My four month old son is struggling with his feeds..He was a good eater up till he got a cold about a month ago and is fine now but he still hates feeding. We have tried different type off bottles different flow of tits but nothing is working...He is a twin and his twin takes them no problem...any advice would be welcome.
Q: my four month son is really struggling with his bottle now...goes crazy if you put it near him.
Answers (4)
1/14/09 6:18am
Hello!
A cold or other illness can easily tip the balance for eating and sleeping. Usually a month is enough time to get back to the routine.
It isn't clear that he has reflux. Lets say he has a tiny bit of Gastroesophageal Reflux or GER and no one knew. GER is common in infants and maybe his diet and routine allowed him to manage it without concern. An illness could tip the balance and cause the GER to become more uncomfortable. The added secretions from a cold could increase the acidity of the stomach. Or it could be that the symptoms were lurking and coincided with the cold. Some moms tell me the reflux just comes out of no where when the baby is a few months old.
Certainly talk to the doctor about your concerns and see if any of the symptoms match up with a diagnosis of GER or something else. I know of babies who refused to drink due to thrush (infection in the mouth), ear infection (I have brought my babies for a "well" check up and found out there was an ear infection), food allergies, constipation and many other causes. You might want to ask the doctor about trying a gentle diet-maybe his stomach is a bit more sensitive and he needs a more hypoallergenic diet for a bit. It is always a good idea to try different bottles and nipples. While it may be tempting to make him eat, take a calm, supportive approach. Try not to compare the amount your other twin is eating. He might need to eat a little less and feel in control of the feeding. Babies are very smart and they can sense our urgency. Often they will do the opposite of what we want them to do!
I know you and the doctor will figure this out!
Take care,
Jan Gambino
The Reflux Mom
2/ 5/09 2:28pm
I have a 3 1/2 month old baby girl. She used to struggle constantly to eat and now that i got her on medication, she is much better. She is best at "sleep feeding", even now. Reflux is really hard on a parent to go through with their child. I tried all different kinds of nipples and bottles and formulas. We finally settled on soy formula from Similac and Avent bottles, nipple speed 3 months for thicker fluids. Her pediatrician recommended putting infant rice cereal in her bottles; 1 teaspoon per every ounce, to help keep her food and acid inside her stomach. That helped a great deal, considering she was losing weight. She has gained quite a bit since we started with the cereal in bottle at every feeding and it content and sleeps longer.
You could try added a teaspoon of banana puree to the bottle, but not too much because it could be binding. The banana settles the stomach.
Do what you think is right. Advice is good but only you know whats best for your baby. Good luck.
2/24/09 5:05pm
try showing him a water bottle 1st. he may find it easier to swallow.then he might be ready for the battle again. I know my 5month old knows the differance. He love water inbetween So I show him the differant bottle and he will stop the fit.
2/24/09 5:09pm
MY 5 MONTH OLD WILL SOME TIMES THROW FITS WHEN HE SEES HIS BOTTLE. SO I OFFER HIM WATER. HE REALLY LOVES IT AND IT IS ALSO EASIER TO PASS THRU THE BOTTLE. IF HE HAS SIGNS OF A COLD I GIVE HIM WATER TO CLEAN HIS MOUTH SO THE MILK IS NOT SITTING IN HIS THROAT. HE LOVES WATER NOT JUICE.
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By Robster— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 01/13/09
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