VERY HUNGRY 6 WEEK OLD

[Reecex]

Hey, I'm looking for some realist opinions, none of this new age stuff where people say we can't do this and can't do that when 2 years it was completely different. My son is 6 weeks old and he had a horrific start to life (waters broke unsure when baby in distress pooped in the womb inhaled it born via emergency c section and was born with no oxygen, in neonatal for 2 weeks) he is now 10lb 11oz and at birth was 7lb 8.5oz, he is a very very hungry baby, he eats almost every 4 hours and more often than not is taking 6oz. However between the hours of 3ish PM and 7ish PM he needs another 2oz on top of his 6oz from his last feed. He can't go the 4 hours til his next 6 Oz. The problem in having is that he is so hungry that he gets himself REALLY upset to the point he nothing consoles him even after he's had extra food. It's really upsetting and stressful and he then sleeps way longer than I would like after his 7ish PM feed. I don't like to wake him but it's got to the point I need to wake him to bath him and get his jammies on and then of course he gets so upset again! I'm at my wit's end. My mum told me I was a really hungry baby and at 6 weeks they out baby rice in one of my feeds and it seemed to help. Obviously health visitors advise against this (just like bathing your baby every night) my mum is for it but my partner is against it. Has anyone done this or knows anyone who has?? I need some form of advice on what to do before I become ill with stress.

First of all, there is a growth spurt at 6 weeks so he's probably stocking up for that. It'll pass, so try not to stress too much.

If he is routinely finishing 6oz, up the amount in the bottle to 7oz for every feed. If he needs more in the evening, give it to him.

Baby rice in formula is a really bad idea and babies can choke on it. There is a reason the advice on this has changed. There is hungry baby formula which is thicker which is more suitable than baby rice.

Finally, 4 hours is a long time between feeds. Maybe try dropping it to every 3, combined with more milk may stop the tears. Are you sure it's hunger if he's only getting that distressed in the evening? Could it be colic?

Could you bathe him a dout his jammies on before his 7pm feed? Maybe have a google of responsive formula feeding - might help you stay on top of his appetite without him getting so upset.

Things move on and thickening bottles with rice and rusks is both a choking hazard and risk to digestive health, especially if allergies are in the family. If you dm pesters show her reports of infants suffering from too much salt and poor nutrition from early weaning. Weaning is advised at 6 months, in the meantime up the milk feeds as he demands or ask your hv if they would suggest a different hungrier baby formula yet. Chances are his appetite will settle and growth rate slow down as his metabolism catches up after his rough start.

4 hours is too long between feeds. At that age mine fed every 2.5-3 hours. I'd feed more often and forget about baby rice or rusks for ages yet. And never ever put them in a bottle as its a choking risk plus if they want a drink you are forcing them to take extra carbs/ calories alongside whether they want it or not

No need for a bath every night too especially if it upsets them. I bathed mine in the morning

Giving solid food to a six week old is downright dangerous. Just increase the frequency of his milk feeds and volume too if necessary. I don't know many newborn babies who religiously go 4 hours between feeds.

Offer him food more frequently, as echoed by other posters 4hours is a very long time so young. I wouldn’t though wake him to feed him. At such a young age just respond to his needs, routine will come.

Agree with everyone else, 4 hours is a long time between feeds for a baby this age, try shortening it so he won't get so hungry. Personally I wouldn't wake him to bathe and put in pyjamas - he can sleep in his onesie and have a bath another time!

A bottle every four hours is not what I would consider a hungry baby at all. I would see this as the really really ‘good’ end of normal.

At 6 weeks all you need to do is relax and go with your babies natural rhythm. No need to walk to put him in bath/pjs. Leave him in a baby gro or soft comfy clothes all the time and let him sleep as and when he wants/seems to need to. Routines can and will develop organically later on. Around 4/5 months in my experience.

Babies are sometimes unsettled after a feed and this is not necessarily linked to needing more food. Growth spurts/development leaps/over stimulation/wind/generally wondering what the fuck is going on and why aren’t I back in that nice, warm, dark womb where I was never hungry/cold/I comfy/in pain.

Feed your baby as much as he wants when he wants it (milk only!), let him sleep when he wants, cuddle and talk to him when he’s randomly upset and forget routines just now as you will all be happier for it.

Putting cereal or rice in bottles may have been common in the 60s but it’s definteky not changed in the last couple of years, like the others have said, it’s a serious choking hazard plus there’s evidence that it makes no difference as to whether baby will sleep longer.

Was your baby tall at birth OP? The guidelines on formula say that they need roughly 2.5 floz of formula in 24 hours per pound in weight however tall babies seem to need more and like PPs have said, there’s a growth spurt at 6 weeks and things may settle down shortly anyway

From your post it seems that yiu are expecting him to go 4 hours between feeds rather than taking his cue on feeding. He is very time still. Rather than expecting him to go 4 hours between feeds and getting stressed when he doesn’t, it might be better to feed on cue. Like putting cereal in bottles, feeding to a schedule is quite old fashioned advice. No disrespect to your DM but there has been a lot of research since she had her babies

At 6 weeks my DC fed every 2-3 hours night and day. In the evening 5pm to 9pm or thereabouts, cluster feeding and colic.

Newborns are exhausting, who could help feed baby while you catch up on sleep?

DD2 could barely go 2.5 hours without a feed at that age, let alone 4!

3 hourly feeds is not unusual. Just give more milk!

My son was extremely ‘hungry’ I remember him polishing off full 9oz bottles and having to refill them and he would have more.
He had reflux and drinking milk was obviously the only comfort he got from the pain.
I didn’t know that at the time (silent reflux) and just fed him whenever he was hungry.

It was definitely every 3 hours or less. I would not give rice or anything only milk to such s young baby.

MN have some very good advice on introcuding baby to foods other than milk here. I think the guidelines have been in place in the U.K. for about 16 years so defintely to swapping and changing regularly

Do you feel that someone is putting pressure on you to only feed your LO every 4 hours?

6 week growth spurt OP.

Both mine were stuck to my boobs for 48 hours non-stop at 6 weeks, I had no idea what was going on.

4 hours is a very long time between feeds, even formula feeds.

*introducing

*very little still.

Sorry about the typos [blushj

Agree with PP, 4 hours really is too long at this age. LO would likely prefer less oz more often.

Leave him to sleep and you'll all be much happier. Bathing every night at this age really is bad for the skin and babies don't get dirty enough to warrant this.

Please don't put rice in your baby's bottle. The advice for weaning at 6months has been in place for well over 10years now. Obviously there are circumstances when babies benefit from being weaned earlier but I do think your LO would just prefer to be fed more often.

It's tough at the moment but it will get easier

Agree with everyone else, 4 hours is a long time between feeds. My DS was having milk every 1.5/2 hours at 6 weeks. If you're using formula, have you tried the Hungry Baby milk? I've had some friends use it and they had some success. Otherwise, I would follow his lead and feed him how much he wants, when he wants. Do you have help at night? Could someone else do some night feeds to give you a rest?

You're all saying 4 hours is too much, he sleeps so have I now to wake him to feed?

And as I had previously mentioned it only seems to be between specific hours where he screams for more food.. I don't wake him to feed him as I thought better to leave him sleep as that's what they tell you. He's just now slept 5 hours and took 2oz and now asleep again as he didn't want the remaining .. probably expecting too much from a 6 wk old

so he sleeps for 4 hours after every feed?

okay crossed posts - yeah, don't wake him, but give him more milk and a bit more often when he has a period of awake time.

good luck - and yes, you may well be expecting a bit much
he is only very very tiny still

Sometimes longer which is why I said he sleeps longer than I would like, for example yesterday he slept from 7 til 2 woke up really hungry took 4oz and crashed out

and please please don't put anything other than milk in his bottles!