Hungry 6 week old

[Daamunn11]

Hello 😊
My lb is 7 weeks old and is always hungry! He's on 240ml feeds every 4 hours. He is instantly ready for more milk right after feeds. I have tried topping him up in between feeds with 90ml but don't want to be getting into the habit of this. He has taken a couple of 260ml feeds no bother but this now reaching the max amount I can fill in his bottles lol. How can I stick to my 4 hourly routine but have a full baby in between feeds? Is there some kinda magical formula that would keep him fuller for longer?? Hv said to just feed him when he's hungry and as much as he needs but I feel a routine would work better for me rather than demand feeding? He gets so hungry he screams the house down and its 100%a hunger cry as he will try and chomp on absolutley anything near his face. As soon as he gets food he's the most calm baby ever until 2-3 hours later when he's starving again and gets himself very worked up until he gets a bottle 😴!!

Didn't read the full thread before posting...

You're rude.

How can I stick to my four hourly routine?
He screams the house down
He chomps on anything close to his face
He is ready for more milk right after feeds.

Yeah Op you are right, nothing in your post at all that would suggest you aren't feeding your baby!

@WMPAGL

Thankyou kindly for not being judgemental and actually offering me some helpful and kind advice. 😁
I might try the hungry baby formula, I am happy to demand feed ofcourse as clearly its what he needs but he gets so upset over being hungry and its really sad to watch. As soon as he wakes up from a nap he's is screaming the house down, I rush to make up a bottle for him and as soon as he gets it he's happy. He will get cuddles and burped after, then like 2 hours later after 240ml he wants more, I give him 90ml or 120ml.. He sometimes vomits. I then feel like I'm overfeeding too!! Then he will cry for more not long after. I just don't know what he needs! He's not gassy, he has a different cry for that.he's not overtired as when he's overtired he wants his dummy it's the only time he will take it. When he's being fed he's so happy so I know that's what he needs I just don't want him to get so upset when hes hungry is the issue! All these people telling me to feed my baby hahaha 🤣

Look there’s no need to jump at people.

What you have typed suggests you aren’t feeding him as soon as he’s hungry. You have been given good advice and support. There’s no need to snap back.

Good luck

Your baby doesn't know what time it is, he doesn't know he is supposed to wait another 90 minutes until his next feed. You asked for advice -people gave it, they told you to feed on demand. Just because you don't like the advice given doesn't mean you have to bite so hard.

around his routine he doesn't know hes supposed to have a routine, you've made this decision - not him.

@LittleBearPad

People are assuming I'm letting him cry out I'm simply looking for some advice on feeding techniques for a very hungry baby and people are being judgy. I will always jump on people when they assume. 🤣 I've literally said he's hungry straight after a feed, what in that would make you think he isn't being fed?🤣 He was in intensive care for the first 3 weeks of his life and they had him on a 4 hourly feeding schedule and told me it would be best to continue this as he is in a routine. It's been in the past week the routine hasn't worked for him so I'm seeking better ways to keep him full bellied and happy. If people don't want to help me out then they can take snyde remarks else where 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The 4hourly routine for babies was invented by someone watching baby cows feed on a farm.

As a human adult we don’t go 4hourd when awake without a drink. Try and switch to feeding on demand and seeing how he goes. My SIL and DB would sit watching their baby scream as it was yet 4pm and she had to wait 3more minutes.

in the past week the routine hasn't worked for him so I'm seeking better ways to keep him full bellied and happy

The routine was clearly working before so that's why the nurses said to stick with it, as you've said above it's not working now. The best way to keep him full bellied and happy is to feed him on demand while he is wanting more. He may fall back into a routine but it should be child led and not when you think he needs feeding.

Please don’t give your baby hungry baby milk, stick to first milk until he’s 12 months old. Hungry baby milk is based on the curd of cow’s milk and take your baby longer to digest than first milks. They are not recommended for young babies.

Also keep feeding him on demand like you are doing, and give him smaller feeds if he’s not going long between a feed or vomiting it back up. So follow your HVs or other health professionals advice not that of a forum...

You should feed your baby as much as he wants, as often as he asks, provided he is not regurgitating significant amounts. If he is regurgitating significant amounts this may mean that he wants smaller amounts – but more often – than the ‘guide’ section on the tin or packet suggests.

www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/Parents-guide-to-infant-formula.pdf

Also google growth spurts, baby’s tend to feed more when they’re growing, and having developmental advances such as rolling over, crawling, walking or talking, so tend to temporarily increase their feeds.

No problem, OP. I expect it's hard for people to imagine if their babies have 'normal' appetites!

For what it's worth, we actually had some help from someone very experienced in looking after newborns for a while and she couldn't believe how much ours wanted to drink at his night feed (which we gave him in a bottle so could see how much he was taking!) She tried settling him in all other ways once or twice just in case we were misreading his signals but nope, cried to be fed more! We just went for it. He has leveled out now and other babies are catching up to his amounts - he just got there quicker!

I would agree, demand feeding is what's working for him at the moment. Hospital had him on a 4 hourly feeding schedule as he was in for first 3 weeks of his life and they told it's best to stick to that, but it's not working for us anymore. They told me a routine was the best thing for him I was told not to demand feed and then told by HV to definetley demand feed so I have no idea as a first time mum what's best. He's hungry straight after a feed. I top him up... He vomits so I feel like I'm over feeding. He then makes hungry gestures and noises again til he gets more and then falls asleep. Wakes up starving again, I rush to feed him, he's hungry straight after. I'm happy obviously to go by his demand but the issue is how upset he gets in that 5 mins it takes me to heat up his bottle, I have tried giving him his tummy for that 5 mins to tide him over, he knows its not milk, he spits it out. Gets even more upset. I don't leave him crying for anything other than making up his feed. Infact the only time he cries is hunger, he has a very distinct hunger cry that is ear piercing!! Apart from being hungry he is the most chilled out baby ever. I would never let my boy cry out as I think that's cruel. I just don't know what's best for him. I'm going to change to 3 hourly and see how he copes in between feeds, ofcourse if he needs topped up he will get it as I would never withhold food from my baba. I'm not expecting him to go by my routine to suit myself, im trying to form a routine that suits only him. I don't care about my sleep pattern or anything I just want a happy baby. I will always go by what he needs first, if he's hungry he gets fed. I don't know when your suppose to start a routine with baby but the hospital told me to stick to 4 hourly which is why I'm so confused that people are jumping on me for having a routine, I didn't know having a routine was so frowned upon 🤣 I didn't ask to be critized by people, people were saying it was ridiculous I wasn't feeing my baby when he needs it. This is not the case. He is always fed. I don't see why people feel the need to comment saying poor baby feed him as if I starve him. I'm asking fellow mothers who had/have very hungry babies what they done routine wise and that's it. I've been struck from pillar to post with advice on what type of routine I should have and thought it best to post on a forum where mum's can discuss such things but I just feel like people have assumed I'm not feeding when I've tried to make it VERY clear I am. 🤣 Thanks muchly to the ones that offered experience and advice, it's appreciated and I will make changes accordingly. To the ones that jumped on the judgement band wagon, you can roll your judgement into a wee ball and ram it 😁😁😁❤️ peace out x

Advice on feeding techniques for a very hungry baby? Give him more milk.

As others have said, just feed when hungry and no doubt in the coming weeks/months a natural routine will emerge. 8-9oz a feed is a lot though for a 7 week old, he obviously needs it and of course it doesn't suggest anything, but did the HV say anything about that? I wouldn't use hungry baby as it just artificially makes them feel fuller, it doesn't provide any additional nutrients etc. When you say he is sick after feeds, is it a lot? Do you use a dummy?

You're still insisting on following a spaced routine with smaller "top ups" rather than trying just to give a feed whenever it is needed. Your baby will have a routine that he will fall into himself, but 7 weeks is very very early to expect that!
You are getting very annoyed with people who, albeit used to speaking bluntly on here, do want to help both you and your baby. You should listen a bit more and not assume we are out to get you

@QforCucumber

I actually didn't make his routine, the hospital did. I was told to stick to it by medical professionals, so I did. It's now not working I don't know the best route to go down for HIM, so I'm seeking advice. Okay? Cool.

If he's having 240ml then vomiting from a top up you'd probably do better to do as others have said and switch to 3 hourly. He might be better on 240ml three hourly or end up wanting a little less but every 3 hours.

Then over 6 hours he'd have approx 480ml spaced out evenly, rather than 360ml all at once across an hour or so (normal feed plus top up), which is probably too much at once for his tummy.

I don't think the amount when you top up is a problem, it's the spacing of milk. Definitely reduce the timing. It's hard being a first time mum but the best thing to remember is just as you think you know their routine/what works, they change. So 4 hours might have been right for him, now it isn't. At some point it probably will be again. Flexibility is key.

I agree there's no harm in trying 3 hourly feeds though, by the way. See how you go. It's all trial and error, I'm rapidly learning!

@Daamunn11
"He gets milk whenever he needs it I would never let him cry out."

But in your OP you say "He gets so hungry he screams the house down"
And you want to feed him every four hours.

Just feed him more and whenever he is hungry. He shouldn't be getting to the point of "screaming the house down"

Demand feeding means when baby wants and as much as they want.

It’s normal for babies to be sick. Just checking that you are winding him too?

I just wanted to say as a final thought, I don't think there's anything wrong with a flexible routine. We roughly followed one, not least to make sure I had some idea of what our baby wanted when he cried before I learnt to distinguish between cries.

I never let him cry (far too much of a wuss even if I wanted to!) and would always try other things if the need I was "expecting" didn't do the trick but the 'routine' basically involved encouraging him to take a good full feed when he did eat so I knew it was likely to be roughly 3 (later 4) hours from the start of the last feed that he'd want to feed again, and giving really good burps / encouraging him to be awake for a little while after feeding to get his wind up (because he was a super windy baby and would wake up quickly and distraught if a bubble was left bothering him). Later I learnt that he has a fairly predictable 'awake' time before he gets tired and wants a nap to reset.

I think when you say 'routine' people have an image of some horrendous matron nightmare refusing to feed or comfort baby if it's not on the 'schedule' whereas I think a lot of people just mean they've read some books as they started out completely clueless and then fiddled about to figure out what works for their child. Then they try to stick to it where reasonable because they know it keeps their baby happier (until it all changes again)

Good luck!

OP, you sought advice. You received it. The advice was to feed your tiny baby when he's hungry. If he's 'screaming the house down' then you've taken too long.

I suggest you google newborn feeding cues so you know what signals to look for (opening his mouth, turning his head, fists moving towards his face etc) before he gets worked up.

There's no need to be rude to posters who answered your question, this includes the posters who advocated for your tiny baby by speaking frankly to you about his needs.

No one is born knowing all this stuff, we all had to learn it. You're not a bad mother.