hungry baby milk

[hannahkj19]

so i was advised to give ds hungry baby milk because he was devouring normal first milk alarmingly fast and was too young for weaning. HV said he'd probably take just as much of the hungry baby milk at a feed but would feed less often, well that happened for about a week and now a full feed of hungry baby is only lasting us as long as normal milk used to! so basically should i up the amount of hungry baby, we're already on 7/8oz at a time or is it time to start weaning?! He's literally only just 4 months so i'm very hesitant to wean unless i have to TIA xxx

I've weaned all of my children at 4 months for this exact reason only youngest 2 (twins)were having about 12 ounces every 3 to 4 hours even at night. After a few days of weaning they had cut down to 6 ounces every 4 hours and slept for 10 to 12 hours at night.

DD is 20 weeks old and I started weaning about 9 days ago - she was well over 15lbs, taking interest in food, sitting up well (supported), good hand-to-mouth and doing chewing (although still lots of dribble as teething). My HV is also happy with me weaning as she still has milk and was (and when she has milk still is) exculsively breast fed. Obviously, I don't know how many ounces etc she was taking but I do know that without something more 'solid' in her tummy she continues to feed until she overflows.
Go by your child rather than the calendar.

This happened to me with my ds and I was advised to wind a bit more during feeds- he was never a problem to wind and so I was only burping him twice or so per bottle. When I started to give him frequent winding breaks, he started to feel fuller. This may not work for you, but in my case, we made it to 5.5 months before weaning. He loves his food though!

Mine is 4 months and on 2 tablespoon fulls of puree 3x a day already he is a happier baby for it was a nightmare befor i weaned him was so hungry. Some babies need food early. Just make sure that he does not replace milk with food give milk first then top up with food.

Babies who are 4 months old often have a bit of a growth spurt. In my work, I have spoken to lots of breastfeeding mums who start to worry at 4 months that they don't have enough milk - but it is just that their babies are feeding more frequently in order to increase the milk supply. It soon sorts itself out.

Formula fed babies presumably have the same growth spurt, and may begin to demand more milk at about this age. Hungry baby milk contains thickening agents to make the milk sit longer in the stomach but it is not more nutritious than the ordinary stuff. I'd be inclined to carry on with the normal formula and go with whatever the baby is asking for. 4 months is too young to be replacing the 'complete' nutrition of breastmilk or formula with bulky, not-so-nutritious foods like baby rice and pureed veg.

It is not too young unless you seriously think that all the advice currently given is 100% correct and what people did even 6 years ago is completely wrong. Going by the baby and not the calendar is what my very experienced HV said and that mothers know their own child best.
The babies are happier with more bulk and it is in addition to their milk feeds.

I have said what works best for my baby - greenbananas - she is 98th centile for growth so what precisely am I doing so wrong?

Gah - I knew as soon as I hit post that I should not have put 'too' youngand that somebody would nbe offended - but it IS very young all the same. Most babies do not need food at 4 months, they simply need more milk.

Going by the baby is clearly a good idea, and mums do tend to know their own babies best (note that the OP has said that she is uncomfortable about introducing food at this stage). As you know, the current advice from the NHS and World Health Organisation is to wait until babies are 6 months old before introducing tastes of food, and there are very good reasons for that, but some babies are developmentally ready a little bit earlier and some are not ready until they are 7 or even 8 months old.

Babies get most of their nutrition from breastmilk or formula until they are at least a year old. As you so rightly say, any nutrition babies get from food should be in addition to the nutrition they get from milk, and should not be replacing their milk feeds.

BTW, it is not any better to be on the 98th centile than on the 25th or even the 2nd. All babies are different and the growth charts are simply an average. Every baby who is on the chart at all is withing the normal range, and is absolutely fine so long as they are following 'their' lines.

It is not so much that being bigger is better just that it gives in indication that my choices for my baby have not led to her being small or malnourished in anyway (she was born on 50th centile).

I suppose I was probably a bit defensive its just that so very many people tell you THE way when mums have done what they feel for generations and we have survived thus far.

OP i don't know if your still here but one of the main reasons people are advised not to wean before 6 months is babies will not get the correct nutrition from food they need milk more than food.

If your baby is showing signs of being ready to wean and you ensure that he is getting the correct amount of milk a day then there is no reason not to wean if you are happy with it. Weaning will be better for his tummy than hungry baby will be. I only feed DS homemade fruit and veg or Ellas Kitchen food because it's organic and doesn't have a lot of the 'extra' ingredients that some jars have like cows milk (DS is lactose intorerant so am slightly obsessed with ingredients)

My doctor said the best way to tell when babies need weaned is when you feel guilty eating infront of them when they stare and chew that rule worked for me.

God, I feel really guilty in front of my just turned 5 month old. She gives me that "hang on, why have you got that toast and I've only got fecking milk again" look.

So she gets the odd bit of cucumber/melon/apple to suck and she'll have to make do with that for a few more weeks

I must admit I dont understand hungry baby formula - if the milk they take is what they need.....then surely their body will adapt and just start digesting the hungry baby milk quicker?! I dont about early weaning neither of mine were ready early and I am always a bit when I see people putting them in a bouncy chair to be fed. I thought they were meant to be able to sit up....... A lot of people definitely start too early.

brettgirl my ds has been able to sit in his high chair from 10 weeks and walker from 10 weeks now he is 19 weeks now and sits in his high chair straight up without leaning in the back for support. One of the signs babies are ready to be weaned is a straight back and neck a lot of babies are sitting up straight from months old. Anyone feeding a baby in a bouncer should not be doing so.

If you choose to wean early your baby should have straight back and neck, be able to grasp objects, put hands in mouth and be taking an interest in food. If you try weaning and they dribble it back out (not spit just don't react to it at all) then they are not ready if the baby clamps his mouth shut and turns head away or becomes distressed then stop wait a few weeks and start again.