[crsta33]

I babysit a 6 month old formula fed girl. It never fails, about 2 ounces in to a 4 ounce bottle she starts to scream. Writhing, flailing obviously miserable. The child is very gassy and seems quite constipated (her poops are small, hard, difficult to pass, and infrequent). I mentioned this to her mother and she said she thinks she's "tired of the bottle" and ready for baby food.

I've kept the baby since she was 6 weeks old, but had the summer off. She was very fussy when mom made the switch from breastmilk to formula and began having poop difficulties then.

I feel like I'm not getting enough food into her...her mother says she takes 6 ounce bottles at home and I generally don't get more than 2 in her at a sitting. When she starts to cry, I sit her up and burp her, which helps, but if I try to give her the bottle again it starts up again.

What am I doing "wrong"?

Christa

 

[nighten]

Is it a dairy-based or soy-based formula? Sounds like she's having a reaction to it regardless (gas, crying) and is dehydrated to boot (constipation, etc.). The mother's response is horrifying to me.

The baby obviously needs to switch to a formula that she can digest easily. If it's dairy-based, try soy. If it's soy-based, try the one that's neither (it's expensive but there is one -- I just don't know the name).

And even after introducing solids, she STILL needs to be on a formula for several months, yes? (Sorry to be ignorant about that, but we EBF our little one.)

Babies don't get "tired of" fomula. This one needs serious help. As does her mother.

Frankly her attitude is negligent.

Bless your heart for caring for the child's best interest and paying attention to her needs.

 

[Lolafanana]

YOU are not doing anything wrong. In fact, you are so sweet coming here to ask for advice on a baby who is not yours. I would be ECSATIC to have someone taking care of my baby who cared so much. That said, could the baby be needing more mommy time? Could she be acting that way not so much because of the formula but because she misses feeling close with her mommy? I know that My dd simply WON"T eat if there is not a boob up for grabs. DH has tried to give me a well deserved break and when trying to give her breastmilk in a bottle, she refuses and squirms, arches her back, etc. She just prefers to wait for the real thing and the closeness that goes along with that.

I don't know just a thought

 

[Persephone]

This situation is less than ideal, obviously, but to me, it sounds like the little one is dehydrated. With the mother's permission, could you maybe offer water? Or heck, even pedialyte. I would try to do this after she'd had some formula, but before she started fussing. I agree with trying a different formula, too. I wish there was some way to get some breastmilk into that baby. To help with the gas, have you tried gripe water? Maybe a homeopathic colic remedy would help? (I don't think she's colicky, but depending on the homeopathic used, it could help.)

 

[krizty]

Courtney was doing this at daycare when we got back from our month long vacation. She would eat great for me. If anyone else wanted to feed her she was not having it. Maybe a little of it is stranger anxiety? What solids is the baby eating? Is she eating too many solids that cause constipation? Maybe she needs less rice, bananas and other things known to cause constipation. Is she teething? Teething will cause the same reaction. Is she overly tired? It took Courtney a month to readjust to going to a daycare even though she knew the ladies quite well prior to the vacation.

 

[crsta33]

The constipation has been a problem for this baby since she started formula at around 6 weeks. She wouldn't take it well then...actually at all for awhile unless it was mixed with breastmilk.

She eats no solids yet, so that's not the problem. It's powdered milk-based formula. I kept a baby last year that was constipated only if on powdered formula, the liquid concetrate stuff of the same kind she did better on. But this mother isn't all that open to suggestions like that and frankly seems to think the baby is doing fine. So I'm guessing she doesn't do at home what she does here.

The readjustment makes sense...she probably does miss mama after being home with her all summer. I had a break through yesterday...I warmed the bottle and she took it really well. We'll see if that holds true today as well.

Thanks for all the help! Just having someone to "talk" to about this makes it easier to deal with.

Christa