Ridiculously hungry newborn

[pawivy]

This is tearing me apart now.

Baby four weeks old. Tried BF but couldn't feed her enough. Went to mix fed. No better.

Left multiple messages for HV to no avail. Spoke to friend hV off record Friday, like not as a patient.

She said just feed the baby.

But
At four weeks old she is taking 6 ounce feeds and screaming an hour later for more. It's not wind, it's hunger. She's taking over double what's recommended already. My head is splitting open.

What do I do. Just keep feeding her?

Please can someone help me

Are you doing paced bottle feeding?

I really don't think you can overfeed a tiny baby, however fed. They simply won't eat if they are full, or they'll throw it back up at you.

Yes paced feeding.

Do others not record amounts as standard?

@Thekinkymouse that's what I had always thought until now.

When she is full she stops, winds and goes in to a lovely deep sleep. It's getting her to that which is the issue. The difference is notable.

Some babies are just like that I think? In the past they told you to mix baby rice with the formula (DONT do this) so it just goes to show that other babies are very hungry. My baby was the reverse and I worried and worried that she was only taking 2 oz and would refuse any more!
She might be going through a big growth spurt. Just feed the 6 oz every time she wants it and then speak to the health visitor when you can get through

@pawivy

It absolutely does make sense but that's where I was until the increase this weekend . She just drained 3 and starts screaming for more . Absolutely will not settle down. I try to bf first as well and shes feeding well there now. Like plenty milk. So is actually having even more 3 hour cycle can be bf 15 each side wind. Scream.bottle wind. Scream bf repeat.

Is she breastfeeding as well. I suspect she is cluster feeding to get the breast meeting her needs.

I suggest having a shower, getting comfy in bed with a box set and just let her feed from you. Is dad around to take toddler 100%?

Is it worse in the evening? Around this age is also the start of the witching hours. Both mine was scream and feed like nuts from 7:30-9:30 every evening. I found just going with it helped the most

I would keep feeding her when she’s hungry. Eating is good! I honestly don’t think you can over feed. They just refuse or vomit!
My DS fed like a beast at 2 weeks. I’d been trying to bf for the first weeks. Gave up and he made up for lost time. He was on 5/6 oz bottles every three hours. I was terrified of the nappies!
You’re doing really well. Feed a hungry baby!
Also be careful of Gaviscon. Can cause constipation which is what then stops the baby being hungry rather than doing any good.

She was a week early section, was only about 6.4lb.

No dh is working toddler is having far to much screen time.

Will feed tonight and call doctors in morning. HV support zero. Three weeks I've been calling and nothing.

Mean over feed, or keep feeding, obviously I would have fed her normally.

Maybe she hates me and my anxiety over timings and structure. See if tomorrow she took normal amount I would be freeing out at reduction. She probably can't win.

My first was like this! He had a bad start with feeding due to facial nerve issues from a forceps delivery and my milk didn’t come in until day 10. He soon made up for it by downing 5-6oz bottles at the same age as your baby. He settled on the 98th centile for height and weight where he still is now. I had the HV out and took him to the GP they both just said he probably had a bit of catching up to do from a rough start and he was following his line etc so weren’t worried. A friend did try to convince me he had silent reflux as that was the only reason he wanted so much milk but he was just genuinely a hungry baby. It always peaked around growth spurts for about 3 days (big one around the 4-5 week mark) and he would settle down again. He always took far more than the box suggested too.
Also what bottles are you using? I found a huge difference when swapping to the Mam anti colic bottles they really helped my little one with wind!

You can get a rough idea of how much they need by multiplying weight in lbs by 2.5 to get oz per 24 hours.

So a 9lb baby should have around 22-23oz milk per day.

Is she having a lot more?

Try keeping feeds slow by using a slow teat, not tipping the bottle up too much, taking lots of breaks and swapping sides.

Does she cry on the breast? As in, if you keep feeding her (swopping sides whenever she comes off for more than a few seconds) is she content? Or does she complain if she’s on the breast for longer than the 15 minutes you mentioned?

I ask, because for some babies sucking and feeding is their happy place, and they like to stay there regardless of whether they’re hungry. Which is fine, but doesn’t work I’d they’re screaming at the breast.

Yes mam bottles.

@StacySoloman double.

The breast feeding issues go back to toddler. I failed her as she was in incubator and it didn't work. Formula was given, then bf support wouldn't help. So I mix fed to six months,

This time I tried to remove that emotional pressure by introducing a tiny bottle which worked beautifully first two weeks. So that if or when. I failed she would take a bottle. I established BF and could not cope. I'm on my own mostly (farmer wife) and baby was cluster feeding 24.7 . I just couldn't manage toddler as well.

So I upped the formula, gave myself mastitis, but got into a better system where was BF cluster in night and bottles day. Plus BF nap time. House us a tip, children are fed, I am rarely other than cereal. Haven't had a shower in two days and am sleeping on the couch as baby never sleeps long enough to go to a bed.

Then last week she has just been absolutely starving as I say. And here we are,

I recorded feeds for a week. DS drank 4 x the recommended dose from day 1.

Never recorded again after that week.

Just feed the baby when baby is hungry.

My DD is 10 weeks and up to 7 weeks this is what she did. 6oz bottles from week 3. BF just failed so early because of how hungry she was and I couldn't keep up. She started on 5oz at week 1. I was lucky if we got 2 hours between feeds, she seems HUGE. I was worried but fed on demand. I did find she would stop when she was full but that was never before 5oz. The HV weighed her at 10 weeks and said she is bang on for her growth from her first weigh check. She is just a hungry baby. Does your DC have a HV appointment soon? IME babies take what they want. However, if she is crying with an hour after a bottle, but not downing 6oz, then it may be silent reflux and she is sucking for comfort. Look up relief methods for silent reflux, try the HV line again tomorrow.

I understand your frustration. It's so hard to hear them cry but then all the 'advice' doesnt suit a hungry baby, so then you dont know if what you are doing is right. This is my second DC, and now I just respond to her, do what she wants, and I do know it will pass. My DD now has 3 hours between feeds during the day and sleeps 11-6 most nights at 10 weeks. I would NEVER had imagined that 4 weeks ago.

Honestly, sounds like you're doing a great job. Don't worry about screen time. Both Dc are clearly loved and they'll feel that. I'm sure they just love being ne t to their mum.

Make sure you get through to your HV. I hope you get support. You've tried lots of things, could well be a very hungry baby. Clear any other worries with your HV and if all OK prepare for a week or so of lots of feeding. Be as kind to yourself as possible

I'm feeling a little easier just to hear thay others have had this. Thank you.

I'm wondering if i should stop recording. Today has been the worst by far. Really difficult.

HV was meant to come week 2. No show. Week 3. No show. I have left 5 different messages. I'm scared I shout when they do phone. Really not helped me at all having zero support from them. Yes I appreciate a pandemic but surely a phonecall within 3 weeks is reasonable.

She just always seems to want thay little more. Maybe I should try 7.

Am I correct in saying hungry baby milk is a no go as well. Name seems to be coming up on google but I'm sure I was told no

Hungry Baby is an older recipe formula that is harder to digest, so may make them feel "fuller" for longer. It isn't usually recommended now as obviously some babies may struggle to digest it and it can upset their stomachs, but it is safe.

@pawivy

I'm feeling a little easier just to hear thay others have had this. Thank you.

I'm wondering if i should stop recording. Today has been the worst by far. Really difficult.

HV was meant to come week 2. No show. Week 3. No show. I have left 5 different messages. I'm scared I shout when they do phone. Really not helped me at all having zero support from them. Yes I appreciate a pandemic but surely a phonecall within 3 weeks is reasonable.

She just always seems to want thay little more. Maybe I should try 7.

Am I correct in saying hungry baby milk is a no go as well. Name seems to be coming up on google but I'm sure I was told no

You would never sit and record how much a breastfed baby is having, so don't sit and do it with formula

Which formula are you using? My baby was similar when she was on Kendamil organic (I tried it because of reflux), it was like it wasn’t satisfying her enough so I switched to SMA and she was a little more content.

But I agree, it sounds more like silent reflux. My baby would constantly want more milk to stop the burning. Gaviscon helped a bit (she’s still on it now at 8 months).

I had/have the opposite problem!

My baby is now 5 minus a and has only ever taken 16-20oz in 24 hours! It's a good day if I get 20oz in her. Drives me crazy. I'm dreading weaning her as I know she cut her milk even more.

She has silent reflux and it's well controlled with gaviscon.

I'd just feed her if I was you.

*5 months

Poor you OP you sound really stressed. Obviously you should have a check in with an HV or GP when you can but I think you've just got a hungry baby. DS1 was like this, I was mostly breast feeding so panicked less about quantities (as couldn't tell) but he wanted to feed almost all the time. He popped out hungry and screamed for so long the first night (when my milk hadn't yet come in) that the nurses said I should give him one of those tiny newborn bottles which he wouldn't be able to finish and would knock him out for hours he downed it in 1 and only slept for 30 minutes before screaming for more. He was insatiable! It is awful for you to have a baby like this, especially with a toddler as well (luckily DS2 was less hungry) but I don't think it means anything is wrong. Try to relax and trust your instincts that he is genuinely hungry. Dummy helped slightly with DS1 but only a bit. DS1 is 8 now by the way and he is still just a very hungry boy but very slim and has naturally very healthy tastes, doesn't really like sweet things -- and food is obviously very important to him emotionally. It's just how he is.

My mother also kept saying to put baby rice in the bottle (which you're not supposed to do) and also told me I should wean him before 6 months. I held out almost till 6 months (which was the advice at the time) but to be honest I think she was right -- he was much happier once he was eating solid food as well and if I had another baby like that I'd probably wean a bit earlier whatever the official advice.

P.S. Forgot to say that I had an awful pregnancy with DS1 and was very malnourished myself due to constant sickness -- could only eat at all in the second half of pregnancy and then only a very limited and quite unhealthy diet. I've always wondered whether that was partly why he was so hungry, that he was instinctively making up for sub-par nutrition in pregnancy.

Thought I should update, thank you for your help.

Been back and forth to doctors after comments re silent reflux. Tried infacol, no success, gripe water same. Started gaviscon yesterday, no change as yet. Since I started this she does indeed display symptoms of silent reflux, screaming etc.

She feeds about eight times a day on bottle plus six me. I'm missing me and two from gaviscon as its six a day. So I've gone for daytime every other to skip.

I had tilted cot, but understand that's now against guidelines, my error. That did seem to help though but have put it flat again.

She's remained on correct centile, but is a hungry baby.

Other thoughts are comfort milk? Tilting again? Different medication? Give gaviscon a little longer?

I haven't been well either. Spent weekend back in hospital with a burst blood clot and cellulitis. It's all fun and games here.

Any thoughts?