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I have an eight week old here two-three days a week. She was full term but weighed only 6.7 lbs at birth and then dropped 1lb before she left hospital two days later. She began care when she was 5 weeks old. She seems to be gaining weight parents haven't said anything about her not. My concern is that she will only eat an ounce to two ounces at a time. I burp her after 1oz then she may eat one more and will burp again. She doesn't sleep well in the morning at all. She arrives at 7am. Usually with a bottle stuck in the car seat with only an ounce gone. I usually toss this and make her a fresh one as I don't know how long it's been there and the grandmother drops off and never knows. She isn't a very happy baby, usually takes all morning to get her settled down. She "snacks" all morning but has never had more then 4oz between 7-12pm. She then usually sleeps for three hours or so. To me she doesn't have a strong ****ing reflex, like the bottle will slide easily out of her mouth while she is eating. If that makes sense. Is this just her? I'm concerned because she is so small and be doesn't seem content. I've told dcm but, she doesn't seemed concerned. She was spitting up a lot but, that seems to have eased up.
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Do you have any other bottles you could try? Maybe she just isn't ****ing that particular type well. Do you have a way to weigh her? You've had her for three weeks so she should have gained weight since starting.
Maybe print off a sheet on when and how much baby should be eating...
Some babies are just small... But it sounds like what you are describing is a baby who for some reason isn't satisfied... Whether hat be feeding related or not.
What you've described COULD be signaling the start of a failure to thrive situation. Which is not good.
Do you get a feeling the baby and mom are bonded? Or do they seem to be stand offfish to each other?
Could mom be experiencing postpartum? -
Also, you said that baby spit up a lot, but it seemed to ease up. Even thought it eased up, the baby could have reflux. Maybe that's why she us reluctant to eat and only eats 1-2 oz at a time. Or maybe it is the bottle. Does mom breastfeed at home? If yes, maybe the baby isn't used to bottle nipples.Comment
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I do have several bottles and use a different one then what she arrives with as I had better luck. I think they have bonded fairly well. I don't see dcm and baby together much. Dcm works 12hr shifts. I don't have anything to weigh her with....I am concerned about out the failure to thrive. She is doing well with holding her head up and has since she started. Today she rolled over. I know dcm is very stressed right now.Comment
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I had a little guy many years ago with much the same eating habit you described. I always suspected that at home the family just propped a bottle in his mouth for all hours. He usually came in with a partially eaten bottle no matter what time it was, and sometimes a receiving blanket bunched up on his body (that was the giveaway).
I never said anything to the parents or questioned them, as I was new to the business, and didn't know how to without sounding preachy or judgmental. The dcb did learn to eat larger amounts more spaced out after a few weeks with me, and he started to fill out his little cheeks and legs, too!Comment
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No she is only formula fed now. She had pumped milk the first three days. I keep her propped up after eating for about 10 minutes to hopefully help with the spitting up. Usually she is crying by that point.Comment
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You said you've been watching the baby since 5 weeks of age. Since then, thhe baby should have gone for a well check or shots right? Here they do 8 week checks.
I require all parents bring me height and weight charts etc from dr visits and I put it in their file.
I explain when I get them very young, I keep up with their weight and height until hey are six months old.
I've had a few failure to thrives and it's just so I can be sure I'm not missing anything.Comment
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I'd be pretty worried. I wonder if her bottles aren't doing it for her or if there's a physical cause. The unhappiness could be air in the tummy from a poor ****-swallow-breathe reflex or something else, could be allergies, could be reflux (whih is usually allergy related...)Hee hee! Look, I have a signature!Comment
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Did mom have inter uterine growth restriction?
While pregnant with both of mine I had IUG. Both of my babies were 5lbs and 7oz/3oz and could only eat 1-2 oz every two hours because they were so tiny. Actually my daughter never ate more than 4oz every 4 hours up until she was 1 and off the bottle. They are both still tiny little things weight wise BUT they are very healthy and happy. Both are ahead of some developmental milestones and normal in the rest.
I wouldn't be quick to judge with the failure to thrive diagnosis tho! My doctor was gone when my son needed his 6 month check up and he was only 11-12lbs and the new doctor never looked at his chart to see that he was only a 5lb baby and jumped on that diagnosis faster than I could blink. I knew my son was fine but she told me if I didn't take him to all these therapy places she would turn me into social services for child neglect. Then once he had his 3 different appointments each person said that he was a healthy happy and developmentally on track baby. That new doctor cost us $1200 in unneeded appointments. So, if baby is holding her head, rolling around and such I'm guessing she is just a small kid. Unless you have a few other red flags, I'd just continue doing what you are doing. Jmo.Comment
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