https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:24:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768161 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 15:05:54 +0000 mamacat2 2768161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all! Tried the faster flow nipple today, and I'm not sure she's quite ready for it, but I'll keep offering it to see. I feel so bad for her, since she's definitely acting hungry, but then just gets so worked up and seems in pain while she eats, so she just stops. I looked into silent reflux a little bit more, and some of what I read sounds SO much like how feeding her goes. I'm going to ask the pediatrician about Zantac again next week. We started some probiotic drops a while back, so I'll keep those up too. </p> <p>My older daughter had MSPI issues that were pretty obvious from the time that she was just a couple weeks old, so once we got through the first couple months with our four month old now, I felt like we were in the clear for eating issues developing. She's just caught me off guard in the last few weeks! Thank you all for the ideas and the reassurance. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768123 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:33:49 +0000 gingerbebe 2768123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used gas drops in my kids' formula bottles. If you put them in with the water and powder, it will immediately kill off the bubbles and still help them with the gas once ingested.</p> <p>I also gave them a probiotic. Initially with Gerber Soothe drops, and then eventually to a powdered baby probiotic that I mixed into their milk.</p> <p>Both my kids had reflux and were medicated. Silent reflux will be less spitting up and more pain and arching and screaming soon after a feeding. Silent reflux is when it comes up but then they swallow it back down and it burns them twice. </p> <p>DS1 took Dr Brown's bottles. DS2 took MAM bottles. Both had to have their nipples adjusted at around 12-14 weeks to level 2 nipples.</p> <p>Both my boys burped best with a combination of patting in upward strokes on the left side of THEIR back, alternated with standing them upright on your lap. </p> <p>Both my kids were supplemented with formula. DS1 did Gerber Gentle for a long time, then we moved to Target's version of Similac Sensitive, then when we switched to FF at 10 months, he was on Honest Company's whole milk formula. DS2 was supplemented with Gerber Gentle as a newborn, and then we switched to Costco's regular infant formula.</p> <p>The Dr. Brown's formula pitcher does a great job of mixing up formula without bubbles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768087 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 10:19:52 +0000 Shantuck 2768087@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You might consider baby probiotics to help with gassiness. We bought some Baby Jarrow brand probiotics in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods. If you think it might be reflux at play, I'd suggest asking your doctor for a prescription for Zantac (rather than rice cereal in the bottle). An ENT could test to see if it is reflux (testing for acidity in the throat) but because Zantac has few side effects, many doctors just try it and see if things get better first. With my daughter, she was horribly uncomfortable around 4 months and while she would eat, she seemed super unhappy and would arch her back and spit up a ton. I insisted on the Zantac and I do think it helped her. My pediatrician did recommend enfamil gentlease for reflux for whatever that is worth. I kind of think they are all the same. Good luck! :goodluck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768071 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:22:06 +0000 Charm54 2768071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another thing I thought of is that powder formula didn't work for us, but liquid concentrate was awesome - I found it mixed a lot better. It's more $$ than powder but a lot cheaper than ready feeds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768069 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:43:38 +0000 mamacat2 2768069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all so much! I will try that today. We have her on a medium flow nipple now, but maybe she's ready for something quicker. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768068 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:39:27 +0000 pinkb 2768068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agree with the nippl flow. Also I premixed formula and let it settle so there were less bubbles and we used dr Browns bottles to reduce bubbles/gas. We did have to do gas drops at every feed for awhile too to help at our drs advice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768057 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:28:09 +0000 SweetiePie 2768057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Charm54: yes, good thought! We also went to a faster nipple around that age. It took him a couple times to get fully used to it (i.e. Lots of dribble) but then was happy.<br /> My ped also told me that too small/slow of a nipple can make gas worse because they swallow more air by trying to suck harder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768056 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:15:25 +0000 RonjaL7 2768056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree it sounds like the size of the nipple hole might need to be larger. We started our daughter with small ones then progressed from there, but we actually started our newborn son on the medium. I would size up one hole size from wherever you are at now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768045 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 05:44:25 +0000 Charm54 2768045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could the nipple flow speed be an issue ? Around that age my daughters switched to medium flow and it made a difference.</p> <p>Hugs to you! Don't beat yourself up. You and your LO will find your way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/formula-feeding-issues-4-month-old#post-2768038 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 05:20:26 +0000 mamacat2 2768038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Good morning! I'm having some feeding issues with my four month old daughter and am looking for some wider perspective. She was breastfed until she was about two months old, and we supplemented with Similac Sensitive formula here and there - which she seemed to tolerate well enough at the time. We weren't using the Similac for any particular reason, other than it's a sample we had on hand at the time and then she seemed to take it okay, so we stuck with it. When she was about two and a half months old, I stopped breastfeeding and we switched her over to formula full time. </p> <p>Over the next few weeks, she became very gassy and struggled with constipation. She would still scarf her bottles down and ate happily, but because of the seemingly painful gas, constipation, and general discontent that came along with all that, our pediatrician recommended we try a different formula. We switched her to Gerber Soothe, and for the next week, everything seemed to work out so well - she ate happily, passed gas easily, pooped easily and regularly. Life was good. (Funny how much of that revolves around this kid's digestion! Sigh.) Then over the course of the last two weeks, she has grown increasingly fussy while eating; she writhes and pulls away from the bottle and then cries until I can eventually settle her over the course of the next hour or so. At this point now, she will drink just enough to be satiated (about 1-2 oz) and then cry, pull away, and refuse to drink any more. At first, I figured maybe she just wasn't as hungry or didn't like the taste of the new formula (though we did switch gradually to help) or was more distracted - but at this point, we've gone from where she was a month ago, with her happily eating about 28-30 oz a day to now unhappily eating maybe 15 oz on a good day. I took her to our pediatrician last week and she suggested adding some rice cereal to the bottles in case her reaction was related to reflux. We haven't seen much of a change from that yet, though maybe it takes time? </p> <p>I'm taking her for her four month appointment early next week and will see what our doctor recommends at that point...but I guess I'm just curious if anyone else has been through something similar that you've found a great solution to? I have a hunch it's going to be some trial and error, but I guess I'm just looking for some hope for coming out on the other side! I'm beating myself up for no longer breastfeeding, though it had its own share of issues at the time. Although had I known this is what we were headed for, I would have stuck it out much longer. </p>