Postby NovaLi » Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:33 am
Hi, I'm a maternity nurse, here are a few ideas!
1, It is great that you are offering her feeds often, especially since she is slightly underweight. But it might just be the case that she is not taking the bottle as she is not hungry enough to be keen to take the bottle. Try leaving 3.5-4 hours in between feeds and see if she is more likely to feed from the bottle when she is really hungry. I of course don't mean to leave her starving in any way, but you see my thought!
Definitely keep waking her up in the night for feeds- only because she is underwieight! Might be tempting to think you are lucky to har a great sleeper, but you are doing the right thing by waking her up!
2, Are you using the same teats as before? Time to switch up, try a 2 or even level 3 teat so she gets some milk as soon as the teat touches her lips and gives her a taste of the milk before having to make the decision to suck, getting a taste of the milk might help her give it a go.
3, Try pin down what's really the problem. Put your clean index finger in the corner of her mouth. If she turns quickly towards your finger, and does the same on the other side when you switch side, she is clearly rooting and definitely hungry. If she now is not taking the bottle, it's bottle refusal as there is lots of things you can try. Definitely try the NUK bottles that are great, remember to try the no 2 and 3 teats as well. When you start of with these, only tilt the bottle just so the milk is filling the tip of the teat and not more, even if the milk flows easier with a size 2 or 3 teat we still want her to suckle and for the milk not to gush into her little mouth. If she is not turning her head towards your finger, she is not hungry yet! Wait another 30 min before you try again. Always start by checking this way if she is actually hungry before you place the bottle on her lips.
4, try feeding her when she's asleep/ sleepy from waking from a nap, and not before a nap when lots of babies are v sensitive. Many babies care less about what bottle they are offered when they just has a good rest and still sleepy. Worth a try!
5, Check the milks temperature and try different temps. She might have had a change of preference? She might have preferred her milk luke warm, but now more likes warm- try! Also, when feeding time is not going great and is a it dragged out the milk obviously go cold. If you don't want to reheat, put 20-30 ml in 3 different bottles and heat as you keep trying!
6, Ask for help! Maybe granny or a friend can try feed her if feeding time is nowadays quite a stressful time for both you and your baby. You might both think 'oh no here we go again'... Do ask if you have someone happy to help around you!
Wishing you best of luck! Keep trying!
Kind Regards,
Hanna
