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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To mix formula?

39 replies

hickorychicken · 28/01/2014 21:04

I have not done this...yet. I need to know what people think, or could suggest!
Dd2 is 8 wks old and was on hungry baby milk but that was making her real gripy so we put on comfort milk, but shes a hungry baby! Infacol and gripe water on their own arent working so would it be posssible to put say 2.5 sciooops of each formula? Im expecting it to not be great idea but am willing to try as long as not harmful.

OP posts:
lilyaldrin · 28/01/2014 21:06

Hungry baby milk is just hard to digest. If she's actually hungry she needs more milk - hungry baby doesn't have any extra calories.

What's the problem with just feeding her when she's hungry?

ilovepowerhoop · 28/01/2014 21:08

I wouldn't have given an 8 week old baby hungry milk. Just give more of the first milk more often.

anothernumberone · 28/01/2014 21:08

Why are you not using ordinary formula is there something wrong? Here is what the NHS says about hungry baby formula

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/types-of-infant-formula.aspx#close.

Tbh I think you are playing with fire mixing.

IneedAsockamnesty · 28/01/2014 21:09

It can cause quite a few issues dependant on brand and how you mix, I wouldn't.

But then again I wouldn't bother with hungry baby milk.

What is making you think she's hungry and normal milk is not enough?

anothernumberone · 28/01/2014 21:09

The casein based formulas are the hungry baby ones.

Finola1step · 28/01/2014 21:10

Just offer her more comfort milk.

JupiterGentlefly · 28/01/2014 21:14

Don't touch the hungry baby shit. My midwife told me that this is the old type formula nearer to cows milk and they are not cows! I am not anti formula at all. I did both. They dont need hungry baby milk. As lily said just feed as and when. If she is gripy then keep going with infacol for the mo and then ask your hv or gp as soon as you can. My son had reflux which made him very gripy indeed wheras other friends had colicky babies which most outgrew by 3 months. So I say a health prof discussion and step away from the hungry baby stuff

lilyaldrin · 28/01/2014 21:17

You basically seem to want to mix hard to digest and easy to digest formulas to cancel each other out - I'd just stick with first stage milk.

curiousuze · 28/01/2014 21:17

Is she not a bit little for hungry milk? Just feed her ordinary formula, more often?

WooWooOwl · 28/01/2014 21:17

In what way is she a hungry baby?

There might be other suggestions to help whatever the problem is that makes you think she's especially hungry.

IneedAsockamnesty · 28/01/2014 21:21

Do you know I asked they question because I was interested to know,

I'm not sure why but something about your post made me think tongue tie (it can cause problems with ff babies as well lots of people describe it mimicking the symptoms of hunger)

Also hungry baby milk sticks around longer so can cause more pain if reflux is an issue,and its my understanding that comfort milk is only beneficial for very mild reflux or constipation.

Either way hungry baby milk is not recommended for very young babies.

IneedAsockamnesty · 28/01/2014 21:23

Wtf, I have no idea why my fingers typed that first sentence, I was trying to say I asked because,just I case my post looked rude

scantilymad · 28/01/2014 21:23

Our 5 month old son has reflux and we mix 2 scoops of reflux formula with 5 scoops 'normal' sma. Done on doctors advice as all reflux was too thick but all 'normal' didn't stay down. 8 weeks does seem quite little for hungry baby formula though. As other posters have said perhaps try more of the usual formula first. Then perhaps investigate and rule out silent reflux which might be causing the griping.

Clargo55 · 28/01/2014 21:25

No just feed normal formula on demand.
How often are the feeds?

Their stomachs are the size of a marble when little. Adding extra powder to a bottle will make it hard to digest and make baby uncomfortable.

breatheslowly · 28/01/2014 21:41

How have you come to the conclusion that she is a "hungry baby"? At 8 weeks we were demand feeding DD with formula. So it might not have been the number of times a day or the amounts on the formula tub - but she was self regulating.

Might she be a "sucky" baby and benefit from a dummy?

Lj8893 · 28/01/2014 21:47

Its taken me 12 weeks but I've finally come to the conclusion that my dd isn't actually always hungry, even though she displays all the hunger signs!
I just thought she was a hungry baby, who fussed while feeding. But then I realised she was fussing while feeding because she didn't actually want it!
I changed to the stage2 teats, and the hunger signs all stopped.

I agree with pp, hungry baby milk is not right for an 8 week old.

IceBeing · 28/01/2014 21:50

hungry baby milk: because what hungry babies need is a dieting food...

Foxeym · 28/01/2014 21:51

When DS was 8 weeks he was feeding every 1half to 2 hours day and night and I was exhausted. He's now 15 weeks and goes roughly 4-5 hours so it does even out more. I think it's just while their tummies are tiny it can't take enough milk and just digests really quick and once they can take more they go longer between feeds.

IneedAsockamnesty · 28/01/2014 22:06

icebeing

I've noticed before you are really very knowledgeable about infant feeding and many of the myths people share about it.

Do you think maybe you could share with the op why it's a myth about the hungry baby milk thing and other things she could do to help her baby?

breatheslowly · 28/01/2014 22:08

I was like Lj - every time we changed up teat stage, it was at least a month too late and with a dawning realisation that we should have done it earlier, just like the one before.

Lj8893 · 28/01/2014 22:12

Haha yep breathe it was like someone had waved a magic wand over us when dd had her first feed with the new teat!

IceBeing · 28/01/2014 22:15

erm was that sarcasm?

well assuming it wasn't...

hungry baby formula contains no extra calories. It stops babies from feeling hunger because it fills up their tummies for longer as it is harder to digest. This is why I compare it to a diet food...you get less calories and it makes you feel full for longer....does that sound familiar?

So if your baby is crying for regular feeds then you have a choice. You could
a) feed them 8 times a day on normal formula
b) feed them 5-6 times a day on hungry baby formula.

If you go for b) then you have substantially reduced the daily intake of calories by your baby.

you have responded to them being 'hungry' (ie. requiring more food) by putting them on a diet and reducing their calorie intake.

The best thing to do is keep feeing them the easy to digest normal milk whenever they are hungry.

The worst thing to do is put them straight onto coke and chips (which are infinitely less digestible to an 8 week old and will stop them from requesting food for AGES but actually reduce their calorie intake to near zero).

Clearly hungry baby formula is a crock but it is better than chips.

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 28/01/2014 22:16

Maybe she just needs more milk rather than hungry baby milk? Babies go through growth spurts and you just increase their feeds or feed them more often. At her age she should be feeding regularly. DS was feeding three hourly night and day at that age.

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 28/01/2014 22:17

Also, their stomachs are tiny at that age and needs refilling regularly.

IneedAsockamnesty · 28/01/2014 22:30

God no, I don't do sarcasm it's even only spelt correctly due to spellcheck.

I don't even get it when others do it.

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