Formula advice please!

[usernoidea]

My hv has recommended I try my baby on thicker milk to try to space out is nighttime feeds. He currently feeds every 2 1/2 hours during the night and she thinks with the amount that he is taking during the day that he should now be able to be going for longer during the night
Do any of you have any advice for me please thanks in advance x

[IwillrunIwillfly]

How old is your baby? Personally I don't like thickened milk. Theres lots on the market and are normally called 'hungry baby milk' and I think are all mostly the same in terms of nutrition. What kind of milk is he on now? If possible i'd say try to stick to the same brand (I.e. aptamil etc) if there's an equivilant milk.

[usernoidea]

Thanks for your reply my boy is seven weeks old and currently on the newborn aptamil. He's feeding almost every 2.5 hours, taking 5oz at a time so I've no idea why he's not feeling fuller for longer! Hence the suggestion if trying a slightly thicker milk to see if that helps!

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

Sorry to break it to you, but DD2 ate every 2 hours day and night for the first 6 months or so! she naturally started spacing out her feeds herself and slept longer stretches at a time til sleeping through.

Your baby is growing and developing at an exceptional rate, they need food to sustain this.

I'd ignore your HV and take your cues from your baby.

[TitsCrossed]

I agree, you just have to roll with it unfortunately! Baby will space feeds out naturally.

[TitsCrossed]

And hungry baby formula has no extra nutrition or calories. It is simply harder for your baby to digest so it sits for longer in the stomach.

[OohNoDooEy]

It goes one of two ways really. You have a baby that will tank up during the day and then go longer at night or you have a baby that will feed at the same intervals, day and night.

When you have one of those, try and space out the feeding in the daytime so that they can then do 4 hour stretches at nighttime too. If you can get to feeding at 7,11,3,7,11,3 you will only be doing one night feed. DS was one of those - he carried on with the 3am feed until night weaned but dropped the 11pm feed when he was about 4 months old.

[Shurelyshomemistake]

That's not particularly helpful advice from the HV. What does she mean by 'thicker formula' anyway?? It's totally normal for babies to wake that often for feeding. It's hard but before you know it he will be going for longer stretches.

[IScreamYouScream]

He sounds fine and normal op. If he is happy, then stick with what you are doing. There is no 'should' where babies are concerned so be wary of anyone who says he 'should' be feeding/sleeping a certain way at this age.

[Shurelyshomemistake]

If you are artificially creating longer 4 hour gaps between feeds than the baby would request naturally, then you are by definition making them take more in one sitting than they're designed to. Teaching them from very little to ignore feelings of being full is not very healthy.

[mrsmugoo]

Your HV's "opinion" on the spaces between your baby's feeds are irrelevant. 7 weeks is so very tiny. Feed on demand.

[MummaBear31]

My HV told me hungry baby milks are just marketing crap! Just feed on demand and baby will start to space feeds out longer as they get older...

My ds in 3 months now, still feeds 3 hourly ish in the daytime but sleeps 8pm-6am. Could be fluke though! Good Luck and enjoy snuggly newborn cuddles

[SmallBee]

My 12 week old DS is only going every three hours in between feeds in the day. I don't think your seven week olds feeding habits sound unusual. Have you tried offering another ounce or two?

[mrsmugoo]

"Only" 3 hours between feeds?

I've only ever EBF so to me it just seems like such a long time to make a baby go without any food/drink :(