FF 3 week old - Advice please as i feel like im losing it!

[pinkrangerstartstowaddle]

looking a little advice, DS2 will be 3 weeks on Monday and has always been formula fed.
We started him on Aptamil first and he was taking has been getting some steady pattern of 2-3 oz every 2-3 hours , the last few days he has had 4 oz, 3-4 hours then all of a sudden he is having 3 oz every 2 hours and always wants to eat, having oz here and there,
We have tried him on the number 2 Aptamil for Hungry babies, and not really sure if this is helping, last night ( 11.30) he had 4 ozs of this then wanted more then took another 1 1/2 oz, but then wouldn't settle, he eventually went down at 1.30, up again at 4.30, then 8am, dosnt seem to bad but has had trouble settling back, have a done the right thing moving him up or shall i stick with the Aptamil first, or is this just want small babies do!
( DS 1 is 5 and i have forgot most of it!)
also can the Hungry one make him more windy/constipated?

So this has rambled on im a little tired!!!

dont have a huge amount of experience with ff but sounds like baby could be going through growth spurt, would suggest going back down to aptamil first as his tummy probably to young to cope with the richness of a heavier milk. that might be why he is having trouble settling afterwards.

make sure you give a good winding through the feed, he may be taking some milk until he is full then after good burp or trump he has room in his tummy for more.

good luck, if in doubt get in touch with your hv on monday

I would agree with iamasurvivor.

I know that at three weeks they go through a growth spurt (my three certainly did).

Think about yourself. There are some days that you are hungrier that others. He may be thirsty when he is having the smaller amount.

The thing about ffeeding is that you can see exactly how much they are taking as opposed to bf. I wouldn't be too worried about the volumes. Stick with the ff for his age as the other formulas wont suit his digestive system.

Hope this helps.

yes, my wee one went through a growth spurt at that age too - I clearly remember one night when she was waking every 2.5 - 3 hours for a feed. Just go with it for now, it should settle.

I've never tried the hungry baby milk - my impression (which could be wrong) is that it's meant for babies who are draining whole bottles regularly - ie, 8 - 9 oz. It can cause constipation, I know that much. It's casein based, which is harder to digest, and personally I think your wee fella is a bit young to be having it.

If I were you, I'd change back to Aptamil first. I'm certain the feeding will settle into more of a pattern in a couple of days - you just have to ride it out!

Thank you all for your advice, i have made up bottles with the Aptimail 1st and leaving the Hungry one well alone!
i would rather feed him every 2 hours then have him in pain with it!

Thank you all once again x

Thank you for yesterday, after switching back had SUCH a better night, ds did get constipated yesterday but it managed to sought it self out at 3am this morning!

yay! good to hear things are settling down.

Just another point - your son might just naturally not need to do a poo every day. My daughter (also on Aptamil, she's nearly five months old) can go a day - sometimes two - without doing a poo. She's been like that from a couple of weeks old. Apparently this isn't all that uncommon in bottlefed babies and so long as they're not in any pain and not straining to poo, there's no problem.

I bet that was a fun middle of the night nappy

I need some advice desperately!! My baby son is 9lbs 3 oz, 8 weeks old and is having problems feeding. He only takes 2 oz at every feed, then screams/bucks like a bronco/ has started to refuse his bottle. After winding for AGES he'll sometimes take down another 2 oz, but these feeds take ages. He's been doing this for weeks now, he has been gaining weight steadily, but feeds seem to be getting worse, not better, and hes taking less per feed, not more. I feed him every 3 and a half to 4 hours, and he sleeps for 4.5 - 6 hours at a stretch at night. He doesnt ever really scream for a feed. The paed diagnosed reflux at 4 weeks, and he's on Losec (he's not projectile vomiting). Is my son eating enough? Am i worrying uneccessarily if he's weeing and pooing, and slowly gaining weight? I'm getting him weighed again on wednesday - should i just calm down about counting every single ml he drinks and writing it down?? This is my first time, and i'm anxious about EVERYTHING!!!!

Welshthang - no advice for you but start a new thread and I'm sure you'll get lots of help soon. Good luck.