feeding my 2week old

kathyn21

is it normal for me to still have to "force" her to take 2 oz? she was born at 35 weeks and is 2 weeks old today. she takes the first ounce great and then burps pretty good and then just grunts and groans and i feel like i'm forcing the 2nd oz down her throat! thoughts? comments? could it be that the bottle gets cold and I need to reheat it?

Irishsapphire

My daughter was born close to 35 weeks.  She stayed in the hospital for a week.  It seemed like the week she came home that we were getting used to Dr Brown bottles and figuring out how much and when to feed her.  Last week, she did not gain enough weight just on breastmilk.  And I decided to add back giving my daughter formula.  My daughter must be going through a growth spurt this week because there are some feedings that it is like a slurpfest now.  She is now at 6 lbs 3 oz, and my pediatrician is happy with her weight gain for the past couple of days.   Honestly, at this point, I am not heating the bottles any longer because when my daughter is really hungry then she will drink it cold anyway.  I do find on some feedings that I have to try to feed her--then I have to back off and give her a break--she is a preemie and this is a lot of work--and then try to feed the rest to her like around 20 minutes later. 

adrielegorburu

I would definitley call you Pedi and ask about it - I dont think you should ever have to "force" your baby to eat.  It may be that your LO is full and simply doesnt want any more - maybe smaller feeds more often would be better - or there may be an underlying problem like reflux or allergy that makes the baby stop in the middle - is he/she gaining weight well? are there any other issues? I dont think the bottle turning cold is the culprit - my DD prefers her bottles warm but if she gets a room temp one shes fine with it too.

kathyn21

there's no reflux i know for sure, i already asked about that. she gained 4oz from friday afternoon to monday morning. pedi said she should be eating 2oz every 3hours. last night she ate 2oz at 6pm, 20cc at 7pm, 1oz at 9pm, and 2oz at 11pm. then she went 65cc at 2am, 50cc at 5am, and 35cc at 730am. that is the first night she's done that. normal? it's not that i'm forcing her to eat, i am just having to really remind her the bottle is there.

makinithappen

My son was born at 35 weeks.  At 2 weeks old, they wanted him to eat at least 45cc every 3 hours and said he could go one 5 hour stretch (but he didn't).  Some feedings he'd only eat 35cc and some would be 55cc, along with an occassional 30cc.  He would fall asleep eating alot and have to be woken up or reminded.  It sounds like her weight gain is good so I wouldn't worry but maybe talk to her pedi if you want reassurance.  It should get better in the next week or two once she's really term.

haziedaze

kathyn21:

there's no reflux i know for sure, i already asked about that. she gained 4oz from friday afternoon to monday morning. pedi said she should be eating 2oz every 3hours. last night she ate 2oz at 6pm, 20cc at 7pm, 1oz at 9pm, and 2oz at 11pm. then she went 65cc at 2am, 50cc at 5am, and 35cc at 730am. that is the first night she's done that. normal? it's not that i'm forcing her to eat, i am just having to really remind her the bottle is there.

Sounds pretty normal to me! Babies don't usually eat the exact same amt every time. 4oz in 3 days sounds like normal weight gain as well. I wouldn't force the extra oz if I were you and would just watch her weights/diapers.

adrielegorburu

I agree with PP - sounds like shes gaining weight fine - I would just feed her whatever she wants every three hours or whenever shes hungry and let her get herself on a schedule - I'm sure it will get better -

staceylynn1229

I can sympathize. My 32 weeker was a horrible eater for about the first  5 or 6 months! She is now 9 months old and eats like a champ. I would say as long as she is gaining weight, she is fine. Easy to say, I know. I was constantly stressed out about her eating when she wasnt eating well. But, she will be fine. Call your dr if you are really worried. Good luck.