4 Month Old Baby Stopped Eating And Drinking

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4 Month Old Baby Stopped Eating And Drinking

by Lila
(Birmingham)

I have a 4 month old baby, she was a very good eater, she use to drink 3-4oz every 2-3 hours but out of no where she has lost her interest in drinking her milk. I am very worried about her at the moment, it has been 1 week that she has started to have no interest in drinking.

She plays and she still a happy baby.

Find answers and comments below.

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4 Month Old Baby Stopped Eating And Drinking

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Jun 01, 2009

Baby not eating...
by: Baby Help Line - Paula

Hi Lila,

It is easy to relate to your worrying - how much ones baby eats is probably one of the most common reasons for parents worrying for their babies, myself included.

I dont' know how many times I've rushed off to the doctor with my babies - only to find out that they are gaining weight as they should, or that the next day they are teething or a cold has started.

There are many reasons why a baby looses his or her appetite. At four months old one reason is actually that they start growing less rapidly and hence might be less hungry than earlier. Another reason at this age may be teething. Also, the minute you start introducing solid foods, some babies become less interested in their milk.

In addition, babies that have recently been ill or are about to become ill often have less appetite. And then finally it simply varies - just like for adults!

It is a very good sign that your baby is happy and playing. Is she also wetting her diapers as usual? If she is, then all these are very good signs that she actually gets the milk she needs.

If I were you I'd probably wait a few more days to see if any teeth or illness may be the reason for her lost appetite. Then pay a visit to her health nurse to weigh her and see if she is loosing weight. There you can also discuss if you should start introducing solid foods to her or any other actions needed if her lost interest in milk prevails.

I hope this helps! Unless your daughter shows signs of illness or is loosing weight, just relax and enjoy her and trust that she knows when she is hungry.

By the way, here is another thread of questions and answers regarding 4 month old babies that won't eat.

Hope this helps,

Paula

Aug 13, 2009

My Baby also has just stopped eating so much
by: Andrew

Hi, very similar to the other baby, My baby is 3 1/2 months old and until very recently was getting through 5 - 6 Oz's of milk every 3 - 4 hours, now he just stops at half a bottle, I have also stopped giving him infocol in the last week, could that be a factor?

Nov 30, 2009

15 week old lost interest in bottles
by: cath50

hi all i have the same problem my baby is 15 weeks old and normally took 4 to 6 ounces every 2 to three hous up to 3 weeks ago and this has changed. he now only takes 3 ounes at a time and refuces point blank to take any more therfore taking alot less than a couple of weeks ago. he is not sick and is very happy, not sure what to do any advice welcome, do they grow out of it dont want to wean him too early

Dec 11, 2009

My baby wants to eat all night
by: Jeani

My baby wants to eat all night because will not eat during the day. I'm exhausted. Anyone having same problem?

Dec 21, 2009

four month old twins drop in appetite
by: woodpunk

I am having a similar time with 4 1/2 month old twins (one of each). Both were having between 200 and 220 ml per feed four times a day but now they're stopping at around 100 to 140 ml. This has been the case for about a week. Both are happy, lively babies. I have noticed they watch us eat with increasing fascination. Maybe they want something other than just milk.

Dec 23, 2009

baby not drinking enough milk
by: Anonymous

hi my 3 1/2 month baby has suddenly stopped dinking milk earlier he used to have 3-4 ounces every 3 hrs now he just drink 2 ounce in 3-4 hrs otherwise he is a healthy baby.does it means he has lost interest in milks and wants something solid

Jan 21, 2010

4 month old lost appetite!
by: Rachel

Hi I have exactly the same problem , my little girl is 4 months old today and until a week ago she was taking 5oz every 4 hours perfectly. Over the last week she stops after 3oz and is not interested in having more, it is a real struggle and can take an hour to get her to take any more!

It means she's up 4-5 times in the night as she's not full but I can't force it down her! Should I be worried and how do i get her to take more in the evening? She had bronchiolitis at 3 months old but i'm sure she's over that now, my only thought is that it could be teething related but she seems reasonably happy between feeds. Any advice welcome!

Jan 24, 2010

my 5 months years old baby had lost appetite since 3 months!!!!
by: ruba

when he was born he was a perfect eater, and his weight gain was above average! after the third month he started loosing his appetite, i checked with doctor and it was obvious that he was teething! now he is five months old and two teeth had appeared, but he is still not drinking milk (very minimal) i changed the milk brand, the bottles, the tits, just everything!! tried solid food!! nothing is working! i checked with two doctors! and i was not able to get an answer!! plz help me!

Feb 15, 2010

not alone
by: samantha

I a glad i am not the only one with this problem my son just turned 4 months and he wont eat more than 2-3 oz each feed and i have a struggle giving him that really need advice for this as i am worried about his weight

Feb 20, 2010

12 weeks same problem
by: Anonymous

I have a 12 week old baby with the same probl he has lost intrest in feeding and won't take a bottle he is too little to be teething so not sure what's the problem

Apr 05, 2010

My 4 month old baby refuses her milk
by: Anonymous

I'm glad I am not the only one going through the same problem. My 4 month old girl used to drink her milk without a problem, she used to drink 6 ounces every 3-4 hours, out of the blue she refuses to drink it. Now if i can get 4 ounces in her i will be happy. I have started solid food and she love it. I am just concerned because she is not drinking enough milk. please help me with any suggestions

Apr 22, 2010

There is hope!
by: Rachel

Hi, I wrote the comment earlier in January about my 4 month old...
Just to say as soon as she hit 5 months I started her on baby rice then quite quickly weaned her onto pureed fruit and veg etc, she absolutely loved it and hasn't looked back.
She's 6 months now and still not interested in her milk much but can manage 4oz 4 times a day between breakfast lunch and dinner. I know it is against official advice to wean early but i think it's worth trying (slowly) if at 5 months the appetite for milk is gone. I think she was simply bored of the milk- I even though i tried different bottles and a different formula but the same applied.

I was so worried about my little one losing weight but now she has grown vastly since the food. I feel so much better knowing that she's getting what she needs. It's so worrying when they rely on milk only and that's the only option! Good luck to everyone on here, your baby will pick up that appetite when they are ready. : )

May 03, 2010

My 5 month old lost interest in milk
by: Anonymous

Wow I am not alone then!!!! My 5 month old who used to drink 4 7oz bottles every day suddenly lost interest in milk. I started her on solids a month back and she is doing great there...but milk is so important at this age that I am really worried. She loses interest after 4 oz and I have to really struggle to get her to drink the rest. How can we maintain 24 oz minimum mark at this rate???

May 03, 2010

Baby don't want bottle
by: Anonymous

My baby is also doesn't want to eat his milk I used to bottle fed him and breast milk too but now his almost 3months he doesn't want his bottle anymore his a good in bottle before now refusing it at all only breastfed but sometimes he refusing it he keep crying .I need some advice or help if it's just normal to them loosing some appetite

Jun 04, 2010

Baby lost interest in milk too
by: Verve

My baby (3 months, 4 weeks) has the same problem and I was getting so worried! Doc told me that as long as he is alert, plays when he is awake, happy and poos and pees as usual, I should not be worried. I will start him on solids next weekend (rice cereal) b'cos he is very interested in our food when we eat. My mum says that he has become bored with his milk??? Is that possible?! She has raised five children!

Jun 13, 2010

No interest in food
by: yane

My Son is now 16 weeks and he used to drink 6-9oz of milk. Two weeks ago he stopped eating and now he sometimes does not eat more then 2oz. He even woke up in the night for a feed. I gave him once, but the next time I just gave him water because even that once he would not go through more the 3oz. So I decided I am not gonna disturb the whole sleep time... He did not like water and the day later he did not bother to wake up so as usual he slept through out the night. In the morning he was starving and I gave him his food, but again after about 4oz he lost interest.... I have just bought a baby rice and I am going to start feeding him a bit with that. I am tired of worrying that he does not eat much... He is very happy during the day and as my mother used to say... nobody ever died of hunger with a table full of food... then i believe he knows how much food he needs... as he does not show any signs of illness and he is pretty happy and contented baby.Good luck to all the mumms struggling with those little munckins.

Sep 12, 2010

Same here
by:

My 3.5 mth old has recently started losing interest in her milk too.
She is happy enough in herself and doing the normal wet nappies so im not overly concerned its just frustrating trying to feed her. She appears to be teething so that could be contributing.
She too has started waking during the night after sleeping through but babies will change their sleep patterns every now and again for no apparent reason.

I don't think starting solids is the answer yet. Its too early and their tummies aren't ready.(they don't recommend 6mths without reason)
Babies know no different so wont be bored of the milk.

My eldest went through a similar stage and found her own level of how much she drunk. As long as they don't drop any weight just go with it and take their lead. :)

Oct 28, 2010

Me too unbelievable!
by: Maya

Hello,

yes me too, when my baby gurl was 3 months old she used to drink her milk and eat more than what she should, and when she hit the 4 months old stage she suddenly lost interest in eating, like she d be hungry and all and eats a little bit but not enough and much less than when she was 3 months old!!!

It s driving me crazy and when I take her to the doctor they don t seem to be interested in my story at all! Just saying ohh as long as she is growing alert and gaining some weight then nothing to worry about! But do I have to wait till she really looses weight or not gain weight for it to be of concern to them? I swear at times those doctors just drive me insane with their careless answers!

I don t know what to do and I can t change the formula of my baby as she is allergic to cow s milk protein and soy so she takes in neocate, I was thinking maybe to add some vanilla powder to it so it tastes better and different for her because I think she might have lost interest in her milk, and when I try to feed her the rest of her bottle she just shouts like as if I am feeding her yuky stuff! Heheheh, anyone tried vanilla powder is it a good idea?

I tried rice cereal but it was so messy and she spat like half of her food and every time have to shower her after that so it s not practical when I am out of the house of at people s house!
Well hopefully they grow out of it because it s so worrisome!
Good luck to you all

Nov 02, 2010

weanning
by: Jemma

yes my 15 week old baby too. he has always taken 6/7oz every 4 hours now lucky if he drinks 4oz every 4 hours - although in between he acts hungry (crying and eating his fists ect) he is also starting to wake up in the night for an extra feed but again only 4 oz -- if he was finishing his milk i would say he would be ready for some baby rice but cos he's not finishing his bottles i don't know what to do.
please help!

Nov 12, 2010

Same Issue
by: Paul

Our son use to drink close to 30 ounces and at about 3.5 months he dropped to 20 ounces. He is happy, laughs and plays, just does not want more than 3-5 ounces at any eating. He does sleep through the night and we have tries three formulas and none of them worked. I did read changing the bottle and/or the nipple might help. We use Dr Browns, but tomorrow I am going to buy every bottle and nipple they carry to try. The one i heard might help is the Playtex drop ins - i have no idea why, just heard a few moms say it helped their child not fight the feed as much and eat more. We also were told from our Dr to start him on oatmeal and stage 1s (he is four months now) and he loves it - it is so enjoyable feeding him food and so miserable giving him a bottle (because he only eats a little and with the food he laughs and has a great time).

Just a few thoughts as I have spent hours reading every blog I could find trying to find an answer!!!

Nov 17, 2010

its normal
by: zara

my little girl who is 3 and half months is goin through the same phase too i was going to go to the doctors today but when i read everybodies comments i realised its normal but im going going to get her weighed after a week and if she does lose weight then i will try her on solids.

Nov 22, 2010

Update on my baby who still doesn't eat much
by: Maya

Hey, I just wanted to provide an update about my little girl, now she turned 5 months old and still does not eat much.

I tried the trick of adding vanilla powder to her milk as she only drinks neocate due to her milk and soy allergy, but it did not work out. I then went to several doctors, got her ears checked and throat checked. No problems there.

She is still gaining weight, of course only a little weight, but apparently babies go through many stages. One pedetrician really convinced me because he is an allery doctor and also a father himself to a few kids. He was like ohhh is it your first? I said yes and he said well, babies go through stages where they eat what they just need. Sometimes they gain more weight, somethimes less. Sometimes they eat more because they go through growth spurts, and sometimes they eat just enough to keep going.

I wondered a bit, but at home I started letting her eat as she wishes. I've added pear purée and potato and zucchini purée and she loves to eat. I noticed that she seems to imitate me. She eats less than recommended but, she is putting on some little weight and growing and being a normally happy baby.

So now I give her many breaks, we start with the bottle then when she starts fussing and biting the nipple, I give her a break with toys and sing to her and smile to her, so she is content and not a stressed baby. Then I try again after 5 minutes and then I continue like this until she finishes her bottle or really rejects it.

I write down when she ate and how much she ate. Over several days you get an idea of the quantitates she wants to eat and can do the amount instead of throwing excess milk and making you go crazy.

Edited by EasyBabyLife Maya, these are such great tips! Yo are doing exactly what research says about how to avoid power struggles at meal time with babies. You can also read about how children's eating habits usually work naturally here.

Nov 22, 2010

Continuation
by: Maya

I m writing on an iPad, so I don't know what happened and got cut off. Anyway I'll continue with my last comment:

I was saying so you make just enough for what your baby desires then if you see she is willing to take more then do. This is what I've been doing, but it is true that for the moms who are busy raising other kids, that will drive them insane because feeding time takes up an hour doing so, but this is what I could think of and it worked for me. Better luck for all of us!

Dec 09, 2010

3 1/2 month old twins eating less
by: Namrata

Hi,

My 3 1/2 month old twins have suddenly lost interst in milk. They seem to be happy and playing but just refuse to drink milk.

They were born preterm (2 kg birth weight), but have caught up really well. They now weigh about 6 kgs each.

They used to have approx. 30 oz of milk but for the last one week have dropped down to only about 15-20 oz. They don't exceed 2-3 oz per feed and I have to force fed them. My son has a reflux problem and I am dead worried that he will lose weight.

Could they be teeting? Also, I feel they are developmentally slow as they have not begun to roll over yet. All comments are welcome.

Dec 09, 2010

Baby development is individual
by: Mayato

Hi Namrata,

Well, we all worry about them losing weigh., When that happens then it is important to get concerned, but it s not because your sons do not roll over that they are behind.

My daughter is 6 months old and can do it just lately, but shows not much interest in rolling over, she actually hates tummy time! But she loves to sit to stand and especially to jump as if she is walking. So don't worry if your babies are not rolling over yet. If you want you can read about baby milestones each month here at EasyBabyLife. They have development stages for each month and they write down what most kids do, some kids do and and how to play to stimulate development if you are really worried. But other than that enjoy your babies and good luck!

Dec 10, 2010

Baby development
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Namrata ,

If your twins have reflux, feeding them a little at a time, but frequently is a lot better than trying to make them eat a lot a each time, because that will just make them spit up. So if they only eat a few oz each time, let it be, and try again a bit later or at any sign of hunger.

How much preterm were your babies? If their real birth age is 3.5 months, it obviously means they are even younger than that, and when it comes to development, it can take up to a year for preemies to catch up or longer if they were born very early. Nothing wrong with that.

And even if you adjusted their age, and they are 3.5 months from their actual due date, a lot of kids don't roll over by then. It is so easy to focus on what's "normal" and then start worrying, while the difference really is a few months in a person's whole life.

Make sure you go to regular health checkups to have your babies weighted, and also discuss their development and reflux with their doctor. Chances are they are doing just great! And if the reflux is so severe that they don't gain weight as they should, there is medication to help.

If you want to read about baby development month by month, you'll find that here. I have also included tips on how to play with your baby to stimulate development.

But make sure you adjust your babies age to their actual due date when reading about the development going on. And remember that there are no average babies. Just enjoy your little ones who were in such a hurry to meet the world.

Wishing you Joy!

Paula

Jan 15, 2011

My 5 Month Old Suddenly Refuses To Drink Her Milk While Awake
by: Suzan

I am so relieved to read all the earlier comments and blogs about babies who suddenly stop drinking as much milk as before. For a while, I thought I was alone dealing with this issue. My 4 month old daughter was drinking anywhere from 4 to 7 ounces at eat feeding every 3-4 hrs. Whenever she got hungry, she would just cry to let us know she was ready to eat again. My husband and I are holding off starting her on solid foods until she's six months from the pediatrician's advice. Towards the end of my baby's 4th month, she caught a cold and refused to eat unless she was asleep for her naps. I thought it was temporary from the illness. But when she was well again and turned 5months, she continued to refuse to drink her milk while awake no matter how hungry she was. Worse off, when we did try to feed her while she was awake, she always cried and turned her head completely away.

I tried waiting for her to get really hungry a few times but then 5-6 hrs went by without her crying for her milk. Now she never cries for her milk like before no matter how hungry or how long it's been since she last ate.

I know she's hungry because as soon as she falls asleep for her nap, she gobbles up the whole bottle. I tried different formulas but it didn't work. I also tried different nipples and bottles with no success. Now, the most she will eat awake is 3 oz during a feeding if I'm even lucky enough to get her to eat while she's awake.

Otherwise, she's a pretty happy baby that seems to be gaining some weight and growing. Still, I don't want to have to only feed her after she falls asleep. I just don't understand why she suddenly refuses to drink her milk except maybe she's teething? Or does it have to do with the recent cold she had? Or could it be she's sick of just drinking milk and wants solid foods now?

Jan 15, 2011

6 month old son
by: Anonymous

Our son started about 3.5 months to dramatically reducing how much he drank from his bottle (from 6-8 ounces a feed to 3-4 ounces). Our doctor said this happens as they slow down growing. I can say he also popped out two teeth and four more are coming. Personally, i think it was the teeth and slow down of growing.

We did start him on oatmeal and first stage around four months and he LOVED it. Our pediatrician told us it used to be you did not want to feed the baby before six months, but this has changed. He sleeps through the night, is still growing and gaining weight (at a slower pace obviously). So, my thought would be to challenge the pediatrician on why you can not start oatmeal and first stage, it was huge for us. We also tried all the formulas and bottles and nipples - none of that worked. Finally, our son never really cries for his bottle except in the morning after sleeping 12 hours. Good luck

Feb 02, 2011

So relieved!
by: Anonymous

Let me just say how relieved I am to have found that so many other parents are going through the same thing! Thank goodness for Google! My daughter is a week from being four months old and used to take 5-6 ounces of formula every 3 hours. Over the past couple of weeks she has only taken 3.5-4 ounces each feeding and 5 if we really push her, but it makes her mad and she spits the nipple out. She is happy, seems to be growing, and also has several wet diapers a day. She sleeps 12 hours at night and, so far, has not waken up in the middle of the night. We haven't seen any teeth yet, but she definitely has been drooling and eating her hands. I guess we will stop pushing her and talk to her pediatrician about this at her 4 month visit next week.

Feb 03, 2011

4 month old stopped drinking his milk....
by: mom_of_3

Wow..I'm so relieved that this is a common thing. This is my 3rd baby and it's the first time this happens to me. My baby was drinking 6oz every 2.5-3hrs and now he will only drink 1-2 oz at a time every 4.5 hrs. I went to the doctor and she said everything is fine. So I started to give him solid foods because he needs to eat at one point! He eats SOOO much...it's crazy! Good luck to all of you!

Mar 01, 2011

same here
by: Anonymous

Hi everyone,

My baby is 4.5 months and is bahaving pretty similar. She got a cold at 3 months and hasn't eaten properly since. Now she will take between 2-3oz of a bottle and then stop and it can take 40-60 mins to get between 5-7oz into her. She was always a slow fussy eater but has definitely gotten much much worse.

My LO spits the bottle out when she doesnt want it - smiling at us and letting the milk spill out the side of her mouth. It's terribly frustrating for us but she doesn't seem at all bothered by it. Her feeding gets better as the day goes on and she sleeps through the night (although is starting to wake up at 4am but will eventually go back to sleep if we give her a soother).

We have been to several pediatricians all who say there is nothing wrong with her and she is just asserting her personality.

At most we get approx 25oz into her a day and I'm afraid if we start solids that her milk intake will reduce further.

Mar 01, 2011

Almost eight months
by: Anonymous

When our son cut his formula intake in half, he did everything you describe - kick it out, smile, let the stuff in his mouth drooling out. We started him on foods and he did not reduce his formula intake - he loved whenever we did something new - new formula, new bottle, new nipple - but always went back to 3-4 ounces a feed. When we started food, he loved that as well - especially trying new stuff. He did not reduce his formula intake - still does 20-27 ounces and our doctor said it is the wet diaper and smiling that is the most important - it is a shame that EVERYONE seems to talk about how their kid drinks 8 ounces every feed - everyone we speak to drinks 4-6 ounces and it seems every kid goes through a period when they just slow down drinking. I also think teething had something to do with it (we think he had a cold as well). Sometimes they change and they will dictate how much they drink and let us know...it was incredibly frustrating, but I can say four months later, he is fine and doing well. I wish there was a book about this type of stuff as it seems a lot of people have this issue.

Mar 16, 2011

eating less
by: Anonymous

My 4.5 month old starting eating less a few days ago. I was really worried until I saw all these comments. He is happy and seems content. He also has several wet diapers a day. We have a checkup with the Dr. on Monday but I sure now he'll say it's just a phase and nothing to worry about!

Mar 16, 2011

My baby refuses to drink her milk
by: sam

Hi,
My baby was born premature at 35weeks and she used to drink 3 ounce milk with out any problem or sometime even 4 ounces. Now my baby is 4 months and refuses to drink milk. She only drinks two ounces and I'm struggling to feed her 3ounces. I thought it was silent reflux.

I don't know what to do. I have even changed formula milk from sma to aptamil and now I'm giving her Cow & Gate comfort. Can I feed her solids or start her on baby rice now? Can any one advice me please?

Mar 23, 2011

Loss of appeitie
by: Karen

Hi,

I am so glad that i'm not the only one going through this. My son is 3 months and was taking 6oz 5 times then a 3 to 4oz bottle for his last feed. He took a cold 3 weeks ago and since then it has slowly got worse. He will now only willingly take 2 to 3oz and then have to be encouraged to take any more but sometimes only managing 4 to 5oz.

He still gains weight, but has dropped down to below average on his chart when he was above average since he was born. He is still smiling and very alert and he has also just started sleeping through the night although I think this might be due to his cold.

He got antibiotic from the doctor today, so I'm hoping this will get him back on track. He has always been a slow eater and troubled with wind, but just as we over came that problem we are faced with a new one . It is very stressful especially because my husband doesn't seem as concerned and is making me feel like I'm over reacting.

Mar 23, 2011

Comment to Karen
by: Paul

Karen, our son is now almost nine months and went through the same thing. He was average weight and above average height when he was 3-4 months and started significantly decreasing his bottle intake (from 6-8 ounces to 3-4 ounces a feed).

He is now above average height and below average weight and our doctor said it is much better to be below average weight.

Our son always had wet diapers and smiled and I can tell you I was VERY stressed out, but I learned to accept it. I started giving him stage one and oatmeal at 4.5 months and he has really done very well.

I do understand why you are stressed, but wet diapers and smiles will guide you through the process.

Also, my doctore said it is normal when they start to teeth and stop growing as fast to cut back a lot. Too bad noone tells us this stuff!!

Good luck

Apr 11, 2011

Our baby stopped eating too
by: Beckah

Hi,
I just want to say that we are/have been going through the same thing for a couple months now.

It all started around 3.5 months. Our son would eat all the time and was up to 8oz. bottles. Then, we went from 8 to 4 or sometimes even 2oz.

We seem to go back and forth a lot with feeds. I get so upset and worried. We are in a not eating much phase right now. I'm praying we go back to good eating again soon.

I put ceral in all of his bottles as the doctor says he has silent reflux. (He coughs sometimes with that also). I tried some fruits a couple times but my little guy does not seem to be able to do those well yet as he still needs to gain a little more tongue control.

Just wanted to share my story so when people read this and are concerned they see how many others are going through the same thing. Blessings to all, Beckah. :)

Apr 17, 2011

Thank You
by: Anonymous

Thank you to all of you who have posted. It is funny that it seems a lot of the babies had been sick before they stopped eating well. I am going through a similar situation right now. My son is 3.5 months right now and has been eating poorly for three weeks now, ever since he got sick. I have been freaking out and going to the doctor to which they tell me he is fine and care very little about anything but the wet diapers. In fact, they look at me like I am kind of crazy. I was so worried that there was some type of underlying illness that they weren't catching. He is doing similar to what many of you described of eating about half the amount that he used to. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks and also ask if any of you would start rice cereal this early? He will be 15 weeks this Friday. He is a large baby weighing 16lbs already.

May 18, 2011

4 month old stopped eating completely
by: jamie

My 4 month old has stopped eating almost completely. She has slept almost all of the last 24 hours and only drank a total of 8oz in this time. I don't know what to do. If any suggestions plz mybabyblueeyes143 @ gmail.com otherwise off to doctor in the morning.

May 18, 2011

Sick or vaccination
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Jamie,

If your baby only sleeps and doesn't eat, yes I think you should pay a visit to the doctor immediately. She hasn't had a vaccination? That can sometimes make a baby sleep for many hours. But still, young babies get dehydrated very quickly and definitely need to at least drink enough to wet their diapers. If not, you really need to have her examined. If she refuses the breast or bottle, try to give her breast milk or water with a spoon.

I wish you good luck and hope she is better soon,

Paula

May 18, 2011

3 month old stopped eating
by: IMckeon

Hi,
I am having the same problem. Our son turnes 3 months old about a week ago. He just all of a sudden stopped eating as much. He would take 4 oz and now is only taking 2oz with a struggle.

I went to the dr and they said as long as he is not losing weight and it a happy baby with wet diapers it is ok.

I am very frustated. My baby is a smaller baby so I don't want him to lose any weight in order for the dr to listen and do something, however I see that a lot of you are having the same problem.

Any suggestions?

May 20, 2011

Food Allergies were my baby's problem
by: Anonymous

Hello,

I hope you all are doing well! I posted a while back ago and I just wanted to update you all with the diagnosis for my son.

I really wanted to just believe that he had just stopped growing as much so he didn't need to eat very much, but it turned out that he had food allergies as well as acid reflux.

He never really cried like I thought he would if he was in so much pain, and I didn't know babies could all of the sudden develop a food allergy.

Anyway, he is on Baby Zantac and Similac Alimentum(this is hypoallergenic) now and doing well.

If you suspect a food allergy just try them on Similac Alimentum. Most doctors will tell you to try soy first, but a lot of babies that are allergic to milk proteins are also allergic to soy. Also, it made my son really constipated.

Anyway, I thought the link between the fact that most stopped eating after a bout of sickness was interesting and come to find out there seems to be a link between diarrhea when sick and then not being able to tolerate milk protein.

It is a difficult road to deal with this, but please don't give up

May 20, 2011

Frustrated
by: Thea Trusty

Like others have said, it really is a relief to know I'm not alone with the struggle to get my almost 4 month old son to eat.

He was born 9lbs 2oz with Down Syndrome. We were in the NICU for 14 days for polyglycemia & respiratory distress. We were sent home with a NG feeding tube due to low muscle tone in his mouth.
We have been off the NG for a few weeks now and he is averaging 22-27oz in a 24 hour period. AT MOST.

But he RARELY takes more than 3oz at one feed.
I noticed he eats better when he's half asleep. He's so curious, laughs and smiles and lets the milk spill out of his mouth most of the time.

I feel like I am CONSTANTLY feeding him!

Sometimes he'll only drink 1.5oz, and then one hour later he begins to chew on his hands, but refusing the bottle (maybe drinks .5oz).

It's really frustrating. I find myself getting really upset and on the verge of tears.

We have his 4 month check up next week.
I took him in to be weighed a couple weeks ago & he was 14lbs 12oz, so he's gaining slowly but surely. I'm just praying he is a pound heavier by now!

He is fed breast milk exclusively.

May 20, 2011

Update - our baby was fine
by: Anonymous

Our son drank 6-8 ounces consistently until 3.5 months. Around this age our son started drinking half as much (around. 3-4 ounces per feeding).

Well, our son is now 10.5 months old. We tried changing bottlesand formula. Our doctor said as long as his diapers are wet, relax. Also we started giving him oatmeal and stage 1 foods and he thrived.

All I can tell each of you is do your research and trust your doctors (or get a new doctor).

Our doctors were right. Our son started teething and slowed growing and this caused the slow down in drinking his bottle.

If your child is happy and they have wet diapers, I think you just have to ride it out. It was not easy for me, very frustrating, but looking back we over worried. Although I am glad we did over worry!

May 23, 2011

Thank You!
by: Anonymous

Thank you so much for sharing that with us!

Jun 09, 2011

Frustrated and worried, baby won't eat
by: Anonymous

I am also worried about my son, who is 3 months and 3 weeks. He used to drink 4oz every 2hrs-2.5hrs. Now even after 5hrs he refuses to drink. I will be lucky if I am able to feed him 3oz after 5 hours. I am so worried.

Jul 30, 2011

Glad we're not the only ones!
by: Gia's Momma

My daughter was born at 35.5 weeks and was in the NICU for a week due to her problems with her bilirubin level.

I started back to work this past Monday when she was 16.5 weeks old. Monday and Tuesday, feedings were normal. She would take an average of 5 oz, 5 times a day. From Wednesday on, we were lucky to get her to take 3 oz per feeding. She also started waking up at 3am or 4am, when she used to sleep through the night. I thought it was because I started going back to work. I was feeling guilty until I read your postings.

At her last doctor's appointment, she said that my daughter is either teething now or will be soon, and that was 1.5 weeks ago.

I think my husband and I will have to work on accepting the fact this is happening. We do have cereal ready, and we'll probably start her on that after her next immunization appt on Monday. We'll ask her doctor what else she recommends. If her reaction to her 4 month shots is the same as it was at her 2 month shots, then we have a long week ahead of us. Hopefully she'll feel better by next weekend because we're taking her out of town for my birthday weekend.

Wish us luck, and we wish all of you luck!

Sep 29, 2011

My 15 week old baby also stopped eating
by: Anonymous

My 15 week old baby has suddenly stopped taking all his bottles. He had an operation 2 weeks ago as he was born with talapies and it is since that operation that he's stopped taking his bottles. He used to take 7oz every 4 hours on the dot; now he'll barely take 4 every 5 hours.

It is really getting me down. I've tried everything - changing formula, changing teets. I really don't know what else to do. I've taken him to the doctor. He said if he smiling and having wet nappys and not losing weight then he's fine. I've spoke to hv and she said he's a mystery, well that doesn't help me. Any advice on this would be very much appreciated as I am at the end of my teather.

Nov 08, 2011

3 month old
by: Anonymous

My baby is 3 months and spent nearly all of yesterday sleeping. He's hardly had any milk over the last 2 days, gone from 5ozs every 3-4 hrs to 1-2ozs. However, he has been guzzling down 4-5ozs when he wakes at night.

He's had wet nappies and has been smiling and gurgling.

Luckily I found this website on google, because i've been so worried. Going doc's tomorrow, am guessing he's going to tell me not to worry which is easier said than done. Keep thinking there may be something wrong but am a little reassured after reading everyones comments.

Nov 10, 2011

just turned 5 months
by: Angie

your comments help.my babys father works out of state and im visiting him with our 5 month old son.we are staying in a motel room and about a week ago my baby will only eat 3 ounces or so when he usually eats 7 ounces every 3 to 4 hours.he has had a cold and teething..also a changed of lifestyle. i belive this is to blame for his decrease in appitite.not sure if he has lost any weight tho.but i feel alot better reading all there comments. thank you all soooo much

Nov 10, 2011

Dec 22, 2011

Baby not interested in bottle since birth
by: Katie

My baby is 7 weeks old today. She has not ate much from the bottle since birth. She has an ng tube, we try to bottle feed before each feed, and are lucky if we get 10 ml in her. She only weighs 7lbs. 11oz. And thats with feeding her with the tube every three hours. She also has hypotonia (low tone.) Doctors have so far been unsuccesful in finding a reason. I just need someone to talk to about this.

Dec 31, 2011

To Katie
by: Anonymous

Katie, go on reflux.org and post a question in the forum section. Our son stopped eating at 4 months. We ended up at the hospital and he ended up on an NG tube. After seeing doctor after doctor we figured out that he had forgotten how to do the suck, swallow breath to the severe acid reflux (silent refluxer, never vomitted) and due to allergies (no blood in stool). He was even allergic to Elecare. The best way to feed him besides the tube was when he was sleeping (Dreamfeeding). The NG tube made him very congested so I had to go to the restroom, have the shower on so that the humidity would help open his nose. Then if you are breastfeeding or the bottle, try to let your baby have 2 or 3 sips then stop. That will let the baby breath. Then start again. Also you have to try as much as possible to be relax. Also, our therapist recommended we buy a Nuk brush and use it on his tongues so that he does not have problems with solids later. I hope that helps. It will pass.

If you are breastfeeding, cut all allergens yourself (dairy, soy, eggs, gluten, nuts and seafood). It will take 40 days for your boddy to clear it up. If you are on formula ask your doctor about Elecare and Neocate.

Dec 31, 2011

MAKE SURE YOUR KID DOES NOT HAVE GERD AND ALLERGIES
by: Anonymous

It's not normal for 3-4 months old to stop eating. Usually it's because at 3-4months old it comes out that they have acid reflux and allergies (they were exposed all this time by through breastfeeding and/or formula). If it is acid reflux, the baby will need medicine. PPIs (such as Prevacid) are better than Zantac. Baby does not get tired usually of milk, they forgot how to drink bc it causes pain.

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