5 week old has already had 900 ml of formula today - what is happening

[cucurucu]

My baby girl has bad reflux. So I took her to a private paediatrician yesterday.

He suggested infant gaviscon and anti reflux aptimil. I've been giving this since then. Usually my baby has 60 ml or less and some days will go less than two hours between feeds and need 17 feeds.

Ever since I've started the new milk, she's been chugging down 120 ml every feed ??? I'm shocked and a bit worried why this has happened ?

I've also given some feeds of the other formula I used before and she's chugged down 120 for those too on some feeds, but her usual 60 ml on other feeds.

I'm a bit worried. The doctor reckoned that she was spitting up so much and had such bad reflux because I was feeding her too often, but that the total amount was actually ok over 24 hours ( around 600 ml or so ). I'm really confused now what's happening. Can someone help ?

If you're worried speak with your paedeatrican again but my DS began feeding more on gaviscon, we think because it made feeding more comfortable!

Could be that she's enjoying a more comfortable eating experience, she could also be going through a growth spurt. I remember DD having days where she would drink a massive amount of milk, then have a couple of days of loads of sleep and all of a sudden her baby grows wouldn't fit.

How old is she? I’d contact the paediatrician to be honest.

Growth spurt + less sore tummy i’d say. Maybe making up for so much regurgitation so far bless her!

mMy 8 week old half the time does 60ml feeds, sometimes 120ml feeds. She’s a snacker, much different to my other babies. There’s a range of normal, I wouldn’t worry.

She's 5 weeks and yes of course, but it's a 4 day weekend here.... so I can't until Monday

It says in the title.

The guide says 150ml and 5/6 feeds a day so it’s not far off.

whats your worry 🤷🏼‍♀️?

Just that she's already had so much today and I'm still expecting 2 feeds until midnight. Just seems like a lot and very sudden to double intake on each feed ? Maybe I'm just being silly. Hope so!

Don't forget that if you were bf you would have no idea how much she was taking.

My 5 week old fed over 20 times (breastfed a minimum of 10 minutes at a time) a few days ago. At 5 weeks their going through a leap - you baby may be guzzling milk because their growing and developing!

Probably just a growth spurt. She might take less tomorrow. None of mine ever took the same amounts at any feed

Haha yeah that's why I had to stop breast feeding. She never stopped.

See how she goes but it could just be she’s having a super hungry day! I wouldn’t worry too much 💐

Maybe it's just coincided with the change or maybe she is indeed more comfortable now.

It’s unlikely she will overeat. Babies do this. They go on crazy eating binges. It’s probably a sign that she is enjoying her meal for the first time in some time. It will balance out.

If you are really concerned, try a mid-feed burping session just to make sure that no gas bubbles are getting trapped.

She's hungry

That's it

Try not to worry, babies self regulate

I think the doc yesterday did not help and suggested that baby was sick so much after feeds because of over feeding and that she's gained way too much weight.

However, apparently the total amount she's having in the day is fine. So I'm not sure what the doc was on about. But it worried me a bit. We've just made sure today that baby waits at least two hours, preferably two and a half hours before getting the next feed.

DC1 had terrible reflux and also drank loads of milk, always at least twice as much as the guidelines at each age. Cutting down wasn't a option, he was so hungry. A few years later he was diagnosed as severely lactose intolerant - I've sometimes wondered if he had to drink more in order to get enough nutrition as he couldn't digest it properly. He was never overweight.

My son was on the same from around 4 weeks. He’s almost 6 months now and is on 6oz every 3ish hours. He weighs 20lbs so he’s big for his age but all in proportion. I really wouldn’t worry about it.

I would suggest cmpa. Reflux is often a symptom of cmpa and gaviscon will just mask it rather than treat the cause.

That's not strictly true, evdence shows that bottle fed babies, whether it be formula or breastmilk in the bottle, do not self regulate in the way that breastfed babies do. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/fhop.ucsf.edu/sites/fhop.ucsf.edu/files/wysiwyg/peds%202009-2549v1.pdf Althought the mechanisms aren't fully understood this may be one of the reasons that adults who were breastfed are less likley to be obese adults than bottle fed babies again regardless of the type of milk in the bottle.

Have you been practicing paced feeding? This is a good way to let babies control how much they take from a bottle www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/feeding-your-baby/bottle-feeding/how-to-bottle-feed/feeding-on-demand/#:~:text=Paced%20feeding%20is%20way%20of,the%20way%20they%20would%20breastfeed.

I've just had a look at what our little guy used to have at that age, he was on around 800-1000ml a day. He'd have more during a growth spurt. He'd the same now at 20 months, eats like a small horse for a few days then suddenly his trousers aren't long enough anymore.

I'd also echo what a pp has mentioned about cmpa, our guy has it (and lots of other allergies) and the gaviscon can mask the symptoms so keep an eye on that.

OP can I ask if the gaviscon/anti reflux formula has made a difference. I've just bought aptamil anti reflux and gaviscon infant, hoping it will help her out, little mite is really distressed with what I'm sure is reflux. Also did the consultant say to use the gaviscon mixed in with the anti reflux formula? I've heard that an make it too thick?

Yeah that's what the doctor said! To mix gaviscon with the anti reflux milk. Aptamil says that you shouldn't do that.

I think she's better, definitely no milk coming up..

I hope yours finds some relief soon !