Taking Forever to Feed My Newborn!!

Hello H.,

Try different nipples. call you doctor's office. can some one come and make sure he's laying the right way? try different positions. if he's too warm, he'll fall asleep too. are you burping him every few minutes?

maybe he doesn't like that particular formula. ask the doctor if you should try a different formula. believe it or not... kids are picky even as newborns =) hang in there! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi H.! I'm on my third baby (he's 6 weeks old now) and I even had to remind myself how much they sleep those first few weeks! Just give him a few more weeks and enjoy how much he sleeps now. He'll be awake A LOT more soon! :) Then, when he weighs about 10 pounds, he'll start going longer between feedings and you'll be able to get more sleep!!!! I'm so glad you get to be at home with your little guy! I'm at home now with mine, but I had to go back to work with my first two girls. Enjoy EVERY moment....even at 3AM!!!!

I know your pain! My little girl was a month early, so all she wanted to do was SLEEP! Even at feeding times! The NICU nurse told me to hold the bottle and with the same hand, rub the bottom of her chin to stimulate her sucking. Also, I was keeping my little one cozy and warm. Take away all blankets and even undress if you have to. That way they he isn't warm and wanting to fall back asleep. I'm a first time mom as well and this was an answer to prayers for me!
congratulations.

you need to talk to your peditrician about this.I have 4 children and my son was like that he had a heart problem that they found at 3 months old.I'm not saying your child does but he should not fall to sleep with one ounce. you can also try rubbing his cheek.But please if this continues let the doctor know.

Completely and totally normal! However, your baby should go to the pediatrician at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. His weight will be monitored and if there is not adequate weight gain then you and the doctor can look at the options. But, I will repeat myself and say it is completely and totally normal! I have a 7 1/2 year old and a 4 month old. And the big joke with new moms is: How can I feed the baby every 3 hours when it takes me 3 hours to feed the baby? There are tricks to try: feeding him in only a diaper, gently blowing on his face to stimulate him, tickling him under his ear, a cold washcloth under the armpit, gently pulling the nipple in and out of is mouth or rotating the nipple...but the bottom line is that these little guys just don't have the energy to go on for very long, whether they are breast or bottle fed. Unless your baby was a preemie and you have to take greater precautions, just allow the feedings to naturally get longer. As baby grows he will eat more at one sitting and be able to stay awake longer.

If he is pressing his lips together when you try to feed him, he obviously just doesn't want anymore. Maybe he isn't hungry or just is too sleepy to eat. I wouldn't sit for an hour and try to get him to take the bottle if he doesn't want it. First, feed him when he's hungry and make sure he's not too warm and cozy or he may fall asleep. Then if he drinks some and falls asleep, let him sleep and get some sleep yourself. He's so new, he's just trying to figure everything out like you are. And trust me as soon as you figure out what to do about this, something else will come up. Be patient, get some rest when you can and trust yourself. Also, take help from friends and family, anytime they give it. Don't try to do it all yourself. Good luck and enjoy your new baby!!

Many children are over weight because we think they should drink x amount. If he is having 8 to 10 diaper aday he is getting enough. Slow eater are healthier. Eating to fast is one of the reason our nation is fat. French take 3 or 4 hours to eat a meal, high fat etc. but if this is a mechanial problem you may need to check with his dr about being tougue tied. Slow down enjoy you time with him they grow to fast and you are still in your recovery time.

H. C, RN OB/NSY

My daughter was the same way but after a few weeks it got easier. Sometimes I would put the bottle in a little warm water to heat it up just a little bit and this seemed to help too. Good luck.

this sounds cruel but this is what my doctor told me to do wash his face with a cold wash cloth to wake her up(my kid was a girl) every time she goes to sleep, and it works mine hardly cried at all and after a short time she would take the whole bottle and then sleep.

H.
Make sure he is getting enough fluids so he won't get dehydrated and if he isn't gaining any weight , it may be a feeding problem check it out with your doctor. If it takes that long to feed it may be counteractive and he may not be getting enough nutrition and will not be gaining any weight.
Hope this helps.

I think it is perfectly normal. Both of my children were like that until about 8 weeks. As they get bigger there tummies do to and they can drink more and go longer between feedings. It does seem at first like all you do is bottles, but this too shall pass.

How much are you feeding him? Perhaps it is too much. He's only two weeks old, and if he downs 2 ounces then he's doing pretty well and he must be full.

If he's falling asleep after just 1/2 ounce or so, make sure he's not bundled up which makes them sleepy. Change his diaper before feeding. And another good trick that has worked on all 6 of my kids is to rub the palm and back of their hand while they are feeding. It's a little stimulus to help them stay awake, the feet are too ticklish so I would avoid that.

And if all else fails, a trick the NICU nurses taught me....a wet washcloth...not cold, just wet. Wipe his face down a bit and it wakes him right up.

Again, it all depends on how much he is eating. He may be satisfied and not need anymore. Most babies will shut their lips when they are full.

H., congratulations on your new baby boy! Some things to try:

Make sure he is awake when you start to feed him and try and keep him awake. If he falls asleep during the feeding, wake him up, even if it means undressing him some.

Let enough time elapse between feedings so that he is hungry enough to want to taka a full feeding. Most formula fed babies can go three hours between feeds.

Try the eat/activity/sleep cycle: Feed your baby, burp him, play with him, change his diaper. (Newborns won't stay awake long, so don't stress if he gets tired quickly.) Then lay him down for a nap. The whole cycle should repeat every three hours, makes for a very well adjusted baby and a mom who's in a great mood! :)

Happy mothering!

The book Baby Wise can help with this.

Do what you can to keep him from falling asleep, undress him so he won't feel so comfy warm, put a cold rag on his feet, etc. If he doesn't finish his bottle within, say 30 minutes, then he is done with it. If you are on a 2 hour schedule, you can push it up 15 minutes so that he doesn't get too hungry, with the goal of getting him hungry enough to eat a 'normal' amount on a set schedule.

They get tired easy. Gently shake the bottle in his mouth touching the upper palate. That will stimulate him to suck. Sometimes you can gently run a washrag across his face to keep him awake enough to finish. Also it is o.k. For him to cry as long as he is safe. That's really the only exercise the little guys can get. Hang in there! You'll get the hang of it. Remember he is a first time kid as much as you are a first time mom. If you get frustrated lay him in his bed and go slam kitchen cabinet doors. That will help you to keep from shaking him when you get too frustrated. And you will get frustrated. All mom's do. They just don't admit it!

You are doing all the right things. Newborns are just sleepy. I used to feed my kids in just their diaper and have a cold washcloth handy to try and keep them awake.

I would suggest to try maybe purchasing a different nipple, one that is a little bit bigger in size. It could be that he is sucking so hard that he gets tired and gives up.

I have had three boys who all ate very fast. I now have a three month old who has taken an hour almost everytime from birth to eat. My only solution is I try to find the quietest room with very little distractions and this seems to help some. He also will stop drinking and then want the rest a little later. i was worried too but my doctor said this was normal.

Another thing to consider is if you are closing the bottle too tightly it can cause a vacuum. This makes it difficult for the baby to suck. Make sure the bottle isn't really wrenched on there...just tight enough to keep from dripping. Good luck.

At two weeks old he just gets tired. I had a girl that I would set and try to get a bottle down her, and we did SO much better when I let her go back to sleep and her wake up in awhile, we both got more rest and it didn't take up any more time. A little later they will stay awake longer and take more milk, and you can have your four hour feedings.

since he is just 2 weeks old it will take time for him to adjust to his new world.he has to learn to work his little mouth muscles and stretch out his tummy and that takes time. Sit back and enjoy his company :)

Congratulations!! Newborns do not consume a large quantity of milk at the beginning. 1 to 2 ozs at the beginning is fine as long as he has 8 wet diapers a day plus dirty diapers. I kept a tally everyday of when my baby fed, how much, how long, and how many wet, dirty diapers. If you are really concerned, just be sure he feeds every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let him demand feed if he does. If he falls asleep, let him sleep and give him more when he wakes up. The first 6 to 8 weeks are the most challenging in trying to set up a routine with your baby and yourself. It is difficult and tiring at times but the rewards of his first smile in 6 weeks will bw wonderful.

I understand how you feel. I had my 3rd child almost 8 months ago. My firstborn was premature and hospitalized for 6 weeks. So I can understand your jitters.

Hey H. - you might want to try different nipples and/or different flow speeds - if he's having to work too hard to get the milk out he may be tiring out. My pedi always says they'll eat what they need - it's hard though! Best of luck!

Just another note to say that my son did the exact same thing for the first few weeks. I thought he would never get enough to eat because he kept falling asleep during his feedings! And trust me, it's even more frustrating when the "bottle" is your exposed breast that you already feel awkward about having whipped out - and now it's out there for what feels like forever!

This WILL get better, I promise. He's only 2 weeks old, and he's just a sleepy little peanut right now, trying to figure out what the heck is going on... You'll be amazed at how quickly he changes over the next few weeks/months, and I am sure that his eating speed will be one of the first things to change.

Good luck, God bless, and just enjoy those hours of holding him, feeding him, and watching him sleep...you'll look upon them fondly some day, I promise!

My daughter did the same thing. I would get so stressed out about it, but finally a couple of months later she only took about 10-20 minutes to take a bottle. I know that it is frustrating, but it will all work out.

Have you had his mouth checked. My little one was tongue tied and the drs and hospt did not catch it. I ws trying to bf so lactation cons. found it. She did what you were describing. It makes it very difficult for some babies to suck and it is very easy to fix if that is the prob. Good Luck, A.

Your little one may be getting worn out by sucking on the nipple. You could try temporarily (or permently)switching to a faster flowing nipple so he doesn't have to work so hard to get his meal. This will likely get him the calories he needs durring his sleepy time. An average feeding should last about 30 minute, any longer than that and they are burning more calories than they are consuming and this is not good for weight gain. Hope this helps.

Try feeding him in just a diaper--like the other post said, if he is too warm he'll fall asleep. And maybe even wait an extra 30 min to feed him (if he's not fussing) and maybe then he'll be really hungry.

Something is not right if its taking that long to feed. It should NEVER take longer than 30 minutes to feed a baby because once they past the 30 minute mark they are useing more calories than they are taking in so they are not benifitting from those calories.

Please contact your peditrician right away. Have them check the soft palate (its tward the back of the throat) for a cleft. (sometimes it can be hard to see and it goes undiagnosed but can lead to suction difficulties)

you baby may need a nipple with a larger hole.

Try feeding him with just a diaper on.

try feedings farther apart like 3-4 hours instead of every 2. some babies just dont need to eat every 2.

But please talk to the peditrician it is not normal to take that long to eat. Some babies have sucking dificulties and need a special bottle called a Haberman but you may be fine with a larger hole in the nipple I suggest the dr. browns with their stage 2 nipple (try the stage one that comes with it first and if that is to slow go the the stage 2) But I suspect her feedings are to close together.\

good luck!
A.
www.Texascleftconnections.org

Unfortunately this can be quite normal. Not very convenient, though. If he is gaining weight as he should and eating what the doctor says he should, you don't need to worry. As he gets older, you can try keeping him awake more and waiting several hours in between feedings.