How do you cluster feed a formula/bottle fed baby?

[Bex174]

Hi all, I'm the proud mummy of 5wk identical twin boys who are today 39wks corrected age (born at 33wks).

They had a months stay in ICU and have been home with me for just over a week now. I formula feed as my milk volumes just never came in, I do still express and manage to get just enough for one breast milk feed by a bottle once a day each.

Since coming home I've had problems with the twins literally screaming the house down from midnight for a good few hours after being fantastically contented all day long. When they do this they proper belly wail, go bright red, occasionally breath hold, draw their legs to their chests, ball their fists, bat at their faces, suck on their hands and if held, they continuously seek for food and wail if none arrives.

It sounds like one of two thing to me - colic which you can do nothing about, or potentially cluster feeding?

I tried giving them another full feed when this is happening but they just vomited the extra back up (and then wailed!), I've tried water but that didn't go down well, I tried water with a bit of formula but that didn't sate them for long, so just wondering if I need to adjust night time feed volumes to allow for this cluster feeding without over feeding?

Currently the larger twin is on 75ml Nutriprem 2 formula 6 times a day (tend to try for 2, 6, 10 feed times but give when demanded around this time)

[lexyloub]

Sounds more like wind and then possibly tired with over tiredness. Try a bit of infacol just before the evening /night feeds

[lexyloub]

Sorry that meant to say crying with over tiredness

[FATEdestiny]

Smaller, more frequent feeds may suit them better? As a tester you could try for 3 hourly daytime feeds, or even 2 hourly, but not worry if they don't finish the bottle.

I have always been a fan of 2 to 2.5 hourly feeds through the daytime - packing milk feeds in through the day to promote less frequent night feeds. I would expect 7 or 8 feeds through the daytime (including a dreamfeed before I go to bed).

That said though, two important differences:

• I started formula at an older age
• Your twins were premature and I'm not sure what difference that should make