So my LO (7.5m) has consistently been taking 4 roughly 8oz bottles plus purees twice a day (about 2 oz each). He's a bit congested and has a runny nose for the past three days and his input has gone down by about 5oz a day. Doesn't seem like a lot but he's kinda small to begin with and every oz (or quarter- or half-oz!) counts to me.
I think his being congested makes it hard to drink from the bottle. He's fine with the solids. Should I be worried? He's pooping and peeing fine still........
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I'm not sure if you should be worried or not, but my LO is doing the same thing. He's 7mo and for the last couple weeks, he's gone from 28+ oz (8ish oz bottles) of formula per day to 24oz (6ish oz bottles). He has also had a runny nose and cough.
Could this just be the usual result of having more solids?
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When my boys have done this, I offered them more solids in case they were hungry. They usually went back to normal once they didn't have a stuffy nose. I also did saline and the nose frida right before giving them the bottle to help them breathe better.
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Sadie always eats less when she's sick. As long as he's peeing well, don't worry. Once he's feeling better, he'll go back to normal.
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I wouldn't worry since the overall total is still well-within normal.
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@BadgerMom: I thought about that, too, but my LO doesn't eat that much solids, you know? I do think that less formula intake is normal once solids are well-established, though.....I think for him it's more the congestion and he can't breathe while drinking, then gets fussy because of that. I did just call the dr just in case; they said not to worry as long as he's peeing ok and his mouth doesn't seem dry (i guess if there's a lot of saliva/drool, it means he's hydrated enough). So I guess I'll try not to worry about every little oz he is or isn't taking and try to look at the big picture.
I guess I am concerned also because if he's not full enough, he might start waking up motn! Has your LO's sleep been affected since he started eating less? -
@BabyTsMom: Thanks for calling the doctor, I now know for sure he's not dehydrated, there is still PLENTY of drool!
No, it hasn't seemed to affect his night sleep. I have been giving him his bottles closer to nap times because I'm afraid he'll wake up early from those because he's hungry, but I'm not sure I really need to.
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Well we've had a long history of feeding issues so I don't know if this is related or not. But I have a 7.5 mo and 2 weeks ago she did a similar thing. She was drinking four 8oz bottles and started refusing one per day (like, entirely). Freaked me the hell out bc she isn't consuming much in the way of solids (like maaaaybe an ounce/day on a great day).
We reverted to a distraction-free zone for eating (no other people, no noise, no pets) and I reduced the size of her two day time bottles and now she is eating okay again.
I also emailed our doc due to our feeding history and she said that as LOs eat more solids they will start taking less formula. She said by 9 months a lot of babies are only eating 16 oz of formula if they are eating real food! (Which 4 oz of purees/day seems like a ton to me for a baby this age)
But we've also been given the same standards. If she is having wet diapers, is happy, and is drooly, she's fine.
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@Mae: Wow, that is good to know about the 9 months and 16oz! I was thinking we were still supposed to be upwards of 24oz until a year.
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@BadgerMom: I mean, they say "food before 1 is just for fun" so I think it is fine/normal to feed 24+ until a year so they get most of their calories that way. But for babies that take to solids earlier it seems that is okay too. I have a lot of anxiety issues surrounding LO's eating (or lack thereof) but I'm trying to calm down about it an realize there is no way to cultivate perfection and that our babies will not starve to death under our care. We do what we think is best, see how it works, and adjust if needed. Trying to force more food on LO has always backfired for me.
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@BadgerMom: yep plenty of drool here too! lol.
@Mae: thanks for that info, too. that seems like a big drop from the 31ish oz he usually gets. I try so hard not to worry and go by strict numbers, especially because my LO is tiny (consistently 0-5%ile since birth) but I can't help it sometimes!
I agree, trying to force it these past couple of days have just resulted in misery for both of us. My main concern, aside from his nutrition of course, was that it will affect his night sleep (always an obsession for me), but what can I do if the little dude just won't eat more?? Not a thing....
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My dd did te same thing at that age. She increased again after a week or two, but still less then what she was drinking before. It's common around that age as they increase Sokids from what I have heard.
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@BabyTsMom: I obsess about night sleep too. I'm always worried if she refuses her bedtime bottle (or only eats 3-4 oz) that she'll wake up starving at 4am. Which would suck because she has refused to eat overnight since 2mo. But honestly so far it hasn't ever happened. She might wake up like... 30 min early. But that's it. One thing you could try if you're really worried about intake is doing a dream feed before you go to bed.
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@Mae: yes!!! this is what I worry about! Im so glad it hasn't happened to you so far. I hope it doesn't happen here either. I wonder... when will this all get easier??
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@BabyTsMom: when they graduate college, get a good job, get married, and move to the 'burbs?
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