and do it. Not a proud moment but I was so darn anxious and frustrated that I couldn't handle all the feedings!
As for the docs, mine weren't to helpful either. They listened to what I had to say and then told me stuff that just wouldn't be possible. They suggested so many methods of making him eat but they didn't listen to me when I kept repeating that he just wouldn't!!! :angry: I would say if the Axid doesn't start working after about 7 days, maybe give them another call. We are on Priosec and so far {knock on wood} it is working, after trying several other brands. Good luck and keep us updated.