https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 13:49:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944631 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:46:28 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1944631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: I so wish we could add extra calories for her. I feel like that would be such a game changer but with still not knowing about any allergies we can't do much :( </p> <p>On a good note, A is 6 months today :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944604 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:35:19 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1944604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: D was on 24cals and still get whole milk powder mixed with whole milk. For the longest time he would only gain 3/4lb a month. And no one has ever been extremely concerned (just concerned enough to keep weighing him frequently). He was 12lbs at 4 months, almost 14lbs at 6 months, 17.5 at a year, and 20.5 at 2 years (all ages adjusted). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944386 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 08:52:57 +0000 Anagram 1944386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: nope, not adding in extra calories and although her weight was dropping in %, she was still gaining each time we went, so the doctor wasn't tooooo concerned, although I spend every.single.day obsessing about how much I could get LO to eat and my husband would even text throughout the day and ask, "how many oz is she at now?" which just added to the panic because often by 5 pm, my answer would be: 12 (!)</p> <p>We fed her every 4 hours overnight until she was 6 months old and she'd started to gain well. And we still gave her 1 night feeding until she was a year.</p> <p>We only got to 18 oz with those night feeds, because during the day she would hardly drink at all. Usually only 5-6 oz from 8am-6pm...the rest would be while she was sleeping at night. :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944363 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 08:43:27 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1944363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: oh boy!! :( glad to hear things turned around for your lo!! when she was only taking around 18oz were you adding extra calories? was she still gaining? I'm just so worried that she will be losing or only maintaining her weight.. I almost wish we went to the ped like normal parents and were ignorant of all the weekly weights bc in the end she ends up gaining around a pound a month. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944301 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 08:05:33 +0000 Anagram 1944301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: Like Mae, my LO also developed a feeding aversion....I still don't totally know why, but it's probably a combination of her tongue and lip ties + tight jaw from a traumatic birth made it difficult for her to open her mouth to eat, even from a bottle...PLUS by 3 months she was refusing to eat altogether and then had bloody stool and we realized she had MSPI.</p> <p>Also like Mae's baby, my LO would not eat awake...until 8-9 months old! I seriously thought she would NEVER drink awake, but she eventually did. She was also *very* late to being interested in solids and I was really worried she would have issues for life, but sometime around 13 months, it was like a switch flipped and she's eaten just fine ever since and is not "delayed" with solids like I feared she would be.</p> <p>Also, from month 2 to month 5, LO rarely every broke more than 18 oz a day. Finally around 5 months old, I started feeding her more ounces when she was totally asleep and she starting taking it. It was my devious way of getting her oz up for the day. Once her stomach got used to the extra oz, she started drinking 5-6 oz bottles (still asleep) with no issues. She would just drain them.</p> <p>At her 1 month apt, LO was 50% for weight. At 2 months, 36% for weight. At 3 months 28% for weight. At 4 months 24% for weight....</p> <p>and then at 5 months--back up to 34% for weight and by a year, LO is 40% for weight!</p> <p>SO it took a while, but eventually she got back to "normal". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944293 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 07:57:35 +0000 MrsRcCar 1944293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: I get those comments all the time about both my boys. N is 25 months and 25 pounds the doctor gave me basically a perscription to give him milk shakes (which I can't because he can't have dairy) so he can pack on the pounds. I could have just lost it. N hasn't really been chunky except when he was born. N was 50% for weight and dropped to 15%, because he lost 1/2 a pound again. E was on the larger side for preemies at birth too, and he is slow to gain. I think I am just destined to have skinny Minnie kids (with minor feeding issues). I try to just remind myself that they are growing and thriving even if they aren't chunky kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1944195 Fri, 14 Nov 2014 05:55:00 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1944195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: urgh I'm sorry you're going thru this too :( it's just so hard and for me the hardest thing is not at least trying to force it a bit and get her to have a little more. </p> <p>@MrsRcCar: thanks :) I am going to call the GI today and try and talk to someone there. the doctor was helpful but she made a comment about how she'd like for her to be a chubby baby and I almost lost it. she's never going to be a big round chub but she's not skin and bones. sigh.. sometimes I really miss the support and understanding of all the NICU doctors and nurses. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943537 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:21:22 +0000 MrsRcCar 1943537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would push the issue with a ped GI specilist. Have you talked to your doctor about help me grow (EI services)? They maybe able to give you some insight. I am so sorry that this is happening for you and A. Just remember you really do know your baby best. I haven't been through the reflux thing but we are having feeding battles too. Hope things resolve for you soon. You have my number if you need to talk/vent/cry to, I don't mind one bit. Big hugs momma! :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943385 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:25:05 +0000 Mae 1943385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh man I am so so sorry and I can absolutely relate! We went through feeding refusal with our LO and it was the most stressful thing I've ever dealt with in my entire life. And everyone telling me "don't worry, babies won't starve themselves, she'll eat when she's hungry! just calm down!" made me rage so hard because MOST babies won't starve themselves. But mine would and did. So eff off. Ahem. </p> <p>I have a very long story (and wrote a bunch of posts about it if you wanted to look at my posts from a few months ago) but the short version is: </p> <p>It was an allergy and/or reflux. I think more the allergy than the reflux. We had her on zantac then switched to prevacid but the thing that seemed to help the most was putting her on nutramigen. Within 2 weeks of going on nutramigen we went from having to feed her every single meal while she was asleep to being able to feed her awake for every single meal. (I was combo feeding when this started and did an elimination diet but in the end for a lot of reasons I gave up and switched to formula). </p> <p>Now when I say she started eating awake that does not mean that the problem was solved. She absolutely had developed an aversion to eating (and YES that is absolutely possible!! I have talked to GI specialists and nicu nurses and our ped and they all agree it IS and that IS what we are now dealing with) so she was and is still a very fussy eater. At first she would eat willingly but only when she was swaddled and tired and ready for a nap but not TOO tired, and only in our bedroom in the glider with the fan on and the white noise on and no other noise or people in the room and she'd only eat from me. And even then a lot of times I'd have to rock her until she was very drowsy and extremely calm and only then would she eat. </p> <p>It has gotten steadily better (some plateaus, some leaps and bounds) and now 4 months later she will eat pretty much any time as long as she is hungry (I found that a 4 hours schedule works MUCH better for her than a 3 hr schedule) and as long as there isn't anyone else in the room. She lets my husband feed her breakfast and thats it. But it's progress. </p> <p>One thing I found that helped is warming the bottle-- she seems to take it better that way. </p> <p>Another thing that has worked for her (and this is the HARDEST THING EVER) is to not force it. I cried so many days when we didn't even make it to 20 ounces because I was so stressed about it, but the truth is that the more I tried to force and push her into eating the more wary she became. (Now this was only true once we addressed the underlying issue. before that if I didn't force and trick she wouldn't eat at all. This only worked when she was willingly eating regularly, but just not the amounts I wanted). I had to look at it as a long game, not a short game. In the long run she does better if I don't force it. That means some days she still only eats 21 ounces. But more days now she eats 24-28. If she only wants 2 ounces, okay I'll try again in a few hours. But believe me I know how hard it is because being scared your kid won't eat is just the WORST. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943373 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:21:59 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1943373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll try to find some more specific posts for you, May was definitely a bust :)</p> <p><a href="http://babymakingmerrygoround.blogspot.com/2013/03/life-with-2-month-old.html?m=0" rel="nofollow">http://babymakingmerrygoround.blogspot.com/2013/03/life-with-2-month-old.html?m=0</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943328 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:10:25 +0000 LuLu Mom 1943328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: We started with an x-ray drinking the barium stuff, where they showed she had severe reflux (able to see it on the screen.) They followed up with a scope and a flex sig (baby colonscopy) and they diagnosed her with EE (eosinophilic esophagitis) which is essential white blood cells in her esophagus that should not be there. These are caused by allergies. </p> <p>We then went to the allergist around 8 months (it took several months to get to this point) and he said she had a nut and egg allergy, however we had not exposed her to either yet, so it did not make sense as to why she had these cells. We did a mix of medicine to finally get her cell count to zero (wejsut got her latest results back yesterday and she's there.) The allergist cleared her off all allergiest at 1 year old. </p> <p>I'm a strong fighter for doing what you think is necessary for your child. I can't tell you how many people told us we were "being first time parents" or "overreacting" it wasn't until I made my pediatrician refer us to the GI and he was able to see with his own eyes that something was seriously wrong. </p> <p>It's been a long 2 years, but they finally have answers, it is not EE because she has no allergies, it is a severe case of acid reflux that she never outgrew, it was so bad it was causing these white blood cells to come up from her stomach and make a home in her esophagus due to the "welcoming environment" (sorry for the book!) feel free to wall me if you have any questions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943288 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:53:59 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1943288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: the feeding therapist suggested waiting. did your pediatric allergist find that dd had an allergy after all? i almost want to ask for a scope to be done just to make sure there isn't something serious going on.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943276 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:47:16 +0000 LuLu Mom 1943276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: Was it your pediatrician or the GI who said to wait on solids? Our pediatrician initially wanted us to hold off on solids, but our GI was the one who decided to give them a try to see if it helped. Our LO is on Prevacid (still at 2 years old) and it has helped a lot, we have also gone in for several scopes due to esophagus issues, so we work closely with the GI and a pediatric allergist. They might have a better idea of what is best for your child. </p> <p>I will say that my daughter didn't' double her birth weight until after she turned 1, but now at 2 she's so much better and in the 60% for weight, so there is hope! Just keep pushing for answers. We were on Gerber Goodstart and then Allimentum and they both helped some, it was decided my milk was too "rich" for her tummy so we switched to FF full time, I was desperate to try anything to help her stop throwing up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943269 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:43:42 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1943269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: 4 months was the absolutely worst time for parenting. It got much easier in the months after. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943256 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:40:22 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1943256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: i did take a look at your posts and i don't know how you did it! i'm going nuts already. i feel like i'm not cut out to be a mom.. been struggling lately with feeling like with all the IF we went thru to even get pregnant that my body may have been telling me that i shouldn't be.. i know i'm wallowing. other times i KNOW that she needs ME and most of the time only me. but not right now.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943251 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:37:25 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1943251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@edelweiss: @Mama Bird: she's still a little too young to start. they want me to wait until 6 months adjusted so another 2 months.. but i'm really hoping sitting upright and experiencing different tastes and smells will help </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943248 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:35:38 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1943248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms.Badger: that's what i thought in the beginning because it seemed like nothing was working, but the therapist we went to said she was too young to have developed any sort of aversion. </p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: yeah that's what the therapist recommended, but in researching the amount of ounces she needs for her weight (11lbs 10oz right now) she needs at least 23oz of BM.. and sometimes if i didn't push it she'd end the day at less than 18 :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943232 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:25:31 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1943232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleredhairedgrl: I used to wonder if Dylan would ever be hungry! Why not just try to stop at 2oz, avoid the fight for the little extra? She's taking in a decent amount of calories..</p> <p>And I did go insane. My entire day was dictating by how much Dylan had eaten. Feel free to look at blog posts from early 2013. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943231 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:24:41 +0000 Ms.Badger 1943231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you think it could be a feeding/oral aversion? If you think there's any chance of that, try to get a referral to OT/feeding therapy. Good luck with GI </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943226 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:22:49 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1943226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: yes I feel so weird feeding her in a dark room but sometimes it's the only thing that works/keeps her asleep </p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: she takes anywhere from 22-25oz a day with 7 feeds. we feed her every 3 hours and then dh wakes up in the night to feed her once. she takes between 3 and 4 oz at a time when she's doing well. but it's usually a battle between us when she starts getting fussy sometimes after 2oz and it takes so much to get her to take 1-2oz more during that feed. when she's really really fussing sometimes it's 1 oz or 2. i'd love to thicken with calories but we just don't know yet if she does have an allergy and unfortunately our ped had me eliminate all the allergens at once rather than one at a time to see which was really causing the problem. so basically i'm starving all the time and she's still refusing :meh: but honestly, how did you not go insane? i can't imagine her ever getting to a place where she takes more than 5oz even.. and i've stopped taking her to places and even to see family bc i'm embarrassed about how i have to feed her and the struggle we go thru each time. and if one more person tells me that she will eat when she's hungry i am going to punch them! :shocked: :shocked: </p> <p> @Mrs.Someone: yeah A really struggles to burp and sometimes will freak just from the nipple being close to her mouth so that may help. i think she's also real gassy too. she will work on a poop all day sometimes and i know that is adding to the problem.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943223 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 14:19:59 +0000 Mama Bird 1943223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sorry you're having these problems! Is she at all ready to eat some milk/formula from a spoon? It might be less aggravating to her reflux, because she probably swallows some air when she drinks from a bottle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943183 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:58:32 +0000 edelweiss 1943183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>digestive issues can be so stressful and frustrating. my friend's twins (born a few weeks early) both had reflux issues and they went from zantac to prilosec, and one of them went to prevacid i think. it didn't magically fix things but it made it much better, and i think they grew out of it around 8 months (i know that sounds far away right now).</p> <p>i think moving to solids also helped. would oatmeal cereal be an option? is it alright to start some purees or have folks recommended against that? </p> <p>best of luck and lots of hugs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943177 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:56:29 +0000 Mrs.Someone 1943177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're also having feeding issues, though a bit different from yours. He is also working through trying reflux meds. This sounds strange, but I've noticed burping before feeding helps him be more willing to take the breast or bottle. It is by no means fail-proof, but there have been times where he has completely refused a bottle (screaming and pushing it away after a few sucks), then gulped it down after letting out a huge burp. It might be at least worth a try? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943176 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:55:43 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1943176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here are some screen shots of babyconnect around 4 months. </p> [attach=689/14/nezr8v.338x600.image.jpg] [attach=689/14/nezr8x.338x600.image.jpg] [attach=689/14/nezr8z.338x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943161 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:46:13 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1943161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh sweetie, I have been there. </p> <p>First, how much is she actually eating in a day? And how much at each feed?</p> <p>Re: throwing up. D only ever had major throwing up episodes when we were on Pediasure. We went off and he stopped.</p> <p>Are they pretty sure about the milk? We ended up mixing BM with Enfamil AR which is already thickened (with rice cereal). It worked really well for us.</p> <p>Just for comparison, Dylan almost never ate more than 18 oz in a day and for tr longest time only 2 oz per feeding. We had the best luck feeding him frequently and we did a dream feed before our bedtime until he was a year. He is smallish still, but totally fine. And now he drinks like 10 oz at bedtime (although still not much during the course of a day). I never would have believed it would get better.</p> <p>Oh and last, Prevacid was the best med for us and it helped to take it twice a day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943157 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:45:19 +0000 avivoca 1943157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry you are dealing with feeding issues still! I hope that you and your GI specialist can come up with a plan of action. Right around 4 months, my daughter became distracted while eating and it was rough for awhile. I pretty much had to feed her in the dark so she wouldn't have anything to look at. Hugs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-issues-continue-i-dont-know-what-else-to-do#post-1943144 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:40:03 +0000 littleredhairedgrl 1943144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know I've been MIA for a bit since A came home from the NICU and it sure has been busy getting into a routine with her and now that she's 6 months (4 corrected) she's got a lot more energy and much more alert time, but I'm honestly at my wits end with the feeding problems we've been facing for the last few months.. </p> <p>I am and EPer and A came home taking bottles of expressed BM with added calories from Neosure powder. A month after she was home she began spitting up profusely and then began refusing feeds all together. </p> <p>We began Zantac, which helped for a bit, and then problems began again and I was put on a no dairy, soy, egg, peanut, tree nut, and seafood diet and we stopped the Neosure (milk-based). Right away things were better and I honestly think it was the Neosure. But then a few weeks after that the refusal began again. We upped the Zantac and still same issues. Ped recommended adding rice cereal to the BM to thicken which caused major constipation and didn't thicken because BM breaks down the cereal (shouldn't our ped have known that?!). Two weeks ago we went to a pediatric GI who prescribed Prilosec and we also saw a feeding specialist who gave me some tips and also recommended trying Gelmix which thickens BM (without adding any allergens or even calories) and right away things were AMAZING for almost a week. And while she is still taking a bit more than she used to, she's refusing again and I just don't know what else to do. We go back to the GI next Wednesday for a followup, but URGH!!!.. I just want to scream. </p> <p>After all we went thru with the 4 months of bedrest, pprom, nicu stay, I just wish we had a true diagnosis and solution. I hate to see her suffer and I am just feeling so sad and anxious all the time. </p> <p>The only way I've been getting her to eat is by playing with her a lot right after feeds and tiring her out and then putting her down maybe 30 minutes prior to the next feed so I am basically trying to feed her while sleeping each time (which is getting harder and harder now that she's becoming so much more alert). </p> <p>I feel like there is no end in sight. I wish I could enjoy my baby instead of obsessing over each and every 1/4 ounce.. She hasn't lost weight, but is gaining very very slowly and drs keep making comments about how they'd like her to be bigger.. ummm.. yeah so would I, but she won't eat.. do they even know how much I try.. :bummed: </p>