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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Feed every 3 hours or switch to hungrier baby formula?

19 replies

littleboyblue · 13/05/2009 12:24

Hi. Ds2 is 13 weeks old. He has been feeding lately every 3 hours and taking 6oz.
I started off routine feeding 4 hourly, but then for a number of reasons, decided to feed on demand and scrap most routine. He now gets really grumpy after 3 hours, distraction only works for 3 mins or so.
I don't want to put too much strain on him and don't really mind 3 hour feeding, but I also have a 21 month old, and I am feeling like all I do is feed and help settle to sleep.
WWYD?

OP posts:

ScorpiowithabigS · 13/05/2009 12:25

I would give him more milk, whenever he wants it. He is probably having a growth spurt.

LionstarBigPants · 13/05/2009 12:27

Just go with the flow. My DD fed more frequently than 3 hourly at that age. It might feel like you spend your life feeding & settling, but they will be grown up and out the door before you blink - so make the most of it.

Original poster

littleboyblue · 13/05/2009 12:29

Thanks. Ds1 was a fatty too but ds2, I can't get him to take any more after he's been winded.

OP posts:

Lulumama · 13/05/2009 12:33

feed whenever he wants feeding, whether it is 2 hourly or 3 hourly.. it will vary day by day and week to week

you cannot distract a baby from an empty tummy..

it does feel like all you do is feed, but that is how it goes with a baby !

Original poster

littleboyblue · 13/05/2009 12:35

I always thought it took 3 hours for a feed to digest properly?
My only concerns are the weight gain really. Ds1 by this age, had come off the chart, and now ds2 is above 91st line, he was born on 50th, I just worry I overfeed them.....
Not ds1 now, but as babies

OP posts:

Original poster

littleboyblue · 13/05/2009 12:41

And, this is going to sound really silly, especially as he is my 2nd, but I've never done anything on demand before. Ds1 was strictly routine, but ds2 doesn't seem to like routine. I am quite happy to go with whatever he wants, but when he cries, should I just assume it's hunger? I think that on auto-pilot I check he's not too hot or cold etc, and I always change his nappy just before I plan to feed, which generally just leaves hunger and boredom doesn't it? Unless he's not well, but I'd hopefully spot that he was getting poorly anyway.

He spends alot of time chewing on his hands and fists. Ds1 started teething at 10 weeks, not sure if the same is happening now and maybe I should try some gel on him, just incase? His cheeks have been very dry......

I'm an idiot ren't I?

OP posts:

Lulumama · 13/05/2009 13:07

i think it is hard to overfeed a baby. they will vomit it back up if it is too much
some babies are bigger than others,not everyone is average,some have to be bigger/smaller so that the average exists.

you are right to assume that he is not crying every time due to hunger, but as a new baby, it is pretty much the default isnt it? he might want 3 oz one feed then 5 then 2 .. you don;t need to aim for a particular size of feed orroutine at this stage

if he is teething, it might make him more upset,but he will still want feeding freuently.every 2 hours or so is not abnormal

Lulumama · 13/05/2009 13:09

re the hungry baby milkl,that is for when he is draining 9 oz bottles every hour !he is not a hungrier baby right now,he is doing fine..

Original poster

littleboyblue · 13/05/2009 13:20

Ok. Thank you. When ds1 was about 6/7 weeks, he was taking 9oz every 3/4 hours and the hv told me to reduce the feed. I'd have to give him 4 oz and then take him for a walk to distract him.

Saying all that, ds2 has just been a bit sick down himself and is now whinging again, but that might be because I'm on here, ignoring them both

OP posts:

Lulumama · 13/05/2009 14:44

IMO it is bonkers to reduce the milk intake of a 6-7 week old

feed responsively and your baby will find his own pattern ..

you are doing fine!!

Flibbertyjibbet · 13/05/2009 15:05

I didn't bottle feed but I had ds1 who just was perfect routine baby when we weren't even trying to follow a routine..

then ds2 who just wasn't a routine baby. He fed literally for hours on end and screamed if I put him down when I thought he'd nodded off during a feed, never napped, I had 16m old ds1 as well and those first 6 months with 2 where some kind of chaotic hell.

What I'm trying to say is that some babies are routiney babies, others aren't and there is nothing you can do to a non-routiney baby to make them conform to a routine.

Its hard hard hard with two under twos but just try to go with the flow, feed baby as often as he needs feeding.

I am and at hv telling anyone to reduce feeds at that age.

The first two years for me with 2 close together was the worst but now ds1 is starting school in sept and soon I'll probably wish I had them back as babies keeping me up all night and feeding all day.

Original poster

littleboyblue · 13/05/2009 18:21

Yes, but I think the reason I was told to reduce feed was because ds1 was growing off the chart. He was growing in a vertical line instead of the curve. He started off on 98th line and then flew off entire chart.
Think I'll just carry on feeding whenever, this afternoon, he went for 5 hours

OP posts:

StripeyOss · 14/05/2009 15:41

I just switched DD to the hungrier baby Formula, she's 8wks old... she'd dropped from contented, happy feeding every 3-4hrs to screaming every 1.5hrs and searching for food, but wouldnt take more than 4-5oz per feed.

Switched her on sunday and i have my contented, smiley little girl back!

Original poster

littleboyblue · 14/05/2009 17:52

Stripey That's good news
Ds is still on regular formula. I don't know what I want to do really.

OP posts:

StripeyOss · 14/05/2009 17:56

buy a couple of the ready mixed cartons of hungrier baby and just try him with it, it wont hurt him, if it makes no difference then switch back.

I was also recommended to the aptimil easy digest stuff by a friend who's 'head midwife' in surrey if the switch didn't work and it WAS colic/reflux and not just an empty belly.

interestingly enough, she was the same lady who told me to switch to SMA when the C&G was making my DS sick when he was newborn... that worked too!

Lulumama · 14/05/2009 17:57

but that is waht babies do!! they have frequent growth spurts and when they do, they want more frequent feeds and then they settled

a baby taking 4 -5 ounces every couple of hours is a normal baby, not a hungrier one.

Original poster

littleboyblue · 14/05/2009 18:00

Ds2 is on C&G because ds1 had lots of problems on sma. My hv told me lots of babies have issues with sma. How strange!

I might just see how it goes tbh, today he's been going roughly 3.5 hours and yesterday even managed a block of nearly 6 hours.

OP posts:

StripeyOss · 14/05/2009 18:00

i know lulu.. she's still feeding frequently per her growth spurt, but she's a lot calmer/happier with it, and thats what i was after.

Lulumama · 14/05/2009 18:14

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