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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

I think my 4 week old DS is eating way too much, I really need help!

69 replies

SchrodingersMew · 25/10/2011 21:59

Hi there, my 4 week old eats what I think is a lot and the other night wouldn't settle at all and just wanted to keep eating.

He was born at 38+1 and weighed 6.1lb, he went down to 5'7lb the next week but has went up to 8,7lb in the past 2 weeks...

He takes about 160ml (so 6oz?) every 3 hours but the other night at one of his feeds took 260ml (9oz?) Shock I have mentioned to my health visitor and she told me if that's what he wants to take then just give him it or give him water in between, I tried the water earlier and he just kept choking so very reluctant to give him it.

This isn't normal is it?

OP posts:
PetisaPumpkinHead · 27/10/2011 09:58

How's your ds now OP? Do keep us updated.

Original poster
SchrodingersMew · 27/10/2011 21:01

POP Shock I didn't know that. Confused

Just an update now that I've been able to get back on the laptop for a while.

We completely changed his bottles tonight to the DrBrown ones and he seems much better! So far anyways, fingers crossed!

Also, he is now actually taking water and I tried Hipp milk tonight and he was sick a lot less and went straight to sleep after having 150ml so a fairly normal feed. :)

OP posts:
AnxiousElephant · 28/10/2011 21:07

Yes SchrodingersMew that is definately a likely cause then. If they get too hot, just like us they do sweat and therefore lose fluid more quickly. This makes them dehydrated and thirsty. Try to keep your house at approx 16-18 degrees, have the heating off as much as possible. Small babies (contrary to popular belief!) don't need loads of layers, only one more than you have on i.e. if you are in the house wearing a t-shirt and cardi, baby is fine with a vest, clothes and blanket in the cot or cardi iyswim. Obviously a bit more at night because it gets cooler. HTH Smile

AnxiousElephant · 28/10/2011 21:10

It isn't advisable to dilute the formula or give cooled boiled water at this age as they need the correct amount of calories for growth and the proportion of powder to water is calculated accordingly.

PosiesOfPoison · 28/10/2011 21:15

OP no to water. You should talk to a MW.

AnxiousElephant · 28/10/2011 21:18

Giving cooled boiled water fills their stomach and puts them off milk feeds at 4 weeks, this means they take in less calories and it can affect growth.

531800000008 · 28/10/2011 21:32

danger of water intoxication

please get a second opinion

AnxiousElephant · 28/10/2011 21:50

Water intoxication? Confused Hmm Really?

RitaMorgan · 28/10/2011 21:59

Yes, if young babies ingest too much water it messes up the sodium content in their body and can cause seizures iirc.

AnxiousElephant · 28/10/2011 22:01

Yes it can but it requires a fair amount of excess water over a prolonged period, not just the odd once.

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 28/10/2011 22:03

Yes, please don't give water.

Tbh I would be going to the GP. If he was just eating loads but clearly fine then it wouldn't be a cause for concern, but the dryness and the sweating do sound a bit odd.

If he is hot, then surely a cotton sleepsuit and a cellular blanket would be better than a fleece sleepsuit? Those things are hot, and synthetic. I have never put my babies in one as we have a warm house.

OP I'm not trying to worry you, but clearly you feel that something isn't right. Go to the Dr, and stop giving your baby water.

RitaMorgan · 28/10/2011 22:06

Bottles of water in between feeds or watered down formula can easily add up to excessive water (not saying the OP is doing this).

crikeybadger · 28/10/2011 22:25

Agree with AliB, I would see the GP to set your mind at rest and list all the symptoms - including the nappy rash.

Original poster
SchrodingersMew · 30/10/2011 13:20

Hi there again.

Thanks for all the advice again everyone and really did not know that about the water! Both the health visitor and GP have told me to give him water. :S

It hasn't been much, only the occasional oz but I wont give him it again.

Had another day yesterday of wanting to feed all the time and I have been doing my best to keep him cool.

Elephant Unfortunately it isn't as simple as turning the heating off for me. :( We never have the heating on, it's downstairs that do and the heat comes up. It must be up full blast.

I have also stopped putting him in the fleecey sleepsuits.

Now he seems to have a stuffy nose and it's making his breathing raspy, he's woke himself up a few times getting upset about it, has been going on a few days. :S Talked to the health visitor and GP who gave me some drops but they don't seem to be doing anything. Think I will try buying one of those dehumidifiers. Confused

OP posts:
TheOriginalFAB · 30/10/2011 13:28

I think he needs to see a doctor. He is eating a lot, isn't happy, keeps over heating.

4madboys · 30/10/2011 13:50

if its that hot in your flat i would have him in a nappy and vest and nothing else tbh, or maybe a babygrow without a vest so that he is covered and that helps him feel settled but so he doesnt get too hot, just a thin cotton babygrow, or those baby nighties are good, again cotton adn will keep him covered but should help him not to get so hot.

some babies do drink a LOT of milk, my ds4 was the same but he even out and he is now at 3yrs old a tall boy and not chunky or anything.

i use hipp organic for my dd and used it for ds4 and found they got on well with it, but i didnt try any other brands first.

if he is waking in the night then he is hungry at this age especially i would have thought. he may be finding his natural growth curve and is playing catch up having lost weight. my friends baby did this he drank a lot and put on a huge amount of weight, but he also grew in length and it evened out, but he was monitered by the hv and the gp for a while who then conceded that he was just meant to a be a big baby.

i would ask for a referral if you are concerned, just to rule anything out, and maybe ask your neighbours if they can turn the heating down a bit, say it is affecting the baby? politely obviously, are the old maybe? in that case they may need the heating on more.

at night you could try wrapping him/covering him in a muslin cloth, that will be cooler and you can buy big ones designed for swaddling or using as a blakent i think they are called big mussy or something?

4madboys · 30/10/2011 13:52

just noticed he was born at 38wks, just like my friends little boy who then fed loads and got big quickly, like i said he was just catching up to where he was meant to be :)

Original poster
SchrodingersMew · 30/10/2011 14:54

FAB If his sniffles keep up tonight I will definitely be taking him to the Dr. He isn't upset all the time, just randomly when his nose gets blocked and it must give him a fright.

Still trying the drops but they seem pretty useless. :( He's back on to a normal eating pattern today but wont know if he will stick to that until later today. Confused

4madboys Unfortunately there is no chance of me getting them to turn the heating down, they are foreign and don't really speak any English. :( I just have him in the cotton babygrows now, especially as he has taken to kicking the covers off anyway. Hmm

I'm using the HIPP stuff now but have completely given up on the powder and am using the cartons as the HV told me the bottles must be used immediately and we can't use the water if it was boiled more than 20 minutes earlier and DS is the type who just randomly wakes screming full pelt, no previous warning.

OP posts:
AnxiousElephant · 30/10/2011 22:52

You can also try elevating the head end of the crib/cot using solid books under the legs, not the matress though iyswim to help his breathing. Unfortunately babies are often sniffly and there isn't really much you can do. However, since he is so young see the GP to set your mind at rest......does he have any other symptoms i.e. high pitched crying, high temp, ice cold extremities, rash, vomiting +++? If not then it is probably a cold, if he has other symptoms then definately see the GP. My DD2 had a permanent cold/ snuffles for 6mths (and was bf!) partly due to being delivered by c-section, so they don't clear their airways in the usual way during delivery.

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