Baby Resisting Food

My daughter did the exact same thing around 4 months...the culprit...TEETH!! I started rubbing Hyland's Teething gel 10-15 minutes before feeding time, and voila, problem solved. If that doesn't work, call the pedi!

GOOD LUCK!
J.

She is having severe reflux and or sensory issues. CHeck for food allergies too. She may not be able to coordinate her SSB (suck, swallow, breathe reflex). Check this immediately by an OT or it will be huge issues later with talking, learning, social etc..

I have no real advise other then talk to your doctor. The way you describe this is a bit too vague. You don't say how long ago was her previous feeding, or if she's teething. She could simply not be hungry when you offer her the feeding... I'm just saying the possibilities are endless.
I also wanted to stress to you about those comments about formula/breast. You need to do what is best for you. Not what society pressures you to do. This whole "La Leche league" warriors are really starting to get on my nerves on this site. They are so judgmental it's really disgusting. Specially since you never said what's in the bottle that you're feeding her.

Sorry, my rant is over. Best of luck to you anf your precious baby.

It is possible that your baby is playing with you. Babies need attention and stimulation and they want and need to play with you. Perhaps she needs to be held and played with more.
Another thought was that she may not like her nipple on the bottle. Most bottle makers have choices that you can pick another shape and see if she likes that better. Before You try anything, you really should take her to the Pedia dr. Just to rule out any internal problems. There was a tiny baby at church who had a stomach problem that needed surgery. I hope it is nothing serious and that your litle one is eating well soon.

i would call your ped on this. Sometimes when a baby is teething they turn their head from bottle and breast. But call your ped, they will be better suited to answer to make sure nothing is wrong. Good luck

Is it possible that the baby is having any gas or upset stomach after you get her to drink?

With my babies I had to go try several different types of formula before we found "the one." With my last one we ended up with a specialized prosobi (sp??? Sorry been awhile...

Also it might be the bottle... With all of mine ( and thank goodness for the relative that gave this as a gift to my first) Dr.Browns bottles! Wow what a different and happier babies. Cost abit more but you can't put a price on sanity!

Best wishes!!!

This is not normal. I would get her to a doctor and find out what is going on. She more than likely has a medical problem that is causing this.

T.,

Have you tried going back to the basics....BreastFeeding.

I gave this advice to someone over a year ago...she was having problems breastfeeding.....It may help you as well.

"I'm not an expert and I only have one child (7 yrs old), but I almost feel like I've finally figured out where I was going wrong. First off, think "Happy Thoughts" (tell yourself, it's for the good of the baby)...happy thoughts make your body do some wonderful things...excitement. Then try pumping every 2-3 hours just to see if anything changes, along with consuming lottttssss of beverages (water/milk) just before and while pumping. If you let your baby take a bottle in btwn, you want to get nipples that emulate your breast...NUK nipples by Gerber are the best. This will help with the way your baby receives your breast. And my final suggestion is to go online and find a La Leche League (www.llli.org) in your area to help with this process. They were my last resort and I'll tell you, I wish they had been my first help....they surely subsided my stress level and worries.
Good Luck"

It is NOT normal for a 5 month old to eat when she is asleep. See a doctor

She is teething, I bet. My daughter would "fast" from breastfeeding during the day sometimes when teething, then at night she'd be too tired or hungry to resist anymore. This will pass.

has this been going on for a while now?
if so it sounds like a feeding aversion.
usually a feeding aversion comes from untreated reflux.
I know this, as this is my business:
http://www.mamasource.com/business/14059862321568677889

get to a ped GI, forget your pediatrician, you need a specialist.
It might be also a milk and/or soy protein intolerance, too. NOT LACTOSE intolerance, but an intolerance or actual ALLERGY to milk PROTEIN (and/or soy protein)

if this has JUST started, then perhaps it's teething or something. but sleep-feeding/dream-feeding is a 'classic' sign of a feeding aversion and, if this is what is going on, then your baby needs medicine, from a specialist.

Hi, T.. This is not normal. She may have a sore throat or other problem swallowing or sucking. Check her mouth to see if she has thrush (severe irritation on gums and other surfaces).

She may be teething, too, and her gums may be so sore that she doesn't want to eat. Does she bite? She may be biting things in an effort to soothe the itching and burning on her gums.

Never, NEVER, try to give any person food or liquids when they are not awake. They can choke. Take the baby to the doctor and find out what the problem is.

I hope she recovers very quickly.

Peace,

Syl

I just wanted to second what Kmcdoc M said. Formula is canned, chemically created food. Look for alternatives.

What are you feeding her? If is is formula then this is understandable.
Check for a barley formula, or goats milk, or if not too late breast feed her.
So the deal is she doesn't want it something her body doesn't want. See?
The above will help, best, k

hi T.. you might want to get her checked out for an acid reflux/ and or sensory issues. my son, (now almost three,)went through the same thing, and these are the reasons why he did that.