Help please - confused with 6week old FF

[sleepychunky]

Have reluctantly had to start bottle feeding DS after BF wasn't giving him enough. Now really confused as he is draining 5oz and then wanting more, screaming until he has another 2-3oz. I'm sure that 7-8oz is way too much for a 6 week old and he can't really be hungry, but nothing else seems to make him happy. He's also only going about 3 hours between these feeds during the day (although at night he will go about 4 if we're lucky) I BF DS1 and don't have any experience of this. Is it normal for him to want so much? He just won't settle and it's getting me and DH very stressed as we have no idea what's going on.
Any tips/experiences/reassurance needed, and the sooner the better as we're both getting very stressed about it. Thanks

i'd give him smaller bottles (4oz) every couple of hours or whenever he wants it, tbh. thats what i did with ds.

i can't go 4 hours between meals so nor can a small baby.

Can you not just breastfeed him after the formula, sleepychunky?

If nothing else makes him happy and he's not throwing it up or anything, perhaps he just needs that much.

DS2 is 9 weeks, ff and has only in the last couple of days started going 3 hours more than once a day. He does 3 or 4 hours at night but has been every two hours during the day, smaller amounts as bamboo says.

Is 3 hours for a 6 week old quite a long gap? I don't know about formula. But would have thought little and often in the day would be better - especially as he's more likely to gorge if he waits too long?

Also is there a 6 week growth spurt? So if you go little and often it might be easier to manage for his little tummy.

I've tried smaller bottles more often but after 4oz he still wants more, even if the last feed was only 2 hours ago. I am still BFing him as well when I can, but with a very demanding toddler as well it's not very easy to give a whole bottle feed and then BF as it takes up so much time, so I'm only really doing it in the evening or early morning when DS1 is in bed.
A couple of you talk about little and often but we seem to be doing lots and often, which is what is confusing. He's also terrible at bringing up wind and wriggles and writhes around so much, and he only seems to be comforted by feeding.
I had wondered about the growth spurt too, especially as he put on 20oz in 8 days at his last weigh in.
Think we'll just try little and often again and see how it goes

My baby's now 7 weeks and during his 6th week, he ate us out of house and home (formula) which was due to his growth spurt. He easily took 6oz per feed, so I wouldn't be too worried. His intake has vastly reduced this week...hang in there!!

sleepy have you considered reflux? He might be comfort eating to help with the pain-wind and reflux can go hand in hand. I'd consider it if it doesn't pass soon.
(it might be silent reflux where no obvious vomiting but acid is still coming back up the throat.)

There are a few websites which list symptoms - if you google infant reflux you should hit one (I'm on my iPhone feeding my DS so not able to easily link, plus it's nearly 5am and my brain is a bit zonked!)

What your saying is just like us with our dd at around 6 to 7 weeks. I just went with it, she was having a 7oz bottle around every 3 hours and really bolting it down too. She was quite a chunker and gained weight quickly, she's not chunky now, she's 2.6, so it was obviously just what she needed at the time. Don't worry about it, go with what your DS is telling you, it makes life so much easier.