Is she eating enough?

otoro98 · July 2011

I'm pretty sure my 19 week baby girl is going through the "nursing strike" I've heard about...she nurses for about 3-4 minutes only on each breast and then is totally distracted and doesn't want to eat anymore. At daycare she seems to eat all of her bottled breastmilk and formula, but at home I worry that if I am breastfeeding her she is not getting enough. Do I need to sit with her facing a blank wall to improve this? She just wants to see the world and forgets to eat it seems. Help! She looks skinny to me. The other 4 m/o at her daycare is WAY bigger; she looks so tiny it scares me, but in all honesty she did great at her 4 month check up and except for some current congestion, seems very healthy..but I fear this week she may be losing weight.

membrn · July 2011

My first thought is that she may be more efficient at nursing now and so it will take her less time. But it sounds too she is in the "distractibility phase" which makes nursing a joy - lol. I do the same thing comparing how other children look to my now 1 year old (who is just in the 5th percentile). Our doctor says he is just fine and some kids are skinnier but like you, I am still worried! I would take her back in a week or two if you wanted to weigh her and see how she trends.

belizeitornot · July 2011

i'm not much help because my child *was* losing weight and i had no clue until the shocker of her 6 mo appt. Stick out tongue

what happens if you offer the breast more often at home to make up for the shorter nursing sessions? if she's not hungry, she won't eat but it may be what you need to do during this distractable phase (which seems to still be going on for us!). also try nursing her in a dark quiet room so she has less stimuli. you may also want to go in for a weight check to ease your mind and see how her gain is.

HikerBride07 · July 2011

Both of my LOs started getting distracted around 4 months old and I had to nurse them in a dark and quiet room. DD got over it eventually, I'm hoping DS does soon because he isn't gaining like he should be per his ped. It's a LOT harder to get him in a quiet room because of DD. He will take bottles of EBM much easier than nursing when DD is around so sometimes I have to resort to pumping. Good Luck!

Sofka · July 2011

definitely nurse her in a dark and quiet room

is she peeing and pooping normally? that's the main way to tell if she's eating enough unless you weigh her

mssaint · July 2011

I had to wrestle my LO to get him to eat when he was 4 months old. Totally distracted. I started nursing him primarily in his nursery with the lights out while rocking, and also laying down in a dark room. Now he's 6 months old and he's a bit better about eating, but still gets easily distracted. DH can't come in and talk to me, and the TV can't be on, etc.

If you are worried about weight, go to your pedi for a weight check - they are used to hearing from worried parents.

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