Some advice on newborn feeding/ formula

[4658Lou]

My 5 week old is formal fed. Formula is Hipp organic the recommendation feeding guidelines on Hipp is 5 weeks 100ml so we been giving him that, my husband read online that 5 weeks old can go up to 150ml so because he was feeding well he up the ml but seems to be quite sicky now after it even though he will take it he has brought up quite a lot of milk back and seems distressed over crying is this reflux? What are others babies drinking at this stage of 5/6 weeks old drinking in general in
mls and the frequency?

Guidelines are useless, feed him what he will happily take and if he absolutely guzzles a bottle down increase the next feed by 30ml and see what happens.

You also don't need to feed the same volume at every feed - once you're in a rhythm you might notice he drinks more or less at different feeds.

Yes ignore the guidelines on the box.

If he's draining a bottle, up it.

What if he starts throwing back the milk more than just spit up? Does that mean I have give him too much? Or is that reflux? Sometimes he takes alot and wants it then he vomits some up and still wants more but before the initial burp/spit back/sick he still wants it afterwards - is that reflux? In that situation what do I do?- do I give it to
him what he wants or not give him anymore while he been sick?

www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/formula-feeding/Pages/amount-and-schedule-of-formula-feedings.aspx#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20your%20baby%20should,when%20they've%20had%20enough.

How long are you keeping him upright after each feed? It needs to be 20 mins at least.

Also, are you taking breaks throughout the feed? If you just let the baby down the whole bottle in one, he'll be sick. You have to burp him briefly about twice during the bottle.

That's what we found with dd anyway

If he's otherwise happy in himself then it's probably not reflux.

Sick/posset often looks way more than it really is.

Burp every 30ml during a feed and then 10 minutes after finishing. Keep upright for 20 mins afterwards.

@Unexpectedlysinglemum thanks for the link x

@Mummymummy89 yeah I do I keep him up atleast 20 minutes upright after every feed and keep checking for wind as much as I can.

I do try to but my baby seems to get very upset when I take the bottle to wind I do break to wind atleast 3 times and check at the end of feeding throughout when he is sitting upright afterwards. I don’t know how to stop him
becoming upset inbetween winds? X

@luckbealadytonight to me he has happy settled timws
throughout day and playing with me, either laying down or on me or in general but then he cries if there is wind or put knees up he also sometimes cries if he passes gas (farts) or when he is gearing up to poop. It’s not a continual cry just like one cry stops then starts again On and off and then I suspect wind or trapped gas try to massage and wind him etc. how would I know if my baby has reflux or colic?

paced / responsive bottle feeding may help?

Very much second the frequent burping during feeds.

That just sounds like normal bottle fed baby wind to me.

Reflux or colic causes baby to be extremely unhappy. Continual crying for hours, can't be put down as they are in pain on their backs, etc.

The odd crying spell to pass wind is normal.

If your baby cries when you're trying to wind then take the bottle out and immediately put a dummy in and wind that way. Had to do that with my first as he would be raging every time I stopped to wind him! He was also quite pukey even hours after a feed, but because he wasn't in pain and it didn't affect him in any way he didn't need medication.

@luckbealadytonight ah on I haven’t been helping him after 30ml I will try to do that, how do i stop him getting upset when I take the bottle and start to wind him? Or is that just what happens? He starts to cry and puts his head back in duress because I have taken the bottle to wind x

Ok so 30ml is just a rough guide. If baby gets very upset then I would do half the bottle in one go and then second half with regular burping. I had to do that with DC2 as she would scream bloody murder of I took it away too soon. DC1 didn't care in the slightest.

@luckbealadytonight yeah same with my child he gets very upset if I take it
were with my other child it didn’t bother.

my baby seems to grunt and gear up
for a bowel movement atleast a few hours before I wouldn’t say it’s full blown crying but just unsettled then he will have a poo and be fine. There is a point in the whole day he will have about hour and half of crying on and off and it seems like wind or just general unsettled but then has hours of playing,
smiling and being content if i
had a colicky baby etc would that be continually like all the time? Also to
note through the night he is brilliant he will sleep
3-4 hours block have his
bottle and go back to sleep once he has fed, nappy changed , sat up for 20-30 mins he will go down and sleep for another 3 hours - would a colicky baby do that do they have trouble day and night. Just want to make sure I’m giving baby the best comfort and not aiding in discomfort of his wind and also give him the right amount of feeding without over or under feeding x

@veeolay I will try this thank you. It’s so
distressing when my baby cries and throws his head back and gets very annoyed when I take the bottle
to wind him, he fights it then does a big burp I know it’s there but he just probably sees it I have taken away the food, I would love a way to minimise this distress I will try this x