Advice on formula feeding & daytime naps?

Silvana - posted on 02/24/2009

i'm using playtex ventaire bottles and they are great! there are two kinds of nipple speeds fast and slow..

ADJ - posted on 02/24/2009

Quoting Emily:

My doctor said all babies have some reflux & that can cause fussiness but did not diagnose her with acid reflux. He said try feeding her less more often. She's not gassy at all; she just cries and cries & seems like I can't do anything to make her happy. Any more suggestions on bottle & formula brands? She started on similac advance then we switched to enfamil gentlease b/c she was constipated. We've had her on the enfamil since 6 days old.

She was constipated! That is a definite sign for a protein allergy. I did a ton of research online when Jackson was having his problems with reflux/spitting up/constipation, and constipation is one of the lesser known symptoms. We tried him on soy, and it helped for a day or 2, but then it came right back. Apparently, if a baby is intolerant to milk protein, they are most likely intolerant to soy as well. I told all of this to the pediatrician, and she was kind of surprised. She was like, "Oh wow! That definitely sounds like what it is!" But I had to bring it up before they would mention it.

We have also tried a chiropractor with our little ones, and it did seem to make a significant difference. This has worked for a couple of other moms I know as well.

Hopefully you will get to the bottom of it soon, it can be so frustrating when you know there is something wrong, and the doctors just say something like: "She'll grow out of it eventually".

Good luck! :)

Emily - posted on 02/24/2009

Oh, I did forget to mention that she is on the slowest flow nipple. The dr. said not to switch that to a bigger one til right at 3 months so I'm waiting to do that.

Emily - posted on 02/24/2009

Thanks for all the advice. I switched her formula to Similac Alimentum last night & she seems happier already. It's the liquid kind which seems thicker & much less stress on me not having to worry whether I'm mixing the exact amount of powder & water to make her happy. I just switched to dr. brown's bottles this morning - she was on the soothie bottle before - and she struggled a little with the nipple since it's totally different than the soothie. She's only had her morning feeding so far so I'm curious to see how the rest of the day goes. At any rate - I really appreciate all the helpful advice & suggestions. It's great to know there are so many moms out there who are willing to help!

Maggie - posted on 02/24/2009

it sounds like she's not digesting her formula very well. have you tried a soy based formula? if not i suggest giving that a go. what nipple are you on for your bottle. if it's too high she just might be getting too much. switch to a lower flow nipple. i don't think the bottle itself would do it, but if it is, i use the avent bottles and they are amazing. love them!

as for nap time. try putting her in a swing after you burp her and put it on the highest setting and see if that helps for naps. i know that worked for my daughter when she was that young. help put us into a schedule.

i hope you find something that works. good luck.

Silvana - posted on 02/23/2009

and about the bottles we had the ones from Born free..and w did good

  "Shopping for baby bottles has become a hard and slightly scary process these days, with all the studies about Bisphenol-A coming to surface.  The last thing a parent wants to worry about is whether their child’s baby bottle could be making them sick.  BornFree is committed to bringing parents a healthier bottle.  When purchasing these baby bottles, you can breath easier knowing that your child will be drinking from a Bisphenol-A free bottle.   Their bottle systems come complete with new air vents that help to eliminate colic symptoms- definitely another source of good news for parents!  Each bottle comes with a level one nipple and cover."

Silvana - posted on 02/23/2009

i think you sould trie the "My organic baby" formula..its the best ..see wich one she will like...the regular one or with soy or something.Is the period when the babys have lots of gasses ..and lots of  tummy pain. go at the famracy and look for medicine for tummy pains i think i gave my son Ovol...i cant rememer right.My little boy used to sleap 2-3 hours when he was 2 months old..and 3 was awake...then again 3 hour sleap. now he is allmost 11 months and he sleaps one or 2 time a day..but he sleaps all night since he was 4 months.

  ..so the best i think you sould try My organic baby... before i used to give my son Good start from Nesttle and we change with enfamil ...and hes tummy was very upsad until i gave him that.   its a bit hard to find this formula..I dont know where are you from..but if you are in Canada.... you can find at Superstore ,Babys r us and Shopers drug mart.

Good luck with the little princess!!

Jessica - posted on 02/23/2009

Oh and please if the baby is sleeping you do not need to wake her for any kind of night time feeding. So I saw someone give you that advice and that is a big no no. Nobody wakes you up in the middle of the night to feed you so you don't have to do that with a baby. Just an idea.

Jessica - posted on 02/23/2009

You should just try different bottles. I used the ones with bags in them that you have to squeeze the air out of. We loved them. They were a lot easier to clean. It may also not be the bottle but the formula. It sounds like she might have some air in her tummy. Another thing is, you don't have to have her on an exact schedule like that. She will let you know when she is hungry. As far as the naps during the day, try getting her to nap around the same time everyday. Like 12:00 noon for example. If you give her a bottle then and rock her to sleep or even put her in her crib while she is still awake. Shut off the lights and let her fall asleep. I was always told that it's good to put them in their cribs while they were still partially awake. This teaches them to fall asleep on their own. It's a very difficult process but it's a matter of repetition. If you do the same thing everyday than she will eventually get it. If she isn't hungry than just wait until she is. Try a few more bottles and see if there is any change. Sometimes that's just the way it is. They have a mind of their own and they aren't always going to cooporate with you. Good luck with everything!

Brenda - posted on 02/23/2009

My son is the same way. We moved him onto Enfamil Gentle ease for the same reasons. He's not as bad anymore, but he squirms around a ton and gets so upset when we take the bottle away to burp him. Then he burps and he's okay for a moment or 2 then either wants more or acts full.. just like you say. Sometimes tummy rubs are good. Infants Mylicon gas drops work wonders for him. And alot of the time he's still gassy and we have to keep burping him even later because he still has gas bubbles left in him. Its very frustrating... but we just gotta keep dealing with it somehow. Those are just two things that have somewhat helped the situation. Infants mylicon is sooo great you can use it at every feeding too!! good luck!

Katie - posted on 02/23/2009

I've read alot of the responses, so I hope you find this helpful. I did go to the slow nipples (we used Playtex) and that seemed to really help. My son was sleeping through the night at 5 or 6 weeks, and is now almost three months, and still doing great.  Now that he is eating cereal, we only use the fast nipples for those feedings (usually his late morning bottle, and bedtime bottle) & try to get him to burp at least 4 times a bottle. (He does get very mad when we do this, but we keep burping him anyway) He's taking about 6oz every 3-4 hours. There are days when he only naps for 30 minutes at a time, but he is not fussy during the time that he's awake. However some days he does get a good 2hr nap in .. it just depends on his day. Hope this is helpful.

Danielle - posted on 02/23/2009

Quoting Sherron:

This is most definitely a milk situation...try changing the formula to something thicker....perhaps liquid form and not powder...that baby is hungry...yes he/she is eating but when she eats she is not enough in substance instead of portion...perhaps you can stick with the same 3-6 oz every 3-4 hours but something more filling so that when she burps she is satisfied and happy!...try it!

I agree.. I noticed a big difference between the powdered and liquid versions of formula.  We had tried using the powdered variation of the formula we were using, and in the end it made him gassier and crankier. I think  it contributed to the fact that we had to shake and stir the bottles alot to help the powder dissolve and creating little air bubbles in the formula while he was drinking it.. and he seemed to be taking alot more of it as well. 

Sherron - posted on 02/23/2009

This is most definitely a milk situation...try changing the formula to something thicker....perhaps liquid form and not powder...that baby is hungry...yes he/she is eating but when she eats she is not enough in substance instead of portion...perhaps you can stick with the same 3-6 oz every 3-4 hours but something more filling so that when she burps she is satisfied and happy!...try it!

Danielle - posted on 02/23/2009

Maybe stay consistent with a brand of formula as well. It will take a while, but her digestion needs to adjust to the different supplements in each formula. So expect a little crankiness for the first week or so when switching.

Keep in mind, if you keep switching she might have a harder time growing accustom to her formula.

Amanda - posted on 02/23/2009

This may sound strange, but maybe you should try a good chiropractor (one that preferably uses the activator method)? Sometimes digestion issues can be helped by relieving subluxations around the digestive tract. My son has been seen by a chiropractor regularly since he was in the womb:) When he's really cranky I've taken him to get adjusted and he's back to normal in no time. They can help with a lot of things: ear aches, gas, colic, etc.

Emily - posted on 02/23/2009

My doctor said all babies have some reflux & that can cause fussiness but did not diagnose her with acid reflux. He said try feeding her less more often. She's not gassy at all; she just cries and cries & seems like I can't do anything to make her happy. Any more suggestions on bottle & formula brands? She started on similac advance then we switched to enfamil gentlease b/c she was constipated. We've had her on the enfamil since 6 days old.

Amanda - posted on 02/23/2009

I'm usually of the mindset that you should not wake a sleeping child. All nappers are different, and all days are different depending on what they're going through-- teething, growing, etc. I think the length really depends on her sleeping needs.

Stacy - posted on 02/23/2009

if she crying lots and having problem with fed it some a bit of collic . as sky was very bad temper at feding time and gone taes lot and cry 90% of the day . but after nan gave her some 2 relife her wind she was better at fedding and sleeping

Danielle - posted on 02/23/2009

My son is also formula feeding..

We use Nestle Goodstart formula with the Omegas and Whey protein. The Whey is suppose to establish a different type of concentration so it is easier to digest for little tummies. After switching formulas we've noticed a great change with his gassiness. Also keep in mind that formulas will be harder on their tummies because it will be a different consistency from what they are suppose to have in them.

What I did to establish my routine, first off, is by making sure that I keep it fairly constant will what times he'd get his feeding. After his second feeding of the day (probably around 11-12,) I would load him up in his carseat and go out for a drive. He would fall asleep in his carseat because of the hum and vibrations of the car. After doing that for about a week I stopped loading him up because I didn't want him to rely on a car-ride for his naps. And gradually he'd start getting sleepy on his own after his second bottle.

Jack would fuss mainly because he was gassy. Have you tried Gripe water? If you decide to try it, make sure that you get the non-alcoholic stuff because believe it or not they use to have alcohol in them.

I've found if you notice her arching her back she might be gassy. I would recommend the playtex bottles, either with "drop in's" or the "Venti air". I would start with the drop-ins because I found with our son he wasn't sucking strong enough to vent the air through the back of the bottle with the Venti Air..

I would also check to see the nipple flow. With the Playtex brands you can change the speed of the milk flow. I would try the variable first. That way if she is hungrier, it will depend on how hard she is sucking on the nipple.

Shannon - posted on 02/23/2009

Maybe their is a bigger burp stuck try some gas drops burp more often through the feeding. Don't try to get in a routine schedule at this age just do what she wants you cant spoil her she will know that her needs are meet. What may help with the over tierdness is to put her in a baby sling so she is next to you and should sleep that way.Than eventually she will sleep during the day. Or try going for a car ride or the swing.

I know all babies are diferent my 2 where the complete opposites. My first one was colic and I tried to stay on a routine and my second would sleep all the time and I just did what he wanted. Now that the 2nd one is 11 months he take 2 naps during the day and sleeps 14 hours at night. good luck! hope she feels better

ADJ - posted on 02/23/2009

It sounds to me like reflux. Have you asked the pediatrician about it? Both of my kids had this big time! With my daughter, there was no relief until we put her on Zantac. After that, she was a great eater. With my son, it was caused by milk protein and soy protein. We switched to Similac Alimentum formula, and within 2 days he was like a new baby. It's expensive formula, so I would suggest trying one can of it, to see if it makes a difference, and if it does, get a prescrip. from the doctor and sign up for WIC. NOTE: it wasn't a lactose problem, it was a protein problem.

As far as the sleeping goes: at this age, she should still be getting 2-3 naps a day. Here is the schedule I followed:

Wake up in the morning, she gets a bottle right away. Aprox. 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours after wakeup time, goes down for a nap.

2 1/2 -3 hours after first feeding: another bottle.

Approx. 1 - 2 hours after last nap: time for another nap.

2 1/2-3 hrs. after last feeding: another bottle.

(By this time it's about 4:30 or 5:00) Time for a short nap-about 30 minutes to get her through the evening without the fussies.

2 1/2-3 hours after last feeding: another bottle.

Play time for another hour and a half to 2 hours, then down to bed. She might need a bottle here, as well.

About 10:00: time for a "dream feed". This is where you give her a bottle without really waking her up. Get her out of bed and feed her in the dark, then put her right back to bed.

Is she still waking up at night? If so, then feed her another "dream feed." However, she shouldn't need more than 1 night feeding at this point, and by 3-4 months, on this schedule, the middle of the night feeding can be eliminated.

ONE MORE THING: This is not a watch the clock routine! Feed your baby when you think she's hungry, by all means, even if the clock says it isn't time.

This is the schedule that worked wonders for my son, he was sleeping through the night at 12 weeks, without my even trying. And everybody is amazed by how happy he is all the time! I just attribute it to the fact that he gets enough sleep.

If you would like more info on this system, its a very gentle one,  let me know!

Amanda - posted on 02/23/2009

What she says about formula is very true! It doesn't break down as easily, which makes them think they are still hungry!

Sandra - posted on 02/23/2009

i dont know for sure but maybe the formula is to strong for her and it upsets her tummy. i did use enfamil to but i used the A+, and my son never had a problem. my sister in law however used the same forumal and her twins started doing the samthing , she took them to the doctor and they told her to switch to soy milk to see what happened and they were fine after that, i dont know maybe you could ask your doctor about it and see what he/she says. good luck and i wish i could help out more.

Lindsey - posted on 02/23/2009

Hi... We have had similar problems with our daughter who is 3 months, and I had these issues with my son when he was around the same age. We use the Advent bottles, and have found they have always been best for helping us get through these problems. Also, we learned this time around, that with formula feedings, a lot of problems babies have is they feel like they are hungrier than they are, so they tend to overeat, which in turn leads to discomfort afterwards. The reason why they get so upset when you try to burp them is that the air pockets in their stomach can tend to make them feel like they are still hungry, even though they are not. So the best thing you can do is set her on a limit of formula, at 2 months we had our daughter on 4 oz, and then try to stretch them as close to 4 hours between feedings as possible, so that they are breaking down an ounce an hour. Which is what is recommended. With the advent bottles, they have "stage" nipples, so you move them to slower or faster nipples, depending on what helps them eat better. Those are really the only suggestions I have. The first couple of days might be rough, because it takes a while for them to realize that they're full right off the bat. But it's been working for us. I hope that's been helpful. It's the only suggestions I really have. Also, formular teaks longer to break down than breastmilk, so when they get too much in their tummy's, they are uncomfortable a lot longer.

Amanda - posted on 02/23/2009

I worked in an infant room for two years before becoming a mom (which has been such a blessing just let me say), and I found that some advice I got when I started was really just amazing. I was told that for babies things are usually on about an every two hour or so schedule. It really is true for the most part!



So, maybe try to get her on a schedule by feeding her when she wakes in the morning and then again around two hours later (this may mean less ounces at a time, but it will help her to then get through a nap better because she has eaten more overall). Then, a nap. At this age it is not unheard of for them to take up to three naps a day even:)



If you find she's gassy you could try wrapping a receiving blanket around her stomach just tight enough to relieve the pressure while she naps.



Also, I've found that boys generally nap better than girls. A lot of the girls I worked with just did not like to nap! So, to make sure she doesn't get overstimulated you could try having her lay in a quiet room for short periods. She may not like this, and she may cry to begin with but she should be old enough to leave her in her crib to cry for about 5-10 mins before going to get her (which you can expand as she gets a little older to 15mins and so on)-- this will at least give her some time to de-stimulate.