NCT

42,960 members • 14,905 posts

Feeding issues at 4.5 months

Hello mummies,

It's been a while since I was last here. Was just wondering if any of you have experienced a change of feeding habits in your LO. So Ellenor is now 20 weeks, and up till recently was steadily upping her milk intake to 6-7 oz a feed. However, she has now decided that she doesn't want to eat during the day only eating 2-3oz then pushing the bottle away, she will then eat more after 5pm bad her last two feeds are often 6-7oz. At first I thought it was wind but no. Could it be teething related? could she also be unsettled from being moved into her cot? Or is she just being an awkward little madam? Lol

Kat x

9 Replies

oldest • newest

Is she having regular bowel movements? Constipation can cause them to be less hungry?

Dad

Yes, she's still having very good bowel movements considering she isn't eating as much. She seems to get distracted very easily during the day, she's such a nosy baby! Think I'll just have to keep offering food and see if she eats

At 4.5 months milk is the most important thing. I'd cut out any solids for a few days and be strict about feeding times and length. Did that with my second when wife went back after four months. Didn't wean till 6 months and it seemed to work. She started sleeping better at day and night. We used the Baby Whisperer and it really helped

Hey lovely! Hope you're well.

Niamh was exactly the same! Stopped eating as much, and sleeping as much. 🙈 monkey that she is! She started wanting little and often rather than just the big feeds every four hours. We still haven't any teeth yet, (7 months) but that's what I thought could have been doing it. I had to start again with stretching her time between bottles (just by 15 minutes or so every couple of days) so she would take more, and that worked. I think she just wanted the comfort to be honest. She still doesn't sleep at all well, but will happily eat lots of milk and have at least two meals a day (I know you are a little way off solids, but I started Niamh at 5.5 months, as I got her bottles back up to 7oz a feed (it took me 3 weeks to increase her bottles again), just on baby porridge at lunch time).

Hope that helps you a bit. I'm not saying its the right way, but that's what I did as my hv was rubbish and just said do what I felt was right. That's why I asked her advice! Because i didn't know. Haha.

Hey Hun. I am well thanks.

Oh good, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one with an awkward young lady, haha. She is sleeping well still but has started waking at 3/4 am again. Guessing it's because she hasn't stocked up quite enough before bed. Stopped feeding her straight away in the morning as she just isn't interested and it's a waste of food. After an hour or so she asks for it. Her gums have gone very hard and she's constantly chewing on one side. It's not affecting her weight though, if anything she's put on more weight than expected, she's up to 15lb now so must be storing it somewhere!

I'm tempted to try her on small amounts of food when she hits 5 months, she's very interested in ours and is copying the chewing motion from us, it's funny and a little creepy all at the same time. My HV is obsessed with 6 months, can't do anything before that apparently, it's just frustrating as I constantly feel like I'm second guessing myself most days.

Your advice has helped a lot, thanks. Makes me realise there's nothing in particular I'm doing wrong and that it's a phase some babies go through.

Hope you had a lovely first Christmas

Kat x

It was lovely thanks.

Maybe try a dream feed before you go to bed to fill her up. That's what we did. 😊

Never done dream feeding so feel a little unsure about it. I worry I'd wake her an not be able to get her back to sleep! Haha

It took us a bit to get the hang of it, but she never once woke up. I just put the bottle against her top lip, let a little milk drip into her mouth then she just opens her mouth and takes it, and starts drinking. 😘 really cute!!

How is she getting on now? Any better?

Drinking more than before, still a little hit and miss but overall she's getting back up to her usual amount. I've started making it a little warmer, not hot obviously, but just a tiny bit and she seems to prefer it. Must have a little diva in the making! Haha