My 4 month old wont eat!!!?

Question

HELP! I am at my wits end with trying to feed my baby. He has been bottle feeding for over 2 months since he started refusing to breastfeed. I was pumping as much as I could until I went back to work so he was getting 3 formula and 3 breastmilk bottles a day. Going back to work stopped my milk supply so we had to switch to only formula. The baby started getting fussy with eating even when he was still getting breatmilk and it has now gotten to the point that he refuses the bottle entirely. We have been to the dr twice and got medicine for reflux both times..it didnt help at all. We now have to forcefeed him with a syringe or feed him right when hes almost asleep to get him to eat. I cant take watching him scream and cry when he eats...and I dont know what to do. He doesnt have any white spots in his mouth or on his tounge (ruling out thrush i think) and we have tried different nipples, flow speeds and formulas,weve even tried cup feeding. He will eat his ceral with no problem.

He will eat food..he wont drink his milk. Thats the problem. He started being fussy with his bottle before we even introduced cereal, we started giving him cereal to get him to have something in his belly. As far as his formula goes tho he wont touch it..and brand any type. The dr keeps prescibing us medicine for reflux..but nothing works! If we dont syringe feed him his formula he gets dehydrated. Its really frustrating.

Side note...as soon as the liquid touches his mouth hes screaming....do you think having to syringe feed to him get him hydrated, but causing him to scream is worse and further irritating the problem? Im so confused and am trying everything..adn its annoying when the dr's just keep giving me stronger reflux meds as a solution that dont work. I am worried he'll never go back to eating normally because hes associating it with so much pain and discomfort!

We've tried different nipples..not a flat one though....and yes we use the disposable drop ins for the bottles to reduce gassiness. We were having problems with reflux when he was about 2 months and tried all the methods they suggested to reduce it. But now he doesnt throw up or gag like he used to, he just refuses to drink his milk, im assuming because the acid was coming up in the back of his throat? The medicine isnt relieving the pain or helping him eat better. The dr said to syringe feed to keep him hydrated..but the screaming has got to make his throat worse. And im scared of what the long term affects may be of this.

Answer 1

You need to get a second, third, or fourth opinion. You shouldn't have this hard a time getting him to eat, and it really doesn't sound like reflux or thrush. You should see either a speech pathologist (they deal with eating problems as well) or a GI doc.

In the meantime have you tried semi freezing the formula and making it into a slushy like consistency and feeding that with a spoon? Or maybe freezing it altogether in a Popsicles and letting him suck on that.

Answer 2

It sounds the exact same as my daughter, she was on reflux medicine up to 4 months and it never worked, then she refused to take herr bottle it lasted 2 weeks and we were both at wits end. I finally tried soy formula and she still didnt want the bottle but the Dr said to persist so i did and it took a week for her to started feeding properly again, she did little bits at a time. I took it as though she saw the bottle as it was going to hurt if she drank it so she refused, then she realised after a few time it didnt so she slowly started feeding properly. She is now 8 months old and still on soy and is thehappiest baby, no more fussing, screaming, or refusing to feed. I can only advise to try, it wont hurt to just try it.

Answer 3

I feel for you hon, my daughter was the same way in the hospital with my boobs. It's an awful feeling. The "specialists" kept telling me to keep at it. Well sorry but momma's know better. My little girl was screaming and refusing my boob... turns out later my milk HADN'T EVER COME IN! As soon as I started supplementing her feedings with formula she was happy as a clam again. And at 2 weeks we went to straight formula. Maybe he's getting ready to eat? I'd talk to your ped about starting baby foods. It could be a taste thing with this little guy, try mixing some (a teeny bit) of baby food with the formula (just for taste) and see if he takes it better.

Answer 4

It will take awhile to ween her off. Slowly begin with rainy meals and positioned a tiny bit in her mouth or rub it on her mouth so she liks it off. The mom must be preventing her now in any case. Get the mum constant... clutter after clutter finally ends up badly. The kittens will pop out much less healthful whenever.

Answer 5

Have you tried changing formula my second son
only liked Carnation and I still ended up giving him
baby food early.He loved Hawaiian delight(Gerber)
and sweet potatoes.talk to your pediatrician or
get a second opinion your the mom you know him best
I changed pediatricians he still needs to drink. its to early for
juice(too bad).have you tried evenflo flat nipples and disposable bottles?
And its not colic right?

Answer 6

Perhaps its because at 4 months he's not yet ready to eat? Some baby's take to eating earlier than others. If he's drinking enough to keep him satisfied then he doesn't have to have food yet. Wait another month and see what happens. You shouldn't have to "force feed" your baby.

Answer 7

girl take that baby to the doctor something is wrong it might take a while to find out it took doctors a month to find out my baby's problem and do someting about it