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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Opinions on hungry baby formula..?

15 replies

Tinkerbell43 · 21/04/2013 19:04

My DS is 3 weeks old and is up 3 or 4 times in the night hungry and is taking 90mls.. He drains the bottle and then is up again 1.5-2 hours later wanting more.. He rarely seems satisfied after a feed i give him water between feeds and ive tried giving him more milk each feed but it doesnt seem to make a difference.. contemplating hungry baby milk but I've heard mixed opinions on it.. What do you suggest?

OP posts:
Figgygal · 21/04/2013 19:07

Are u sure he's actually hungry it could be comfort sucking. I'm not sure water between feeds at that age is a good idea either he shouldn't need water if getting plenty milk. How many bottles is he having in day?

I wouldn't at that age it is a known constipator we tried it it made no difference to appetite whatsoever.

ThatGhastlyWoman · 21/04/2013 19:10

I would not recommend hungry baby formula. We started using it for our daughter's evening feed, and she ended up preferring the bottle. We did make it to 8 months, but I really regret not researching the subject more. We went with hungry baby simply because it was the only vegetarian mix we could find at the time.

Do you have a breast feeding clinic near you? Have also heard good things about guys www.laleche.org.uk/; they have loads of good info on their site, too.

ThatGhastlyWoman · 21/04/2013 19:12

Weird. I typed these guys. Gremlins...

MajaBiene · 21/04/2013 19:15

Please don't give him water, it really isn't a good idea for newborns and can make them ill.

Does he feed frequently in the day?

If he doesn't want more milk but is still unsettled then he probably wants to suck - try a dummy.

ihearsounds · 21/04/2013 19:20

At 3 weeks it is normal to be waking up so much. It is normal to want a feed every 2 hours.
Over all, how much milk is being consumed in a 24 hour period and how much does baby weigh?

Original poster
Tinkerbell43 · 21/04/2013 19:20

It's cooled boiled water advised by my HV to give him between feeds incase he was thirsty rather than hungry "/ x

OP posts:
Original poster
Tinkerbell43 · 21/04/2013 19:22

He's 8lb 14oz.. Was 8lb 12oz at birth takes 3-4oz every 1.5-2hrs

OP posts:
AmandaCooper · 21/04/2013 19:23

At 3 weeks old the stomach is very tiny and doesn't hold a great deal of milk. Babies at that age need to eat little and often to remain full. They also suckle for comfort. So feeding every 1.5 to 2 hours is quite normal. Water will give the stomach the sensation of being full but it will not nourish the baby. Offering too much water can make a baby poorly.

JuliaScurr · 21/04/2013 19:23

Had great results with that for last night feed on friend's advice
She did it with her 3 dc
Breast fed during day
Dd slept beautifully from about 6 wks old, and so did we :)

5318008 · 21/04/2013 19:25

Hv is giving you really dangerous advice, bloody hell

Keep offering standard infant formula, feed to your baby's cues, don't routine or schedule feeds.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby (sniff his head for me please, awww new baby smell)

HolidayArmadillo · 21/04/2013 19:33

Your baby needs to feed frequently. It's only 3 weeks old. It does not need cooled boiled water, except maybe perhaps in hot temperatures. Please do not give it hungry baby formula unless you want a constipated tiny baby.

ihearsounds · 21/04/2013 19:34

That sounds like a normal amount for him to be eating.
Agree with others, stop the water.

I gave my dd1 hungry milk when she 8 weeks. She was drinking at least 8oz every 2 hours. This was under the advise of gp, all it did was give her an extra hour between feeds.

ilovepowerhoop · 21/04/2013 21:05

I would stop giving water and keep going with the first milk rather than hungry milk.

KatAndKit · 23/04/2013 08:57

HV is giving you very bad advice. I would actually report this. Formula is made up with the correct amount of water per scoop to meet a baby's need for hydration. Unless it is very hot weather, I mean like heatwave not pleasantly sunny, there is no need for a baby who is not yet on solids to receive water. For a newborn, it can be dangerous.

There is no such thing as "between feeds" for a baby of that age. When they get hungry again they are not "between feeds" they are telling you it is time for their next feed. Newborns are designed to feed frequently - the 3-4 hours between feeds is a myth at this stage, especially with more modern formulas that are easier to digest.

Hungry baby milk is really intended to satisfy babies who are drinking lots and lots of milk but are not yet old enough to start solids. I'd be waiting till 3 months before starting it unless I had decent medical advice to the contrary.

I would be wary of listening to your HVs advice on any aspect of baby care if she is telling you to give water to a newborn.

MrsApplepants · 23/04/2013 09:21

We switched to hungry baby milk to postpone weaning for just a few weeks more. When we switched DD was 16 wks and taking six 9oz feeds during the day. None at night (7am -7pm) i dont think it was that useful, had to start her on solids at 20 weeks (on GPs advice)
Would never have given it to a baby as young as OP's. He just needs more milk, more often I think. No to the water, unless it's really hot, which it isn't!

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