6 mo going 6-8 hrs w/out eating during day

Help...my 6 month old is going 6-8 hour stretches one time a day without eating. This is what has been happening....nurses at 6 am, cereal with about 1 oz formula at 8:30 or 9:00, then refuses to eat anything until anywhere between 12 and 2. We are in the process of weaning from breastfeeding and have dropped 3 out of 5 feedings so far, but up until 3 days ago, she didn't seem to mind the mix of formula/bmilk she had been getting in the bottle. She is also teething, have tried orajel and tylenol. I am obviously worried....any suggestions out there??

I'd suggest that if mom is with her during the day that she try to nurse more often. Offer it to baby, rather than waiting until she seems hungry. A lot of babies will seem to "stop" eating when you try to switch them to formula. If mom is having trouble breastfeeding, she can search on www.kellymom.com or email me.

Also, how many other times a day is your baby eating? You only covered the morning. Is this her only long stretch or are there other times? Remember that an infant should be drinking 2.5oz for every pound of their weight (10lb baby gets 25oz).

Also, you might want to stop using the Orajel, some babies have difficulty eating because Orajel numbs their mouths. Have you tried teething tablets? Those might help with teething pain.

Good luck!