She seems to be eating ALOT

[LuckySalem]

Ok firstly, yes I weaned early but it was on the advice of the HV and before I drove myself insane so please don't slate me for it. I need some advice.

DD is now 5 months and 2 days and has been having "mush" since she was 20 weeks old. She used to wake every 1 - 2hrs at night again (after going to 6hrs a night between feeds) she screamed ALOT all the time and fed constantly. So HV suggested trying babyrice which we did and she immediately became happier and slept for 5 hrs again.

So lately she's gone back to waking every 2 hrs at night and feeding alot in the day so I've upped her food intake but even that doesn't seem to be satisfying her...
this evening she's had 3 desert spoons of porridge, a couple of baby spoons of my yogurt a LONG feed and then woke again after falling asleep 15 mins later and had another LONG feed (20-30 mins each time) this is all in the space of about 2 hrs.

Surely this isn't right? Whats your advice?

up her milk uptake.. the food is less filling and calorific than food

more milk , more milk more milk

how many weeks is she now? 25?

3 spoons of porridge and a bit of yoghurt cannot satisfy hunger and thirst like milk

milk is the main source of nutritioun for the first year. food is a compliment to milk and it will keep her full more than a few spoons of food

Sounds like a growth spurt

your milk has more calories in it than food and will fill her up more so I'd concentrate on increasing her milk than food

it's a shame your health visitor isn't up to date with current guidelines but I weaned my first at twenty weeks because I didn't know better

I can't up the milk intake unless I literally stick her on my boob ALL day!! lol.

She has feeds of at least 20 mins every hr or so (unless i'm in the car or walking) something is missing and I dont know what.

it is classic growth spurt time and the more you feed, the more your will make for her and this constant feeding will pass after a few days

5 /6 months is still v v little , food might help satisfy hunger a little, but not as much as a milk feed

It sounds like a growth spurt.

A bit of yoghurt and few spoons of porridge aren't going to fill her up surely?

DS fed loads at this age - loads and loads. Almost back to newborn levels again at some points. I think it's a mistake to think 'there must be something wrong' and try and fight against it. Just keep feeding her.

I understand what your saying but the thing is, this is how she's ALWAYS fed, this is why me and the HV came to this decision. The only time it changed was when she hit about 2 months (I think) and started sleeping longer at night, she still fed the same in the day, every hr or so. Then about I dunno, maybe 4 weeks later she was back to this again.

I was always pro BLW but this child wasn't going to let me do that. She isn't satisfied.

but you've taken teh advice and it has only worked v v short term.

some babies feed a lot lot more than others.

some are more snacky

if she is also discovering new things, like sitting up etc. her sleep might be a bit more erratic.

would you consider a bottle of formula?

but some babies are 'snackers' and seem to feed all the time. It's just the way they are. Which of course doesn't make it any easier for you, especially when other babies are probably going for much longer periods!

If you just accept it's her way, and plug her into you morning, noon and night, your daughter will get what she needs.

Yes I was going to suggest topping up with formula - that will help more than the food

also, if she has always been like this, i would expect that she will be one for cluster feeding/ frequent feeding for a good while yet.

agree with alibaba.. it might be normal,although tiring and frustrating for you, for her to feed like this

it's not necessarily a problem to be fixed or a sign of something missing

My DS was like this, and from 4 months started waking at night A LOT when he hadn't previously. I fed him some solids from about 5 1/2 months, but that didn't really help in the long run. He's now 9 months, and we've only just got to the point of him being full up enough on solids to not feed all the time. The other thing that seems to have helped is that he has a little top up half beaker of formula in the evening - he wouldn't take a bottle before but is OK with a sippy cup. Anyway, hope this helps a bit - rest assured it will pass eventually :)