InfantReflux.Org Forums: Eating more at Night

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hydsterg
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Joined: 13 November 2008
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Topic: Eating more at Night
Posted: 23 March 2009 at 10:59pm

My LO eats small amounts of formula but frequently so she never really has a huge meal...but at 7 before bed she will down a 6 or 7 oz. bottle then up at 10 or 11 to eat another 5 or 6...then between 2 and 5 will eat 5 to 7. Why can't she eat like that during the day? I don't know if she will ever sleep through the night if she doesn't start to eat more through the day...anyone elses LO do this? We are on prevacid which we give her half a tab at night and domperidone at least twice a day...we try for more.

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hellbennt
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Posted: 25 March 2009 at 9:09pm

http://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12680&PID=103879#103879

~laura~
Jonah 7/03:GERDfree@12mos! Silent Reflux@birth(apnea episodes/NICU);Past Sandifer Symptoms, breastfed->15mos
Ari 7/06 REFLUX FREE, so miracles do happen!

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s&h's mum
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Location: Canada
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Posted: 26 March 2009 at 7:57am

Sorry I'm late to reply. I have to drop off the kids, but will try to post back sometime during the day.

LORI, mom to:

Sarah-09/03-My sweet princess.

Hailey-05/05- My funny little girl. 4 years old, but still my baby.
Past feeding aversion. Now typical eater, off prevacid for 1.5 years!

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s&h's mum
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Joined: 30 October 2005
Location: Canada
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Posts: 5798

Posted: 26 March 2009 at 9:34am

It would help if you could give more info about your lo. Like, what meds is she on, how do you give them, how old is she, what is her feeding behaviour like in the day, what's it like at night, etc.

I think the first big question is how old is your daughter? Smaller babies will wake every few hours to feed at night just as in the day. Older ones usually start sleeping longer stretches at night, reducing feedings, and taking more in during the day. Also, how much they take during a feed is related to their age as well.

The more important question is what's her feeding behaviour like during the day? You say that she doesn't eat much per feed. But does she approach the bottle willingly and eagerly, give cues that she is hungry, feed well until 2-3 ounces, and then stop? Or does she cry when she sees the bottle, or suck frantically and then pull off, or arch or cry or twist or pull away during a feed, or scream? What happens after the 2-3 ounces? Is she content and then just stops?

If she is exhibiting any of the reflux signs during feeds in the day, does she do this at night as well?

If she is feeding well during the day but stopping at 2 ounces, it may be that she's feeding too much at night and just not hungry for big feeds during the day.

More likely though, I suspect that your daughter has fallen into a pattern of sleep feeding. Some refluxers who have pain with feeding are able to eat better when they are sleepy because they're more relaxed and less cognizant of the discomfort. My daughter was like this. During the day she'd scream, pull off, arch, gag, cough, twist away- take a few sucks for about half an ounce, and then refuse to go back. It was painful- taking hours just to get her to take an ounce or so. At night, she would take abuot 2-4 ounces in a good sitting must faster and with less difficulty, but still not great. We eventually fell into a pattern of sleep feeding during the day and night, and it was terrible b/c that's the only way she would eventually eat. She needed to be sleepy during the day or at night, or there was no chance that she would take anything.

I guess my convoluted answer is that I need more information to give a better guess as to what's going on with your daughter. If you can tell us more, that will help.

Good luck.

LORI, mom to:

Sarah-09/03-My sweet princess.

Hailey-05/05- My funny little girl. 4 years old, but still my baby.
Past feeding aversion. Now typical eater, off prevacid for 1.5 years!

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hydsterg
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Joined: 13 November 2008
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Posts: 24

Posted: 26 March 2009 at 1:50pm

She is on 1/2 tab of prevacid and about 2 to 3 times of Domperidone a day. She will be 8 mos. in two weeks. She has reflux and I know she has always had a hard time downing 4 to 8 oz. bottles ever. But lately she is eating so little that the dr. told me to offer the bottle more ... which I had been doing...but she just won't eat...so I have been feeding her to nap and that is when she will down 4, 5 or 6 oz. So I try to do this twice (since she naps twice) and hope to get her calories in her that way. She only weights 15 lbs. because she hardly eats..but now we're on solids so that is helping her gain the weight as well...she does get 30 oz. of formula in a 24 hour period so basically from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. she eats almost every 2 hours and eats anywhere from 2 to 3 oz. She will eat and then just stop. Sometimes she still seems hungry but just won't eat. She used to arch her back but she hardly does that anymore I think due to the meds. She still gets up at night sometimes in pain...gas for sure. We have her on a HYPO formula due to a Milk/Soy intolerance. She definitely eats better when she is going down for a nap and swaddled and bedtime. Thanks.

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Sandifer's Syndrome
InfantReflux.Org Forums : Special Topics : Sandifer's Syndrome

Author	Message
hydsterg Newbie Joined: 13 November 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 24	Topic: Eating more at Night Posted: 23 March 2009 at 10:59pm
	My LO eats small amounts of formula but frequently so she never really has a huge meal...but at 7 before bed she will down a 6 or 7 oz. bottle then up at 10 or 11 to eat another 5 or 6...then between 2 and 5 will eat 5 to 7. Why can't she eat like that during the day? I don't know if she will ever sleep through the night if she doesn't start to eat more through the day...anyone elses LO do this? We are on prevacid which we give her half a tab at night and domperidone at least twice a day...we try for more.

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hellbennt Admin Group Joined: 28 August 2003 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 13402	Posted: 25 March 2009 at 9:09pm
	http://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12680&PID=103879#103879
	~laura~ Jonah 7/03:GERDfree@12mos! Silent Reflux@birth(apnea episodes/NICU);Past Sandifer Symptoms, breastfed->15mos Ari 7/06 REFLUX FREE, so miracles do happen!
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s&h's mum Senior Member Joined: 30 October 2005 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 5798	Posted: 26 March 2009 at 7:57am
	Sorry I'm late to reply. I have to drop off the kids, but will try to post back sometime during the day.
	LORI, mom to: Sarah-09/03-My sweet princess. Hailey-05/05- My funny little girl. 4 years old, but still my baby. Past feeding aversion. Now typical eater, off prevacid for 1.5 years!
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s&h's mum Senior Member Joined: 30 October 2005 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 5798	Posted: 26 March 2009 at 9:34am
	It would help if you could give more info about your lo. Like, what meds is she on, how do you give them, how old is she, what is her feeding behaviour like in the day, what's it like at night, etc. I think the first big question is how old is your daughter? Smaller babies will wake every few hours to feed at night just as in the day. Older ones usually start sleeping longer stretches at night, reducing feedings, and taking more in during the day. Also, how much they take during a feed is related to their age as well. The more important question is what's her feeding behaviour like during the day? You say that she doesn't eat much per feed. But does she approach the bottle willingly and eagerly, give cues that she is hungry, feed well until 2-3 ounces, and then stop? Or does she cry when she sees the bottle, or suck frantically and then pull off, or arch or cry or twist or pull away during a feed, or scream? What happens after the 2-3 ounces? Is she content and then just stops? If she is exhibiting any of the reflux signs during feeds in the day, does she do this at night as well? If she is feeding well during the day but stopping at 2 ounces, it may be that she's feeding too much at night and just not hungry for big feeds during the day. More likely though, I suspect that your daughter has fallen into a pattern of sleep feeding. Some refluxers who have pain with feeding are able to eat better when they are sleepy because they're more relaxed and less cognizant of the discomfort. My daughter was like this. During the day she'd scream, pull off, arch, gag, cough, twist away- take a few sucks for about half an ounce, and then refuse to go back. It was painful- taking hours just to get her to take an ounce or so. At night, she would take abuot 2-4 ounces in a good sitting must faster and with less difficulty, but still not great. We eventually fell into a pattern of sleep feeding during the day and night, and it was terrible b/c that's the only way she would eventually eat. She needed to be sleepy during the day or at night, or there was no chance that she would take anything. I guess my convoluted answer is that I need more information to give a better guess as to what's going on with your daughter. If you can tell us more, that will help. Good luck.
	LORI, mom to: Sarah-09/03-My sweet princess. Hailey-05/05- My funny little girl. 4 years old, but still my baby. Past feeding aversion. Now typical eater, off prevacid for 1.5 years!
	IP Logged

hydsterg Newbie Joined: 13 November 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 24	Posted: 26 March 2009 at 1:50pm
	She is on 1/2 tab of prevacid and about 2 to 3 times of Domperidone a day. She will be 8 mos. in two weeks. She has reflux and I know she has always had a hard time downing 4 to 8 oz. bottles ever. But lately she is eating so little that the dr. told me to offer the bottle more ... which I had been doing...but she just won't eat...so I have been feeding her to nap and that is when she will down 4, 5 or 6 oz. So I try to do this twice (since she naps twice) and hope to get her calories in her that way. She only weights 15 lbs. because she hardly eats..but now we're on solids so that is helping her gain the weight as well...she does get 30 oz. of formula in a 24 hour period so basically from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. she eats almost every 2 hours and eats anywhere from 2 to 3 oz. She will eat and then just stop. Sometimes she still seems hungry but just won't eat. She used to arch her back but she hardly does that anymore I think due to the meds. She still gets up at night sometimes in pain...gas for sure. We have her on a HYPO formula due to a Milk/Soy intolerance. She definitely eats better when she is going down for a nap and swaddled and bedtime. Thanks.
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