Should I move DD to hungrier formula?

[funkymonkey]

I am mix feeding my 8 week DD (BF first thing, afternoon and early evening, then Forumla at lunch, night and during night)

She was in a lovely routine at night (11/12pm then 3/4 then up at 8!!) for the last week she has been waking every 2 hours during the night for a feed, she does not take her usual amount each time (5-6 oz, more like 2-4oz) but this is exhausting me!!

Should I move onto a second or hungrier baby formula? Can I give the "first" formula during the day and a "hungrier baby" one during night or should I not mix? Or how else can I get her back in a routine, I have not changed anything and she has not been ill or anything?

Don't want to ask HS (see my thread on "lectured by Health Visitor"!! the tips on constipation were great girls! changed from SMA to Farleys and saw cranial ost and although only goes every 3 days now DD is much happier!!

So what do you reckon, change to a hungrier formula? if so which one??!!

We had DD1 on Cow & Gate Hungrier baby from that age and it worked a treat!

Does the brand of formula you're using make a hungrier baby type? If so, I'd go w/that one.

Babies change routines themselves all the time....normally when you think you've got it sorted out!! Your lo may be having a growth spurt in which case I would try to feed more during the day. As your lo is not taking full bottles yet I wouldnt move to hungry baby milk (for a start it can be constipating as it is harder to digest and may undo all your hard work).

'hungrier baby' milk is a concept made up by the manufacturers of formula milk to play on mothers' fears about feeding their babies enough. Hungry babies need to be fed normal (ideally breast, of course) milk until they aren't hungry any more; not have their stomachs artificially weighed down with 'filler'.

if she is taking less I don't think logically hnungrier formula would be the answer. She needs the volume of fluid to prevent constipation and "heavier" milk won't encourage this. Chances are she will be making up for it on breastfeeds. She may start dropping her night feeds soon anyway and could well be waking for a reason other than hunger in the first instance. how quickly are you assumign she needs feeding when she wakes as perhaps if you can settle her at the first waking (assuming it hasn't been overly long since her last feed) she may start to only wake up once hungry and take her full feed.

I am waiting until I am sure she is hungry before feeding her...this is exhausting me more as she is only sleeping for an hour and a half to two hours, then by the time she wakes and gets to the stage I am sure she is hungry, feed her, wind her and put her down she has been up for another 2 hours......and so the cycle continues...

it just seems that she is having 7-8 feeds a day now making a total of around 35+oz a day, this seems a lot when the guidelines on the formula say that for a 2 month old it should be 5 6oz feeds = 30oz a day. I don't want to cram her full of even more milk during the day as surely this will just stretch her stomach further and make her want even more!!

What situation should the hungry baby formula be used in?

Dare I suggest that rather than getting stressed about the amount she is/isn't having (when it isn't easy to measure a breastfeed accurately anyway) you might think about b'feeding her during the night for a couple of days and see if she'll settle any better. It could also be less hassle than faffing around with bottles and you may find you can both get more sleep.

My interpretation of hungrier baby milk (which admitteedly we haven't actually used) is that once the baby is drinking well above the suggested recommended volumes but is still not satisfied.

thanks for yours thoughts, but one of the reasons i started bottles at night was that she never goes more than two hours between bf's..... this was great for both of us!! plus i find the bottle at night easier than bf (DH can give and much quicker than bf!!)

fair enough. Not sure about your logic of not feedign her more in the day - she won't digest it any faster but if her tummy can hold more she may go for longer between feeds adn stiock up for a longer sleep at night. If she does drain her day bottles perhaps consider adding a bit more or she may just naturally top herself up by becoming more efficient at breast feeding.

Hungry baby formula takes longer to digest because the baby cannot break down the casein easily, so some babies may go slightly longer between feeds....though I have never seen any research on this. I don't think there is anything wrong in trying it.

I don't understand the logic of 'waiting until I am sure she is hungry' before feeding, if it is exhausting you, funky....why not just feed her when she indicates she would like something to eat/drink? This is probably more easily done if you bf her at these times, as it is less of a performance to get the bottle and make up the feed.

Babies do change their patterns from time to time, and sometimes it is easier to go with the fllow than fight it, 'cos fighting it doesn't help

the waking has nothing to do with being more hungry and probably more with becoming more aware of the life outside the womb and frankly, not knowing what to make of it. the sleep patterns of babies this age is that after 1.5/2 hrs they come into a light sleep and do not yet understand how to drop back into a heavy sleep again.

So called 'hungrier formula' is not designed for babies under 3 months old. they have a higher mineral content which may not cause noticeable life long damage on its own but sure as hell put more of a strain on their little gut and liver to metabolise and kidneys to excrete.

PS: not safe for babies under six months not 3 as I said.

quote from press.nct.org.uk/pressrelease?prid=43

The survey findings also revealed that many mothers are unclear about the distinction between the different types of formula milk. Of the mothers who had used follow-on milk (29% of those questioned), nearly one in five (17%) said they started before their baby was three months old, despite the product's higher mineral content, which is unsuitable before six months.

Although some mothers may be referring to the move from one infant formula to another (rather than from infant formula to follow-on formula), UNICEF UK and the NCT believe that the results of the survey demonstrate how confusing and potentially dangerous the advertising is.

Andrew Radford, Director of UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative, said: "Follow-on formula is not safe for younger babies so if they are being fed follow-on formula, this is really very worrying."

First of all, don't follow the guidelines re amounts babies need on the back of formula milk tins!!

Secondly,'hungry' formula is not the same as follow on milk (unless it's changed in the last year). Follow on is for 6 months plus, although not necessary to use ime. Hungry milk I used from 4 months for dd (don't know what the recommendation is in terms of age though tbh)

I wouldn't use both tbh. Apart from anything else it might get confusing and could be a bit expensive to have 2 tins on the go.

I am feeding her as much as she will take during the day, sometimes upto 7oz at a time..... so not sure how I can feed her any more, LIZS any ideas??

In terms of waking her to feed her, as it is she is waking every 1.5-2 hours, I don't want to get her feeding more often than this, I want her to sleep more, Tiktok? I am just waiting to see if she is hungry at night rather than just unsettled, before I start to try and feed her....

so much conflicting info here now I am more confused than ever!! (although could be the lack of sleep now!!) all I want is to sleep for more than 2 hours!!!

I have read up on the hungrier baby formula on SMA, Cow & Gate and Farleys websites and all are ok to give from birth...... just don't want to chop and change if this is not the right thing to do....

they usually have a growth spurt at this time... I put mine on hungry baby milk at this time and it worked.. are you still b/f. that should stop any constipation

7oz sounds plenty tbh - it was just you said normally 5/6 so wondered if there was room for more. Suspect it is a matter of her adjusting to a different pattern but you can but try the hungrier formula and see if it makes a difference. You could still go back if it doesn't work. The constipation would concern me though and you may need to be careful she doesn't inadvertently cut down b'feeds which can help minimise it.

Becky did this at the same age (now 17 weeks) we bought a carton of hungry baby milk to try first, but it wasnt for her.... we just needed to up her feeds in oz's rather than try and weigh her down with a "heavier" milk.

She settled back into her usual routine at about 10 weeks - i agree that it is a growth spurt. We have just upped Becky to 7oz bottles today because she was sinking the 6ozs and still wanting more.

Good luck and do what your instincts tell you. xx

kiskidee - you are confusing follow on and casein-dominant formula. Follow on is not suitable for babies under 6 months. Casein dminant formula can be used from birth.

yes i am. more evidence that lots of women confuse/simply don't understand the difference between the range of formulas on the market and the need to simplify what is out there.

kiskidee, while selling formula is mainly a commercial activity concerned primarily with profit and not the health of babies, simplification just won't happen. Manufacturers will continue to produce ever-more complex 'choices' to segment the market and persuade mothers that Brand X is 'better'.

The research and marketing is very like washing powders/liquids/tablets/biological/non-biological....etc etc etc.

It's bamboozling for the consumer.

With washing stuff it doesn't really matter.

With babies' nutrition, it does.