Overfeeding a 4 month old

[Mabmal123]

So I have a four month old since she's been born we've just gone round and round in circles with feeding problems finally in the last week resulting in her being put onto neocate milk, I've just gone to the pharmacy to collect enough to last for the week over Christmas and what they had given me most probably wouldn't have been enough! Every time I go to collect the prescription we have this conversation but the pharmacist has never actually come out to speak to me always it's just said that's all we're giving you so see how you go hopefully you won't run out which I did yesterday resulting in me having to give her normal formula which seems to defeat everything we have been working towards!
Anyway the pharmacist has come out today and basically said if you really are going through that much your feeding her way too much according to the instructions on the tin, this has never even occurred to me I feed her when she crys after trying dummy, nappy change entrainment etc before trying a feed! she's not overweight in fact she's down from her birth centile! And the pharmacist has basically said to me they won't give me the amount she's drinking so I'm going to have to get her to cut it down somehow am I not right in thinking a baby will just drink what they need too I'm not really that fussed about not being able to colllect it from the pharmacy as have just realised you can buy it over the counter at big pharmacys but now I'm just a bit worried and feeling awfull to be honest that I'm feeding her way too much but not really sure what else to do if she's screaming and screaming and the only thing that will stop her is the bottle which she does drink it all she's doesn't just have a little bit for comefort,
Any advice appreciated tia

[Randytortoise]

If she's hungry feed her. Babies can't read instructions so don't know how uh they should or shouldn't be drinking. I would buy more if I were you.

[KP86]

My DS was also a hungry baby. I've told this story before, but he had more than 100ml in one feed on about day 4. Started him on 40, then 20ml top ups until 100. We couldn't believe it, but he screamed and screamed for ages and an extra 20ml got him to sleep for about four hours.

Sometimes they need it. The pharmacist is talking about most babies, not all.

[Mabmal123]

Thank you i need a bit of resurgence the pharmacist has just made me feel awfull suggesting maybe I speak to the health visitor about what I'm not doing well with, she's my second baby no feeding problems with my first but also It never even occurred to me to ready the suggested "serving" I just fed him as and when

[Mabmal123]

*reasurance

[StiginaGrump]

You are doing it right and your baby is growing normally. Can your gp prescribe more?

[Hellmouth]

Every baby is different and a lot of HVs will recommend that you feed on demand. It's really hard to overfeed a baby; if you have, they will usually throw it all back up

[Mabmal123]

I think I will have to go back to the gp/consulatant I was trying to save an appointment for someone who really needed it as I felt this could be arranged with the pharmacist but clearly not although I'm actually considering switching doctors completely now after all of this

[billabye]

Does your prescription not state the amount the GP wants you to have? I didn't think pharmacists got to decide on how much medication to give you.

[SausageSoda]

My DD is on nutramigen and the prescription states the amount. Can you not ask your GP to put it on the prescription?

[Mabmal123]

It was originally a prescription from a consultant who stated to do 6 times a week which was perfect and normally lasted us 7-8 days although she began reacting to this milk after a month and I then went back to my gp who on recomendation from the consulatant started neocate she just said here you are it's on repeat and I took the prescription thinking it would just work the same as before but she had only put one tin on there I think as she just presumed it was on repeat I could just collect when I needed so that's where all the confusion has started

[Mabmal123]

*tins not times

[BeaveredBadgered]

I'm a pharmacist. We can legally only dispense what the dr has prescribed so the amount you receive will be what the prescription states you can get (we can give less on patients request but not more). However, the pharmacist could have contacted your Dr on your behalf and asked for a new prescription for a larger quantity to be prescribed given your baby needs more than the recommended amount. You have not overfed your baby. I'm surprised the pharmacist had led you to believe this and they could have been much more helpful. At the very least they should have referred you to the GP to request a repeat prescription for a larger quantity and the health visitor if they had concerns about your baby's milk consumption.
When my DD was four months she drank about 1050ml formula a day in 7 feeds which I think is quite a lot but she needed it and is exactly 50th centile at 11 months.

[Dangermouse80]

Both children had nutrimigen from six months and both stayed on drinking 7 200ml bottles a day till one years!!!They regulate how much they need and would not finish a bottle of not hungry. This was double the amount prescribed but doctor was just happy to repeat the script weekly instead of fortnightly. They are probably guarding against the unscrupulous people who sell it on eBay!!

[QuackDuckQuack]

You might be able to get a phone consultation with a GP or set it out in writing and ask for them to either provide an updated prescription or call you to discuss.

[Mabmal123]

Thank you all you've made me feel a lot better and as much as I am happy to buy a couple of tins extra I feel I should go to my gp to sort the prescription out I felt stupid and like I was doing something wrong just for feeding her what she needed/wanted! Yes also feel the pharmacist actually didn't believe that's how much she drank that might make sense if your saying people sell it on eBay all though not sure at all who would buy it off there he had suggested I speak to the health visitor although they haven't rang me back so I'm just waiting

[QuackDuckQuack]

I'd just ask the GP to increase the prescription. The HV can't prescribe and you are better off going direct to the GP rather than asking the HV to talk to the GP (if you'd considered that) as you might be waiting ages for that to happen.

[Mabmal123]

I was just trying to do as the pharmacist asked tbh as I was a bit taken a back about the way I felt he spoke to me. Will probably call gp in the morning and try and get a telephone appt as I feel it's a complete waste of normal appt as it's clearly just been a discrepancy in the prescription when switching the milks over

[Caterina99]

Definitely call the GP. I know all practices are different but it's not worth making an appointment over this. Hopefully they will just increase the prescription

DS guzzled loads of milk at 4 months (and now is a big eater as a toddler). He's not oveweight. Thankfully we didn't have prescription formula so not the same issues as you but it cost a fortune. So glad when he turned one and no more formula!

[BeaveredBadgered]

I don't think you'd even need a phone apt with the Dr. I'd ask the receptionist to leave a note for the Dr to increase the quantity on prescription and check when it'll be ready to collect. If you've spoken to the HV, mention this to the receptionist to inform the GP. I've done this on behalf on patients prescribed specialist formula countless times and it's always been approved if a suitable health professional (HV, pharmacist) has checked it's a sensible request.