Worried my baby is too hungry

[TitusAndromedon]

I have seven week old twins. They were born at 37 weeks and we struggled with breastfeeding, resulting in a 15% weight loss in the first few days. As a result, we are using formula. I had really wanted to breastfeed and am disappointed and guilty that it didn't work out.

Anyway, both have grown really well since starting on formula, and they are now on the 50th percentile. However, I worry that they are having too much. One is consistently finishing 7oz and the other 6oz at each feed. They feed approximately every three hours, but sometimes stretch to four at night. I'm trying very much to feed on demand. My HV is happy with their growth but says they should move to hungry baby formula once they're draining 7oz at each feed. We're using Hipp Organic.

My concerns are:

1. Hungry baby formula will result in uncomfortable side effects, but equally I'm not sure if they have the capacity to have many more ounces of the normal formula st each feed.

1. Are the quantities they are consuming okay for such young babies? I have struggled with my weight and I'm concerned I have set them up for a lifetime of obesity by stretching their little stomachs. I never force feed them, but I'm afraid I've done everything wrong and it will have lifelong implications.

Can anyone advise on the quantities they are having and the wisdom of using hungry baby formula?

Hungry baby formula isn't really for that age of baby, it is more for when you get closer to weaning age and can help hold them off for a little bit longer. It can be constipating as it is harder to digest and it also has the same amount of calories so unless they took loads less wouldn't stop them taking as many calories as they do already.

They aren't exactly ginormous if they are on the 50th centile so I really wouldn't worry. If they were bf you wouldn't know how much they were taking. Feed on demand, don't try to get them to finish a feed and stick with your current milk is my advice.

Thank you for responding. You're right that they aren't huge at all. I think I just worry that they sometimes seem insatiable!

I am extremely reluctant to move on to hungry baby formula for precisely the reasons you mention.

I guess I was just very keen to breastfeed partially in hope that would give them the best chance of avoiding future weight issues, and I'm afraid I've ruined that already when they're still just tiny babies. They started out on the second percentile so had some catching up to do. My husband is 6'2" and I am 5'9", so it's unlikely they'll be particularly small, but I worry about the long term implications of formula.

My Ds was like this, born at 37 weeks and at one point dropped to 0.9(?)th centile at about 11 weeks because I didn't listen to my instinct and instead the health visitor who told me not to increase milk available.

Ff from a week old for various reasons and by 12/13 weeks we were feeding him at least 6 x 5oz bottles a day, all the way to 5months where 5 x 9oz bottles just weren't satisfying enough so we weaned at 5.5 months under guidance from a different health visitor.

At 20months he's now 50th centile, short and stout and caught up with his age group, but in no way is he fat or too big. We're only just in the right age group clothes size, iyswim? What I'm trying to say is that the formula and large quantity of it hasn't made a jot of difference to being overweight now.

Congratulations on your twins