6 Month Old Lite Eater

Your baby will eat when she is hungry! If she is gaining weight and your Dr's are not concerned, I wouldn't be either. Try to make mealtimes more relaxed and don't worry - as long as she is gaining weight and is healthy! You don't want to set up power issues around eating, particularly since she is so young! Babies eat when they are hungry, and they eat until their little tummies are full...
Good Luck!
E.

Hi B.,
Please do not feel that you should be encouraging her to eat. Eating is a natural function, and she will eat when she is hungry. If you have continuing doubts about her weight gain or overall health, stay in touch with your doctor for reassurances. When families make any issue out of how much a child eats, all kinds of poor habits develop, and they last a lifetime. Indeed power struggles over eating often start with the attitude you display starting now. So begin enjoying mealtimes, chat to her, laugh with her, sing to her, and let her eat what her tummy says she needs. Enjoy!

If you are still nursing I'm not sure why you are even bothering to suppliment with formula? Mothers milk is so much more healthy for her, even through toddlerhood since children are such picky eaters. It is the one way to be sure they are getting the complete nutrition they need! That is why the American Association of Pediatrics reccommends nursing be continued until at least two! If she is gaining weight you have nothing to worry about. The reason her nursing slowed down was probably because you were producing well and she had finally learned how to nurse more efficiently. Also, children go through growth spurts and phazes where they will eat a ton for a while, then don't seem to eat much of anything the next week. Do not try to force her to eat solids or formula, that will just create negative associations with food. My daughter was not even interested in solids until she was almost a year. She nursed almost exclusively until then and was always high on the growth chart...still nursing at 20 months though not nearly as much with rave reviews from the doctor. Your body knows exactly how much your daughter needs and will produce accordingly with her demand.

Hi, B.. My daughter is 2 days older than yours, and she was not a good eater either. I could go 4+ hours without feeding her and it wouldn't bother her, and just as you stated, I could feed her 2 ounces every 2 hours, or 4 ounces every 4 hours, and she wouldn't drink more than that. We introduced solids early (per the advice of our pediatrician, because she was not gaining a lot of weight). This is what we now do, and it works well for us -and she definitely looks "healthier" now. Maybe it will work for you.

6 AM = 5 oz. formula (she drinks anywhere from 3-5 oz.)
9 AM = 4 oz. formula + 1/2 stage 1 pkg of fruit and some oatmeal cereal (she usually does well at eating the food, but doesn't always drink her bottle)
12 NOON = 6 oz. formula (drinks 5-6 of that - initially she didn't, but she does now).
4 PM = 4 oz. formula + 1/2 stage 1 pkg of vegetable and some oatmeal cereal (usually does really well at this feeding)
7/7:15 PM = 6 oz. formula (drinks anywhere from 4-7 oz. at this feeding).

Then she goes to bed. I really think she started eating better in the day when we stopped feeding her in the night (no more feedings after 7:15 PM until 6 AM).

Hope this helps.

Your doctor is right. Not to worry and after all she is gaining. My now 17 month old son went through that phase a few times. It did not last and he started eating more all on his own. I understand your worry & anxiety though since I did go through it not that long ago. But you really should have waited until she was 6 months before feeding solid food. There are many reasons for that but also before 6 months they really just need the breast milk and/or formula not solids. Now that she is 6 months & eating solids you may notice she is drinking less too. But as my pedi said baby food is made with water so you don't have to worry about dehydration that was another one of my concerns. I bet you will notice soon she is eating more & you can rest assured it was a phase & she is fine.

When you say your daughter fights you on eating how do you mean? How much does she weigh? Does she seem uncomfortable when she eats? I have a 6 month old also, but he fell off of the growth chart and we have been struggling to figure out why. I just changed doctors and this new one believes either he's not tolerating the formula well or he has reflux. He actually will take in about 30 ounces plus of formula a day though. He doesn't always seem to be hungry though and sometimes he'll push the bottle away. This is part of the reason his new doctor is thinking perhaps a reflux problem. He doesn't spit up a lot, but when he does it's usually 3 hours after having eaten.

My other question though is if you are still breastfeeding her how do you know she's not getting more than 24 ounces a day? You said that she gets a bottle after you breastfeed. So the 2 ounces of formula she's taking might just be topping her off. Perhaps she's actually getting 4-6 ounces of breastmilk from you. But really if she's growing well and she's meeting all of her milestones then there's probably nothing to worry about. But if you think something is making her uncomfortable and causing her to eat less I would talk to the doctor. Ask to see her growth plotted on a growth chart and just explain to them your concerns. Good luck.

By the way, my son turned 6 months on the 1st of May so I guess our baby's are very close in age ;).

Dear B., If you are still nursing your daughter 3 times a day, I would put money on it that she is getting enough through that. You don't know for sure how much she is getting during each feeding while nursing, so the " Bubba " is probably a bonus. Plus, she gets solid foods now too. I wouldn't be too worried if she is gaining weight and the Dr. isn't concerned. If you stop nursing and the same thing happens ( which I doubt), that might be time to be a bit more concerned with her nutritional intake. Good luck and God bless.

My daughter is 5 months old and is also a very light eater. She is exclusively breastfed, but I don't think she gets as many ounces as recommended in a day either. She is 12 1/2 pounds. she nurses for about 3-4 min each side at a feeding and nurses between every 1 1/2 -2 hrs. She sleeps through the night sometime, and sometimes not. Your daughter will eat if she is hungry. One way you should be able to tell if your daughter is hungry is if she is unusually fussy. Some days my daughter gets really fussy when she hasn't eaten enough and I have to give her a bottle of expressed milk. If she is not eating a lot but is happy and content and is gaining weight, then you shouldn't have a need to worry. As long as she is on her weight curve and not dropping, she is probably fine. I would just monitor her eating and weight and watch for any mood changes that could be due to hunger. But i do know how you feel, it is a little nerveracking when they are not eating what they should, but every baby is different and it sounds like your baby is like mine...just a light eater. I hope this helps calm your nerves a little. Good luck and feel free to get in touch with me if you need to talk to someone who is going through the same thing :)

Sounds to me like she is ok. If she is eating solids fine, nusing and having formula and gaining weight - I wouldnt worry either.

I went throught this whole thing where I thought my dd should be eating more than she was and then I was told how little her stomach actually was. She was eating appropriately. (I still wonder occasionally)

What is your letdown like? Is it immediate? At 5 -6 mos, your dd has established your milk supply to a point were she can get a lot of milk in the matter of minutes. At that point they are efficient eaters.

Also at 6 mos she could be going through another growth spurt. (It might explain the frequent mini nursing sessions)

How many ounces is she drinking? How do you know she isnt getting enough ounces if you are still BFing?? (there is no way to measure it in ounces unless she is getting BM in bottles only)

Breastfed babies eat only what they need when they need it. They are different than formula fed babies in the fact that a formula baby will eat an 8 ounce bottle all at once and a breastfed baby will have a sip here and there and then nurse for two hours.

Is your baby having enough wet/dirty diapers?

Check out this website... maybe it will have some answers for you.... http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

Hi B.,

As long as your little one is gaining weight and thriving you have nothing to worry about, other than having to feed her every 2 hours. I would try and strech that out gradually for your own sanity.

Good luck!!

P.S. It is YOUR choice if you want to formula or breast feed. Don't let anyone sway your decision, you are doing what you feel is best for you and your child. Formula is not poison.

Hi B.! My little girl is the same way. She is now 10 mo. old, and still only taking about 4-5 oz each feeding. Now that she is on solids, I try to give her the bottle right after, as to get a little more time between meals. As worried as we are, the dr.'s are right- if she is gaining weight, and wetting diapers very consistently, she is good. My peanut is only in the 10th percentile for height and weight, as your girl probably is too. Her dr. said she is right on, even slightly advanced in all of her mobile and social skills, so she wasn't worried. I'm sure your dr. feels the same way. I know I'm not giving you much advice, I just wanted you to know that you're not alone in your worry, and that there are many different versions of "normal". It is actually a good thing I think, that our babies know exactly when they are full, and don't keep eating because it is there. -A habit I wish I would emulate more often! Good Luck Honey!

If she is gaining weight and the DR's are not concerned, cause she is in fact gaining weight try not to worry, sounds like she is fine.

I do think, it does sound like with her age, and the amounts that she will soon have a growth spurt.

I understand your frustration, and worry. When my son was a baby, he never liked a bottle, and I would sit there 45min for him to drink one 5-6oz bottle!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, it would drive me crazy, not knowing if I should just stop after 15min, or just sit and wait........

Just keep an eye on her weight and if she only eats that much it is all you can do........ Just offer it to her, she will take what she needs.
Best of Luck