How to calm the baby before drinking

[LadyRenoir]

Our 5 week old unfortunately does not leave us a lot of time to prepare food (he is fully bottle fed).
At night, he does lick his lips and makes sounds, so we rush off to prepare the bottle, but he sometimes ends up sleeping on and we need to remake the feed altogether. If we wake him up, he ends up having 10-20 or 30 ml end goes back to sleep, and wakes up an hour later hungry again.
Sometimes, he does not give any hunger signs, but just wakes up and goes full-on-crying and is inconsolable, and by the time the bottle is ready (plus I change the nappy before feeding, and he cries his head off during that), by the time I feed him, he is in a bit of a state and gulps food down rather than drinking peacefully. I am on my own most of the time, so I need to leave him in his cot for a few minutes to prepare the bottle.

Not sure if we can use any strategies, as I would like him to just be able to drink, rather than gulp with his little eyes swollen from crying :(

Could you make one bottle immediately after he finishes one, so it's not sitting around too long, but you're not having to make it after he signals for hunger?

I know it's not what's advised but why not make the bottles up before and keep them in the fridge. I have done this with DD until recently when she started sleeping through. A friend was told by her HV that as she was thorough with cleaning and sterilising bottles and any equipment that this would be okay.
I know this way of doing things isn't for everyone though and if you're a FTM you might not be happy doing this. My only other suggestion would be a perfect prep machine but have never used one myself. Good luck with whatever you choose to do and I hope you find something which works for you.

How are you making the bottles? Do you have a prep machine? You could make the process a little faster by measuring the formula out in advance which takes a few seconds away and would make it easier to hold him while you make the bottle.
I’d also give him a little of the bottle then change his nappy and give him the rest after so he won’t be so desperate to eat while his nappy is being changed but you can still settle him back down with the rest of the feed.

We always did 4 bottles at a time then chilled them and put into the fridge. When I went to bed id take one from the fridge warm it through a tad then wake the baby to feed. After theyd fed and gone back to sleep id grab the next one and leave it on the bedside table. Ot was room temp by the time they next woke. After that feed Od grab the next fridge one.

Bottle of cold boiled water in the fridge, make up the correct number of scoops in less hot water and top up with the cool boiled water.
Another thing we resorted to was ready to feed cartons they are expensive but if you just use 1 a night sometimes the benefits outweigh the costs! As my son would happily have them from room temp so just keep a carton next to the bed with a clean bottle, if they need warming keep a thermos flask of boiled water next to the bed and a jug to warm the bottle in when poured.

Why do you change the nappy before feeding?

Unless he's pooed you don't need to change his nappy at night. I would take a sterilised bottle up and a carton of formula then when he wakes just pour it in. It will be room temperature which is fine and no waiting around for him.

Mini fridge (the coke can sized) in your room with a bottle warmer next to it? Bottle pre made, out of fridge into warmer while you hug baby. I second the nappy thing- change after he's drunk something, and then offer more food after to re settle?

When DS was very little, he would often wake in the night and only take a couple of ounces before dropping off again. The health visitor suggested changing his nappy or wiping his face with a damp cloth to wake him up just enough to get him to finish the bottle.

We had a perfect prep machine with the powder already measured out in the bottles.

I used to make up a bottle with boiling water then put it into a jug of iced water (constantly had a jug I the fridge). By the time i had changed his.nappy the bottle was ready. After a while he got into the routine and didn't seem so sister's.at waiting.

Don't rush to feed him. If he resettles himself that is a good thing. Many babies whimper or even cry briefly in their sleep.

Before you go to bed, prepare individual portions of formula powder unsterile pots. Prepare the same number of bottles with boiled water and keep them in the fridge. When you want to feed him, boil a little water and add it to the bottle to take the chill off. Add the powder. (I don't remember the proportions of cold:hot.)

Definitely do not change his nappy unless he has pooed. He is most likely to poo during or after a feed.

Lots of great advice, thank you everyone! Sorry for a few daft questions, this is our first baby... we were told in hospital to change nappies before each feeding. Also, how else you know if there is poo in there? He does not poop often and if yes it's usually at night.
I use a perfect prep machine but even in that short time he manages to have an outburst. Or sometimes he is super hungry and wants a to up, and he cries his head off while I need to prepare the extra. You'd think he was not fed at all... Do other babies wait patiently for the milk?

Have you considered ready made formula? At least for night feeds - have the bottle and milk ready by the bed.

I would quickly check the nappy at the leg but only change if soiled.

I can't see the logic in changing the nappy before a feed - unless they mean to try and pre-empt and change it in advance? In any case it doesn't matter, they don't really mind a wet nappy while they feed. You don't have to do everything that the hospital suggests :)

You'll get to know when he's pooed but lots of people sniff, poke a finger inside or stretch the corner out to have a look.

Changing a nappy before a feed I suppose is so you don't wake them if they fall asleep feeding by changing after. Though mine have always pooed during/after a feed!

Unfortunately I think this comes with the age as he is very young. I remember mine being the same.
Peek in the side of the nappy to see if there is poo, if not then crack on with the bottle straight away

Remember when they are newborn, they're used to getting a steady stream of nutrition from the placenta, like being on a drip - they've literally never experienced hunger until they are born which is why it upsets them so much.

While it's best practice to make bottles up fresh it's okay (second best) to make them in advance as long as you don't leave them sitting around at temperatures between 6-60C as this is where bacteria can grow. So quickly cool and keep in the fridge. You should not need to remake a bottle if he settles and then wakes later. Don't use milk you've made more than 24 hours before, or that he's fed from any more than an hour before, but it's okay to keep a fed-from bottle around for up to an hour.

Try taking him with you to make the bottle up and jiggle/cuddle, rock and ssssh or sing to him to soothe him while he waits. Unless you are worried about spilling hot water on him which obviously would be a risk. For times when it's extra hard, look into ready made formula, you can always switch later when he's bigger and settles more easily. You can even buy sets of little ready made prefilled sterile bottles I think in Mothercare.

If you don't want him to fall back to sleep whilst feeding change dc nappy if they nods off. I have a 5 wk old and i change baby f i think they can take more. I used ready made cartons at night and pre make 2 or 3 powdered bottles at a time. My dc takes the cartons at room temp so i dont need to trudge downstairs.

I try not to change nappies mid feed, as baby hates changing, cries and wriggles a lot and that brings milk up.
The problem is not just night, the same thing happens during daytime when he sleeps and all of a sudden wakes up hungry. If he is awake already, it's easier to avoid the crying disaster, but most of the time we feed him from sleep.
Loads of good advice, will try some of these out, thank you everyone!