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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Can/do they have a growth spurt at 4 1/2 months? DS has been feeding constantly...

19 replies

LadyOfWaffle · 28/12/2008 18:58

Definatly since yesterday DS has been feeding 'non stop' (well he slept bits of last night but I was popping him back on alot more than usual) and loads and loads today. Normally he has one or two 'decent' sleeps during the day of 1-3 or 4 hours but not today. He has been feeding/dozing on and off. He doesn't seem ill - I have just been though (no idea what, but v. high temp.) maybe a little bit warmer than usual? If it's a growth spurt, how long does it last? Thanks

OP posts:

Grendle · 28/12/2008 21:07

It sounds like he could be coming down with something. Hope he's all better soon.

This is an interesting read on 4 month olds.

ilovelovemydog · 28/12/2008 21:17

Yes... 4 months seems fairly standard, but all babies have their own growth spurts. DD and DS did a full on growth spurt and non stop feeding around this time - lasted about 2-3 weeks.

thisisyesterday · 28/12/2008 21:20

ohh yes, big one. hence why many people feel the need to wean onto solids at this age.

keep feeding and he'll be fine

BabiesEverywhere · 29/12/2008 17:28

We have just gone though a growth spurt at the 4 month mark. I took my DS to bed early every night and feed, feed, feed

Leenie · 29/12/2008 18:58

Grendle the link on 4 mth breast feeding babies had me in stitches, it is sooo true, my DS pops of at every noise he hears, phone , big sister, dog barking , daddy coming and then to look up and give me the big gummy smile that says i love you. lol, i have just started to introduce solids too , very slowly as he is only 18 weeks, but he is really loving sitting in his high chair and getting new tastes, and joining in at the dinner table. saying that, i definately think he is having a growth spurt as he has fed a lot more in the last week or two,

Lulumama · 29/12/2008 19:00

why are you giving solids at 18 weeks?

yes, classic growth spurt time, LoW. can tkae a few days but your supply will catch up with his demands

Leenie · 29/12/2008 19:12

I know it is said to be a bit early, but i had a good chat with my health visitor, she said it is ok from 17 weeks as he is a big and hungry baby, and he was showing signs of being ready to try solids, ie: only baby rice at this stage, it actually felt quite late to me as my eldest dd started on baby rice at 12 weeks and my second DD at ten weeks, saying that they are 17 and 15 yrs old and back then it was normal to wean at 12 weeks, my HV said just not to overdo the variety at this stage stick to baby rice for or 3 weeks before trying other variety, he is definately ok with it and very happy to be having it.

Lulumama · 29/12/2008 19:26

the NHS are recommending solids at around 26 weeks. what signs of readiness is he showing?

the best thing to fill his tummy with , that won;t potentially cause issues with his health later in life , is milk at this stage

he really does not need anything other than milk

it is the safest, most nutritious and filling food you can give a baby.

if he can sit unaided, has good head control, can lift food to his mouth, lost the tongue thrust reflex, potentially his gut is pyhsically mature enough for food

if he is hungry, simply in terms of volume, milk is the best thing to give

Leenie · 29/12/2008 19:56

he loves his milk feeds, but he's feeding so much he was just bringing it up again, he can sit up and has good head control,he's a very big and stong boy, i did go through these things with the HV ,because of the recommendations re; weaning. he is purely having baby rice mixed with his milk, and in low volume , but it is definately satisfying him, i understand where you are coming from Lulumama, and i will not be rushing him onto all the varieties of baby meals that are available,but my HV has assured me that baby rice at 17 weeks onwards is not going to cause a problem for him.

Lulumama · 29/12/2008 20:12

fair enough

BabiesEverywhere · 29/12/2008 20:31

My four month is a massive baby (99 centile for growth), excellent head control and sits up etc and often chucks up the excess milk he has took in (I tandem nurse and have a lot of milk).

My HV suggested that I put him on solids as he was big but I said I would wait until 6 months. As there are no health benefits in weaning him early and I wish to avoid the potential health risks...just seems logical to me.

Why are HV always pushing wallpaper paste baby rice, my DD just went on to proper finger food at 6 months and we'll dp the same for DS.

BabiesEverywhere · 29/12/2008 20:36

Lennie, As to "my HV has assured me that baby rice at 17 weeks onwards is not going to cause a problem for him."

Nice of her to reassure you this way. However as she hasn't got x-ray specs or a time machine, how can she know that your child guts are ready for solids and that early solids will not trigger a health issue for your child ?!?

I would be interested in what way a tiny spoon of low calorie baby rice mush actually helps a growing baby ? If your baby needs more calories, you can do that by offering another breastfed.

spottyshoes · 29/12/2008 20:39

Same here. Massive growth spurt at 4mths and HV said to wean him - despite spouting the 'guidline' 6 months at every op before this. I was also told to mix feed from week 2 as DS wasn't gaining weight quickly enough for them. I was quite naive shocked at the inconsistency but there you go! Soon learned it was the norm.

The spurt lasted a good 3-4 weeks but we got through it and did Baby Lead Weaning at 6 mths (another expression from HV). We survived other growth spurts and still feeding at nearly 21mths

Leenie · 29/12/2008 21:17

The reason why baby rice is advised as a first food is because it is a soft , gentle bland starter food which is less likely to cause any upset to the baby's digestive system in the transition from exclusive milk feed, i do fully understand all of your concerns re, early weaning but the guidelines actually say that you can wean your child from 17 weeks, but no sooner, although you should try and wait till they are around 6 months, i have weaned my own two daughters, now 17 and 15 yrs and my two step grandsons now 4 and 2, starting on baby rice, the latter werent weaned until 20 weeks because of the change in guidelines, my two eldest so far have had no complications of any kind and are very healrthy with no allergies, my nephew was not weaned till 7/8 months (he is now 19 months) and has alot of allergy problems, ie, no dairy , wheat etc, so again i think it does depend on the child to a certain extent, however, i do believe that being excited about weaning, ie, planning a full la carte menu with too much variety and introducing too much different foods too quickly can cause problems, as the babies gut is just not ready for it , i know that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the changes in weaning advice, and it is recognised that too much variety too soon can pose a problem, but please don;t think that i have not looked into this and sought the neccesary advice , as i have.(fsmile)

Leenie · 29/12/2008 21:20

that was supposed to be a , smile, lol

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 29/12/2008 21:26

To the OP, yep, we're in the middle of this at the moment and I have to admit that it's been going on for about 3 weeks now.

DD used to sleep from 7-3/4 then on til 8.

Now she sleeps from 7-11, and wakes every 1.5/2 hours til I get fed up of getting her in and out of her crib to feed her and put her into bed with me where she chews my nipples and scratches my face for a couple of hours. Nice.

Wild horses couldn't make me wean her before 26 weeks though. 6 more weeks of this is nothing compared to the broken nights my Mum and I suffered every winter of my childhood due to chronic asthma.

Original poster

LadyOfWaffle · 29/12/2008 21:32

THanks for more replies! He's still feeding with gusto, finally taking a break at the moment dozing on my lap Amazing how much you forget between no. 1 and 2, even though DS1 is only 2.9! BabiesEverywhere - DS2 is a big baby too, was born 10lb5oz (I cannot remember yours' birthweight, I haven't been on the ante/post natal threads for months!) but isn't sitting yet He also sicks up milk after nearly every feed, DS1 was the same, they burp and out ot dribbles (3 times in Church on Christmas Eve aswell, I kept getting taps on my shoulder alerting me to the milk avalanche down my back ) . Depsite being so big (6-12m clothes) he definatly does not seem ready for solids, he has started to look abit with intrest at me munching cake apples and stuff but he is a good month and more away. I can't imagine him being that grown up actually yet! Just 'round the corner really and he will be munching porridge pancakes! Err, waffling again... so, er, growth spurt. THankyou!

OP posts:

kathryn2804 · 29/12/2008 23:02

That link is great!! Sums it up completely!! Just keep on feeding!!!!!!!

BabiesEverywhere · 30/12/2008 09:56

LadyOfWaffle, My Ds was only 10lbs 1oz (LOL, that is the first I could say only to another mother)

He can sit up but overbalances when he leans forward, which is funny

Of course our babies are very interested in anything we do and hold including food it doesn't mean they want or need solids.

We are going to be doing BLW again with DS, it is so much fun

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