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Parenting

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Original poster

5.5 month old baby crying - do i give her a feed ?

45 replies

OnEdge · 14/02/2011 02:23

I really want my 5.5 month old baby to sleep through the night now. She woke up crying just now, I cuddled her and she burped, snuggled in to me and went back to sleep. I put her back down, she is now niggling away, half heartedly crying, then going quiet for a minute or two and then having a wriggle and another little cry.

Do you think I should give her a bottle, or percevere and try and help her back to sleep without it ?

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Munaka · 15/02/2011 00:13

I take back what I said about no UK formula having cereals having it.

What I would now say is that the recommendation for follow on milk (including the one you linked to) are not fed by bottle but by a beaker.

If I was going to be very pedantic, this formula is for 6m+. Which your DC isn't yet.

OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:14

i wouldn't take feeding advice from a HV TBH.

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:17

Munaka Actually Hipp advise this

" It can be given to your baby in a bottle or a beaker, or combined with a wide range of foods taken from a spoon."

OhFor so...........what ?

And why wouldn't you take advise from a HV ???

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Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:18

I find HV to be a really useful resource.

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OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:25

what is the "so what" in reference to?

any of the HV's i have met dont really know that much about feeding babies or how they sleep and at what stages it might change. that is why i wouldn't take any advice from them on teh matter.

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:27

so what is reference to

you are aware that porridge put into milk is not the same as a baby powder made up of 3% cereals and blended so that it is totally liquid when water is added. porridge doesn't liquify in milk the same as formula.

How is this relevant ?

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OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:29

because milk is a liquid that babies can drink. porridge is not, it isn't for drinking. it is thicker and could cause her to choke.

OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:29

why not just give her the porridge froma spoon. eating is a different action to drinking and swallowing. porridge is for eating.

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:40

It wouldn't cause her to choke, it would cause her to aspirate - different.

When the porridge is added to her formula, it is sufficiently thin to pass through the small hole in a teat, therefore thin/liquid enough to drink. It is a liquid that contains very finely ground porridge.

I chose to give her the porridge via a bottle because she has only just began to wean and therefore would not be able to eat the porridge in satisfactory amounts.

OP posts:

OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:43

well she would be able to eat it the same amount, it would just take longer. so i guess if getting it into her as quick as possible is important then you did the right thing. er, carry on?

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:46

No, actually, she would not be able to eat it in the same amount, she is still learning and takes very small amounts. My aim was not to get it into her as quick as possible.

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OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:48

of course she would be able to eat it in teh same amount, it would just take alot of patience on your part. if she can take it in a bottle then why would she not be able to take the same amount via a spoon?

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:51

because she kind of swallows a bit but the majority comes back out.

Like I said, we only started weaning during the past few days, she is still learning how to eat.

You can't actually come up with a good reason why I should not add the porridge to the bottle of milk can you.

OP posts:

OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 00:54

well i did but you are ignoring them because as far as you are concerned you are right. not sure why you are even posting if you dont want answers.

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 00:59

I am not ignoring them, I am challenging them - successfully. I posted asking for advice regarding my baby's sleep, and whether or not I should feed her during the night.

OP posts:

OhForBoonessSake · 15/02/2011 01:03

ok. yes i think you should feed your 5.5 month old baby through the night because all night long is a heck of a long time to go without food especially at such a young age when their tummies can only hold a small amount.

succesfully? pfft.

hairymelons · 15/02/2011 01:03

I would say, if she wants a feed, feed her- if not, a cuddle will do the trick.

Food made no difference to DS1, when he woke he wanted a feed no matter what. DS2 is happy with a cuddle sometimes, but will insist if he's hungry.

I agree that your HV has no idea whether or not your DD 'needs' a feed in the night or not. The only person that knows that is her. IMO :)

Gonzo33 · 15/02/2011 05:43

My daughter went through the night at 6 weeks (10 until 6), My son did at 3 weeks (10 until 6). Neither of them woke for a feed, nor did I dream feed them.

I had to wean both my children at about 4 months of age because they were constantly hungry. Both children ate well, did not suffer or get excessively fat because of it.

When I was a baby the HV used to actively encourage mothers to start weaning by putting porridge in the bottles to bulk it up and to make the hole in the teat bigger.

People are always going to have opposing views. In reality I think only a mother knows their child and only they can make the call. Your child sounds as though they just needed a bit of winding and to go back down. Maybe trapped wind woke them?

Whatever it is I am sure you will work it out, with the help of the HV if that is what works for you.

Me xx

nooka · 15/02/2011 06:21

Research evidence shows that putting cereal in babies bottles doesn't have any impact on their sleep, can cause gas problems (it's even likely that she was waking with wind and needing burping because of the porridge) and is associated with obesity. Plus of course the aspiration risk that you already know about but are disregarding and there is also a choking risk if the texture is significantly thicker than milk.

I totally understand you wanting her to sleep with two other small children, but the porridge in her bottle is a really bad idea and is unlikely to make any difference in any way (milk is more nutritious than cereal in any case).

Original poster

OnEdge · 15/02/2011 10:13

Thanks for the interesting and informed replies. It didn't work at all, she woke up at 3 and was definitely hungry and had 6oz .

I don't think that she is in any more danger of aspirating milk with porridge in than milk without - just don't see how.

The texture could not be thick enough to cause choking because it has to pass through a small hole first.

I had not considered the risk of obesity, and you are right, it made no difference, if anything it was less efficient than milk, will not bother with the porridge thing, as Ohfor said, i might as well feed it to her, she should be able to eat a more substantial amount soon.

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