How can an 8 week old be drinking so much

[overfed]

He is on Hipp Organic. He drinks 5 ounces every 2.5 hours & today it's been every 2. Unless he's fed he's bloody miserable but I honestly don't think it's right a baby eats this much?! I have given him 6 ounces in the last one hour 20 & he is crying for more!

As a rough guide: baby’s weight in pounds x 2.5 = the amount of formula in ounces they typically need in a 24 hour period.

If he’s having around this amount then likely no need to worry- feeding patterns can differ as some 8 week olds will consume more in the day but sleep through 12 hours overnight whereas other will be every 3 hours day and night.

If he’s having way more than this amount then I’d would consult your health visitor or doctor. It’s rare for formula fed babies to over feed but it can happen when they have reflux because they want to keep swallowing for the relief; there is also silent reflux which means all of the discomfort but none of the obvious puking. So definitely worth getting a medical opinion just in case.

@TropicalTrama That's really interesting.. so he should be having 35 ounces a day going by what you've said. He's having around 40-42. He is a piggy. He had his jabs on Monday & has definitely been out of sorts. We try to pace feed him but I find he just gets hungrier quicker rather than giving him 4-5 ounces in one go. According to the Wonder Weeks app he's going through leap 2 as of today, could all be contributing but tbh he's always been hungry. He was a bit refluxy but since adding Carobel to his feeds this has improved hugely. When he's settled, & not hungry (rare!) he's happy to sit in his chair & look around. He's certainly been more unsettled the last couple of days. Guess I'll just have to ride it out. I genuinely think he hates being a baby, gets very frustrated & I do think he just wants to be able to 'do' things. Nothing like my first DC who was the most chilled out baby ever!

Hmmm could just be growth spurt, it’s more but not loads more! But since you say reflux I’d probably want to see the GP if I were you. Carobel is just a milk thickener so it’s possible that he’s still in pain as the acid can come up even if the milk itself is staying down- wanting to swallow all the time would indicate this might be the case because it’s soothing and provides relief. There are prescription reflux meds like gaviscon and omeprazole that can help. Also you could try a dummy as that’s a way for them to swallow without feeding.