[AggieJ]

Jeanette

hope you and your little ones are well 

Am really at a loss as to know how to improve things with Jacob's feeding...

It's always been tricky! First few months it was affected by reflux and colic. Since mid Jan we've had lots of bottle refusals due to teething which has been really persistant....

Eg this morning, he woke at 6am, played with DH for a bit then I b/fed him and attempted a bottle at 7am. He completely refused. I tried him again quarter of an hour later and no. At 7.30am I decided to b/feed him a bit more and then put him down for "nap" (usually half hour of pat shush and half hour sleep! between 8am and 9am  He screamed for 45 mins (hungry scream as my breast milk has never seemed to do the job  ) At 8.45am he took 4oz from a bottle... Now he's had no nap, I've not managed to dress or have breakfast which I can do when he's sleeping and I'm left racking my brains as to how to organise his feeds today and actually carry out our plans!

I work really hard to make sure he gets 25-30 oz a day. i generally have to feed him 3 hourly and he takes anywhere between 2 and 7oz!!! He has a dream feed but no milk in the night... He feeds badly when out as he gets distracted so I try to plan my day around him feeding at home where poss. When we have refusals this can lead to being late for things/ having to change plans etc! He doesnt yet nap in his cot in the day (except that morning nap), and refusing feeds is making the nap situ even more difficult... I'm not a big fan of books or child care "gurus" but I have a weaning book by one well-known expert who doesn't even mention the impact of teething on feeding!  May I add that J is taking purees/rice etc no problem.

Sorry there's more...  J won't take a bottle from DP or anyone else so I never get a break. This is because he currently won't take a bottle without boob first! DP is taking over full time child care in Sep plus J is biting me so I need to cut down the breast feeding and he needs to be able to feed our son! I've tried a Boots early weaning beaker and a doidy cup and J takes the milk enthusiatically then lets it fall out of his mouth. Instinct tells me that this will all sort itself out somehow but am scares that it'll make DP want to go back to work! 

HELP! and thanks 

Kate xxxx

 

[jeanette]

Hi Kate

We are all fine thankyou hun 

Re the bf @ 6am- he may well be getting the milk he wants at that time and isnt hungry for milk at 7am. An ''older'' baby can take just minutes to get what he/she needs.

If Jacob is well into weaning (3 meals a day varied diet) and is stable on centiles then he needs approx 500ml milk..this I think will help you in your battle.

So, what is happening with his weight? If stable then maybe...
6am...bf
8am...breakfast with formula in cereal
milk mid morning
12ish...dinner & pudding (milky or yogurt)
mid afternoon milk
5ish tea & pudding (milky or yogurt)
Bedtime milk

Molly wouldn't feed when she was out either!! Far to busy looking around. So you could re look at how and when he has milk.

If he doesn't have mid morning or afternoon milk then make up what he has missed in a meal ie cheese sauces, milky puddings etc. It wont do him any harm if he was to miss milk once during the day if you were out. You could give extra milk another day to make up.

Its important for both of you to go out so it may just be a case of looking at his milk intake over a few days.

What do you think??

Jxxxxxx

 

[AggieJ]

Jeanette

Thank you for being the voice of reason. Although we're still on the purees and baby rice stage you've reminded me how much easier it'll be when he has meals/ puddings etc in near future... I keep forgetting that more food means less milk 

Sometimes wonder if I have a boy who's just not that fussed with milk. He almost bites my arm off to get his solids which I'm so pleased about...

Re his weight, he was nearly 17lb a few weeks back, following 50th centile quite nicely so no worries there...

Am going to keep the b/feeding going as long as poss but balk at doing it when the teeth appear as he bites me a lot now- my HV seems to think I'm a bit of a wimp and that he won't bite me but not keen to risk it tbh! 

Anyway, take care and thank you as ever for being wonderful

Kate x x  x x