Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Baby feeding every half hour/hour!! Please help!!

57 replies

summerfling · 15/04/2017 21:44

Posting for traffic

I've asked this before and told it's normal but it's getting worse!!

My 19 day old baby is looking for food as soon as he's finished his bottle (formula fed), he's having 2 ounces every half hour to an hour! This isn't normal!

What the hell do I do??

OP posts:
shirleycartersaidso · 15/04/2017 21:45

It is normal! Just ride it out I'm afraid.

carabos · 15/04/2017 21:47

I know nothing about ff but why can't you give him four oz instead of 2? Is it a rule or something? If you were bf you wouldn't be measuring it out, you'd just feed until he was full (although bf babies feed like this too but obviously it's more convenient than ff). Sorry if that's not much help, but worth a try?

FurryElephant · 15/04/2017 21:48

I'd offer a bigger bottle but I'm no expert, if baby's hungry they're hungry Blushmy DD is breastfed but when she was a few weeks old I gave some formula in a bottle as well as BFing and sometimes she'd take over 3 oz Confusedthere's a growth spurt around 3 weeks too which would make sense!

Tillymintsmama · 15/04/2017 21:50

Their tummies are the size of their thumbs. At least if you are FF someone else can share the burden with you!

LumpySpaceCow · 15/04/2017 21:51

Never FF a 19 day old baby but my BF babies would have periods of doing this -usually from 7pm onwards.
If it's all day it seems excessive. Have you tried increasing the volume to 3Oz to see if he takes more? Have you spoke to your HV? Is he vomiting? Does he seem uncomfortable? Poo normal? Weight gain excessive? If all the aforementioned is ok then it may be normal for him. If not could it be reflux? Maybe associated with a tongue tie or cow's milk protein allergy?
My best advice would be to ring your HV on Tuesday.

ALemonyPea · 15/04/2017 21:52

It is normal I'm afraid. Is it all day long, or just for a few hours a day? Can someone else help you out and take over for one or two feeds while you sleep?

Wando1986 · 15/04/2017 21:54

Totally normal.

daisygirlmac · 15/04/2017 22:01

I also think you should up the amount. Are you winding him half way through? My DS is 9 weeks old and he was on neonatal and has had formula from birth (mixed with a not successful attempt at breastfeeding). I've found winding him helps, also have you tried any different teats? What is it that he's doing that makes you think he's hungry? Sorry if that's an awful, really annoying question but my DS has reflux and we think possible a lactose intolerance/cows milk protein allergy which we are in the middle of investigating. He sucks for comfort which can make everything worse so we offer a dummy instead while his bottle has time to settle. Just asking because his "I want to comfort suck" cues are v similar to hunger cues but have subtle differences!

Eeeeek2 · 15/04/2017 22:04

Is he finishing a bottle each time? If he is increase the ozs until he is no longer finishing a bottle off each time

BadlyStuffedFoxes123 · 15/04/2017 22:05

It could be that little one is looking for you for comfort rather than food. Mine did exactly this and midwife advised me to cuddle and walk round with him for a bit (if he has a dummy pop it in). After a few days he started spacing his feeds out much better. If you feed and feed and feed you may find that it eventually flies straight out the other end in a rather runny mess as there's just so much milk in one teeny tum (I thought ds was poorly when this happened!). Congratulations btw!

LilacSpatula · 15/04/2017 22:10

If he's draining it then offer more. Totally normal though. They have teeny tiny tummies so feed as much as you can then have a kip asap. Congratulations on your tiny human x

QuiteLikely5 · 15/04/2017 22:10

Buy a soother

LilacSpatula · 15/04/2017 22:11

Also, yes to the dummy. I swore DD wouldn't have one but now she's 18weeks and has one for comfort and sleeping

TotalPineapple · 15/04/2017 22:14

I've never FF but I think if they are finishing the bottle you go up an oz?

If he's not I guess you just carry on feeding little and often and hope it passes soon.

DD is BF and she used to be permanently attached in the afternoons/evenings at that age. If it's all day have you tried a dummy in the first instance?

purpleporpoise · 15/04/2017 22:14

Could be looking for comfort, try a dummy. We had to hold it in his mouth til he got the knack. He was comfort sucking so drinking loads then throwing up because he was too full.
Their tummies easily get full of air, which takes up milk room.
I'd make a bigger bottle, and when he stops, wind him and give him more

MissJC · 15/04/2017 22:53

Go up an oz. I go by the rule of if the bottles empty up the feed. There should be a twee bit left each time iyswim.

Original poster
summerfling · 15/04/2017 22:56

I think he comfort sucks, he feeds all day, every half hour to an hour.

If I give him a dummy, he gags.

He will take the bottle but will fall asleep within seconds of it being in his mouth.

He's just cleared a 2ounce bottle, however I've just put him in his cot & put his dummy in which he seems to have accepted!

Just waiting for him to go sleep!

I've been attempting to get him to sleep since 9

OP posts:
Passmethecrisps · 15/04/2017 22:59

FF babies don't realise that they are FF so exhibit the same behaviour as BF babies in that they go through stages of cluster feeding. Baby is finishing bottles so you need to offer a bit more even if it seems an awful lot. The chances are it will level out and he will then stretch longer between the feeds.

The other possibility is comfort sucking either as a result of reflux or just needing the sensation. I agree that trying a bottle might help but also look at other behaviour like does he seem comfortable when feeding, crying during bottles, disrupted feeds and such like

Chrystal1982 · 15/04/2017 23:04

At 3 weeks my ds was taking 3-4oz every 3-4 hours, he'd take 2oz then pause for winding and continue to take 1-2oz after a burp. How much are you offering him with each feed? Which formula brand is he on? Is he keeping the feed down (bar normal posseting)? Try a dummy to stretch out the time between feeds (the mam 0-2months ones are very good) the longer he goes the more he should take, my ds was up to 8lb at 21days (6lb8oz birth weight) so their tummies can hold 4oz (depends on how big your baby is though). What number teat are you using? If on 1 try moving to a 2, the slow teat might be tiring him out if he's trying to get a faster flow and then needing a break after only 2oz but is still hungry hence wanting more so soon. Have you considered moving to a hungrier baby formula? we had to do that at 5weeks as my ds was trying to take 5oz every 3hrs and couldn't hold it all down, he's 10weeks now and on 7oz every 4 hours during the day with a longer gap at night as he's dropped a feed. Hope you get a routine sorted soon, congratulations

Original poster
summerfling · 15/04/2017 23:16

He's content when being fed, doesn't cry unless I take the bottle away to wind him.

He does throw up but I believe that's because he eats far too much.

He's on size 1 teats solely because he chokes on size too as it comes out too fast.

OP posts:
Original poster
summerfling · 15/04/2017 23:16

He was 6lbs at birth & on Monday he was 6lbs 10oz

OP posts:
PeaFaceMcgee · 15/04/2017 23:18

It's a growth spurt. Look up cluster feeds on kellymom, although for BF babies similar can happen with ff.

NotTheBelleoftheBall · 15/04/2017 23:25

DD was exclusively FF and we found using a slow flow teat helped. It meant every feed took longer so allowed her to eat / gain feeding comfort for longer without over feeding.

We found the Nuk bottles with size 1 teat best for this.

She moved on to TomeeTipee bottles five times a day at about 9 weeks.

Good luck.

Chrystal1982 · 15/04/2017 23:27

It does sound like he's having too much volume but not enough sustenance. Which brand are you using? It might not be suiting him, all my 5 dc couldn't take sma or cow&gate was too rich for them so sicked up nearly all the feed they took. A hungrier baby formula is thicker so fills them up more, similar to the anti reflux ones, thicker milk so more likely to stay down. Is he gagging on round dummies or flat ones? My ds refuses to take a round one only the mam flat ones, not so big in their mouth I think

Original poster
summerfling · 15/04/2017 23:29

He's on Mamia, changed from SMA gold.

However I'm really considering changing to hungry baby.

Which kind though??

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.