2 month old eating too slow?

Question

I have a 2 month old and am bottle feeding him. it takes him like over an hour and a half to eat and he doesnt even eat 4 ounces at a time! i always make sure that he is really hungry before i start to feed him and yet he still takes forever. any suggestions on how to speed up his eating process???

i am not giving him any solids he's an infant! only formula. how can i feed him every hour if it takes him over an hour to eat? that would mean he is eating 24 hours a day non stop

Answer 1

the best advice is to talk to the pediatrician. they will be able to check to see if he is gaining weight appropriately and explore any needed treatment.

Answer 2

I nursed my daughter so I couldnt tell how much she was actually taking in but she was SLOW eating. We'd spend hours and hours on the recliner throughout the day. That's what newborns do I think! The fact that you're giving a bottle normally does speed up the process but maybe your son's tummy is still very small and he doesnt want to eat as much as you are offering. Perhaps offering less more often will help.
That said, I've heard of babies with a 'weak suck', meaning that it will take them much longer to eat then most babies. In that case I'd agree with trying a different nipple for the bottle, one were the hole is slightly more enlarged. However, not one where the flow is so fast he could become sick by eating too fast. Doesnt sound like that should be a problem with him though.
My niece apparently eats very little at a time, about half the bottle, before needing a 20 min. break and then perhaps she could finish it off but likely just having a bit more before quitting entirely. Her mom now is very worried because she's not gaining like other babies are, but she seems to be doing well in other areas so I'm not sure if this is really a problem or not. She's a bit older than your son though, my niece is now 6mths. And if a baby doesnt want to eat, there isnt much you can do about it I think.

Answer 3

Usually you feed them every 2 hours when they are infants and they will let you know when they are hungry unless they have downs syndrome which you would know. Some kids won't eat every 2 hours, they sleep through it or just don't have hunger pains and that's fine. At 2 months, they are probably eating a little less often than a newborn, so even 3 or possibly 4 hours in between will be fine. If they are just normal little babies, they will let you know if they are hungry...excessively sucking on things and crying is usually a sign. It sounds like you are trying to feed too often. Try waiting 2 to 3 hours between feedings and see how often you are getting the hungry signs and talk with your pediatrician about what's normal. Don't leave this up to a general family physician or no doctor at all, a pediatrician can give you much more insight into what's normal if you talk to them and have questions for them. Good luck mommy!

Answer 4

I would talk to your pediatrician right away. Not to scare you, but if a baby has a heart problem or is sick, it is VERY hard for a baby to suck on the bottle - it is VERY tiring. I found out the hard way. One of my twins had been eating really well (fast and many ounes) and then around 3 1/2 months, he would either take a really long time to eat (like an hour and half) or would simply scream if I put the bottle near him. I called the pediatrician and he said "oh, it sounds like he's just not hungry. Don't worry."

Turns out he had a heart flutter and by the time I realized it (his heart was beating at 300 bpm and he was panting), he was in heart failure!!! Luckily, after a week in ICU and 8 months of medication, we got it under control.

But, the point is, that you should definitely check to see if it is a heart or stomach problem.

On the other hand, it could be something benign like maybe you need a larger size nipple. Probably not though at 2 months.

Good luck.

Answer 5

His tounge isn't stuck to the bottom of his mouth, is it?

You probably think that's crazy, but I know several babies who have had to get a minor surgury done, because that little flap on the underside of their tongue extends too far forward. It needed to be cut so that they could move it to get the sucking motion going.

In many of the babies, it was noticed before they left the hospital, because it impeded breastfeeding, but in one little girl, she was 5 months old before they discovered it. They only checked it because of how long it would take her to have a bottle.

If it's not that, then I don't know what else to suggest. Maybe he's just a slow eater! My son sucks down bottles like nothing, especially when he's really, really hungry, or I'm late with a feeding, but when I was still nursing him, he'd want to go for an hour or more on each side.

Answer 6

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but it might be easier to not use the teat if you think that he is drinking too slowly. Hold the bottle as if it is a cup, and let your little sip from it, ir spoon feed the milk. It might be messy for a while, but at least you will know that there is enough milk going in.
I also recommend you chat with you health visitor/doctor about it to see if there is a medical reason for it.

Answer 7

Take the formula and bottle/teat used to a health worker, and ask their advice, in the meantime try loosening the screw-top part of the teat..screwing that on too tightly forms a kind of vacuum where no matter how hard the suck is, not a lot flows out.

Answer 8

I agree with the people who suggested changing the nipple/teat size to one with a bigger hole, and also getting him checked by a Dr. for the possiblity of his tongue being stuck. My child was checked in the hospital for that when born, but could have been over looked.
Your right, its taking too long and he must be hungry - it could be any reason, so see a professional who knows, He`s too little, you don`t want him missing out.

Answer 9

FIRST ,IS THE NIPPLE A SLOW FLOW? and what kind of formula is it , is it powdered or liquid, the powder may clog the nipple, if it's not that then check to see what type of nipple he is on, try a standard nipple for him, those newborn slow flow nipples are designed to flow slow to prevent choking in a fast drinker, but if his suckling is normal , I would got to a standard nipple, if that isn't working, don't wait too long for professional help, contact his pediatrition soon for more guidence good luck

Answer 10

Perhpas hi nipple is dripping too slow. He isn't getting it fast enoughand maybe he is getting tired , thus taking breaks and making it longer to feed. Watch how fast you let the nipple get too, as he could get really gassy and a belly ache. Try the dr. browns bottles. They are anti gas bottles and flow accordinng to your baby's suction. Congrats on the new baby.

Answer 11

A few factors can be making him eat slower. The formula can be thick, his little jaw may hurt,... My friend's daughter was a slow eater (can't tell now that she's 15 months) and she's was just fine. You can't rush your baby to eat.