Hello, My little one has recently developed a new, distressing behavior. I am seeking Mom’s who might have experienced this and maybe have a few tricks? OK It will be time to feed him, and he will make the “I am hungry” sounds and root a little. Then with in one minute is will be in a full blown crying fit. As if he is in pain. It is even worse then when he gets his shots! I of course try to anticipate the moment and have the bottle ready, but even sitting down with him and getting the bottle to his mouth can be a long enough time lapse. He then will refuse the bottle- and we have to spend a good half an hour quieting him and coaxing him to take the bottle. Then he is fine?........
Thoughts? Suggestions?
PS I should mention that he will also not take the bottle before he is ready. He spits out the bottle and the milk! So trying to feed him before he is hungry has not worked.
Thank you for all your responses! I ran out and got a variety of nipples right away. We also found a Ped and went! (I am visiting my mother, so we are away from out Ped.) IT turns out that the Ped we found has specialized in feedign preemies- so were very lucky.
So I left some thing out, which now I know was important. We were still giving our little one 24 cal formula. We were taking the 22 cal formula for preemies and mixing it stronger. It appears we were giving him a stomach ache! We dropped the cals to 22- and he is doing so much better. So it seems that this might have been the main problem.
For a while I thought he preferred one of the new nipples, and was drinking a lot more from the new bottle. But now he spits it out, so we are back to the kind they had in the NICU, but with a bigger whole (a 3 to 6 month nipple).
Reflux could also be a factor. He did have reflux in the NICU, and we do elevate his crib, keep him up after feeding, etc. I did not realize you could have reflux with out spitting up- thank you for that information! So I will talk to our Ped about that when we get home.
For the moment my baby is recognizable again, and happy! Thank you.
(PS, On the Breast feeding- it was always my vision to breastfeed my baby, but my milk never fully came in. I am sure it was due to not being able to be with my baby right away. I did pump, try herbs, etc- just to keep a little going in the hope that it would fully come in when he and I could be together all the time. But it did not happen. In the mean time I learned a lot about breast feeding! And just have to take comfort in knowing he had some of my milk when it mattered the most- the beginning.)
Hi, everything the other moms said are possibilities. My daughter pulled that on me when I switched her from the breast to formula. Aside from using a nipple that was most like me, I found that holding her a little tighter when she fusses about taking the bottle and making the shh shh shh sound calms her and then she eats. Good luck.
Hi T.. Like, you I am a Mom of a Preemie. My daughter had a rough start with the bottle as well. I bet you tried pumping at first before she came home? That's what I did, but never had a chance to breastfeed b/c she was in NICU for 14 wks. (Responding to person who made breastfeeding comment:)) I had to try many kinds of nipples. WHat worked for us was the same style as the nipples from the NICU. Has there been anything you've tried and he does not fuss? Another Mom mentioned reflux and/or allergies and that should be something to look into also. It will be a tough start for you're little guy, but trust me, everything will work itself out. He is finally home with you and that's the best thing for him.
R.
Has anyone ever mentioned reflux to you? Both my kids had reflux & the screaming/refusing the bottle thing is definitely symptomatic of it.
Is your ds spitting up a lot? Some kids with reflux do, and others have what is called "silent reflux" where the stomach contents travel back up the esophagus, but never get spit up (sorry for the gross image, there!)
Reflux can be caused by structural immaturities, which are common in preemies & which generally go away around a year of age.
It can also be caused by food allergies -- that was my kids' issue.
In the case of a structural cause, many peds will recommend Zantac, as well as keeping the infant upright during & after feedings, elevating the head of the crib, and other preventative measures.
If food allergies are the cause then a change in formula (or your diet if you're breastfeeding, since everything you eat goes into your milk) is probably in order. I know someone else mentioned switching from a milk-based formula to a soy formula, which might be an option. My kids both needed hypoallergenic formula, which was expensive, but worth every penny, since it made their tummies so much better!
Good luck!
G.
Sounds like your ds is like my dd. When she wants it, she wants it NOW! If you don't give it to her fast enough she has a full blown fit! When my dd does that we just let her cry till she calms down. That's not always the easiest solution, I know. How old is your son? My dd is 10 mos old and we put her on the floor with the object in front of her. Eventually she realizes that she can get it on her own. When she was unable to move on her own, we had to calm her down. I hate to admit it, but I used my cell phone. She loved the way it lit up. She still does. To this day, if she's pitching a fit, I can give her my phone and she's quiet instantly. Good luck, and let me know how things go.
Hi there. Have you tried breast feeding?? Also, have you tried different nipples? I have three children, the youngest 8 months. They all had a preference of a softer wider nipple vs the tougher wide or small ones. I know it will cost you some money to try a few different nipples, but at the end you and your baby will be happy. Good luck.
Could he be allergic to the formula? I know my youngest daughter seem to have an upset belly with hers and gas which really upset her when she ate, so we switched to soy and she was fine then. Or maybe you could try using a dropper to give him the formula temporarily to see if that would help..Good luck.
He may not like the feel of the nipple. I had the worst time getting my son to take bottles, and finally I went to the store and bought different kinds of nipples to try. He ended up taking the flat nipple right away and it's what I used until I dumped the bottle at 12 months.
