Our newborn little girl is 3 weeks-nearly 4 weeks and I have a question regarding length of feedings. While we have a two year old son at home, I need a refresher course on the length of time it can take a newbie to finish a feeding.
We use playtex bottles with the drop in liners and a silicone nipple and it seems to be taking our daughter longer to eat now then it was a few weeks ago, (she was using the bottles then also). She takes the bottle with no problem and seems to be sucking fairly well-but one, gets frustrated mid-way thru the feeding and 'fights' with the bottle, but settles back down and continues eating. She seems to be taking forever though. 2 oz can take her an hour, between sucking, fighting and taking a break(s).
Is this normal? Is there maybe an issue with the nipple and she is getting to much or not enough milk in a timely fashion? have I just forgotten how long the process takes?
Thanks!
When she is full, she will refuse the rest or may just be tired from sucking the nipple (it's work you know :-)) . As long as she finishes it, I wouldn't be too concerned how long she takes.
Some babies need to be burped after every ounce. Try that and see if it helps. It could also be that she just doesn't like the nipple. Try changing to a different bottle and see if that solves the problem.
Perhaps this has been suggested (didn't scroll down), but are you burping mid-feeding? When she's fighting with the bottle, she might actually be fighting a gas bubble in her tummy. When nursing, I always burp after one side (so pretty much mid-feeding) and then continue on the other. I would imagine it's the same for a bottle when they're this little.
its probably normal. first of all, shes less than a month old! her sucking is not perfected yet, and also because the bottle is so much easier to suck, its likely she doesnt have to work too hard to get it to work.
is she gassy? you might have to stop feeding her often to burp her.
i dunno. just be patient, and go with the flow. try a faster nipple, try a slower one. hmm.
either that or check www.askdrsears.com. even though hes a breastfeeding supporter, dont let that throw you, he has great advice for bottlefeeding too! :)
the playtex nipples have different flow rates listed on the boxes - it's possible that you have one that is too slow for your daughter's liking. We also found a nipple or two along the way where the holes smaller than they should have been or not punched all the way. You might try filling a bottle with water and checking the flow rate on your different bottle nipples.
just an idea.
If she used to eat better and more quickly, I would try switching her to a faster flow nipple.
It may be reflux. My son started doing that around 2 weeks and feedings just got progressively worse. I'm not saying that is what it is for sure....just an idea though.
Hi, My son will be 3 weeks old on 3/5 and he currently is taking anywhere from 2-3 ounces and it takes him apx. 45 min. He takes it good for about 15 mintues and then likes to fall back asleep, so this is a struggle for us also, waking him back up to finish his bottle. I also have a 18 month old girl at home.
She could be getting upset midway for two reasons: the flow isn't fast enough and shes frustrated, or she could need a burp. My daughter needed to be burped like CRAZY, way more than normal.
We had two NICU babies. To have a feeding "count" they had to breastfeed a minimum of ten minutes or take a bottle in less than 30minutes. I believe that was for 2oz. We had an occupational therapist help us with positions to help her be more interested in her bottle and we find those positions help now 2months old when she is getting sluggish. Have baby sit on your knee, facing your other leg. Stretch your supporting hand up baby's back and neck so she is sitting very upright and head tipped back slightly into the "yolk" of your hand behing her neck.
