Help! Bottle feeding every 2 hours

[JesseandNancy]

Hi,

Is it possible to overfeed a baby formula? My 5 week old has recently switched to a mixture of expressed milk and formula (I had to stop breastfeeding for a few reasons and feed really guilty) but the last couple of nights she's been waking every 2hours and wanting a feed. She's then draining the bottle and then still wanting more in 2 hours time. Could this be a growth spurt?

I'm wondering if she needs more than the recommended amount in the first place and then she won't be as hungry so often, but can they overfeed on formula?

Any advice would be appreciated

The exact same thing is happening to my five week old! My DH keeps saying she can't be hungry and is reluctant to feed her but I know her cues from breastfeeding. I think it's either a growth spurt or she's just learning to regulate the new system.
Have your dirty nappies slowed way down?

That's good to know you're going through the same thing. Yes, my partner is the same. He says she can't be hungry and says we will overfeed her. She is still going to wee a lot but poo has reduced. Have yours?

I asked my lactation consultant this. She said it's only over feeding if you are forcing the bottle on her. If she seems hungry , feed her.

Ok good, I'll tell him that when he's awake hope your daughter settles soon!!

Poo has reduced and is causing her some pain but I'm hoping it passes as she gets used to it. I have to stop feeling guilty about it and stick to my decision as the chopping and changing was doing no one any favours.

Yes me too. I do feel really really guilty too but I want her to get used to one or the other. Does yours do a lot of grunting and straining when she's led down to sleep? Mainly at night...

She's OK at night thank god, once she's relaxed with white noise playing. Evening is her worst time with the grunting and straining. She seems calmer today but still no poo.
I've rented the hospital grade pump it's efficient but I'm already getting sick of pumping

How much are you giving her in a bottle?

@JesseandNancy

My baby is 8 weeks tomorrow. He is combi fed- currently 2 bottles of formula a day with the occasional third.

He grunts sometimes at night around 4/5am and is windy. Not every night!
He is better when we switched formula- went to hipp organic as gentler apparently.
I struggled to feed initially for various reasons so he was fed with expressed milk and formula. Now its breastfeeding and formula.
He is greedy! Eats every 2 hours with some 3/4 hour periods. Perhaps 1 or 2 of these over 24 hours. At 3-7 weeks had periods of cluster feeding all evening.
We feed him 125-150ml on the bottle feeds.

He has stayed on 25th centile so far and the HV said you can't overfeed as they either reject the breast/bottle (he always does) or spits up a lot more as if there is a lack of room. Xx

Pumping is not fun. I don't get a lot out so it takes ages!!

I am giving her 5oz unless she asks for more when that's gone. And then she will normally drink about another oz

@JesseandNancy

We also use infacol and wind him well mid and post feed. We keep him upright for a while after even if he is asleep.
I hated expressing as it felt so time consuming for little reward 🤷🏻‍♀️ but that said i would have probably switched to full formula if I hadn't got him to latch.

Thanks bookish83 that's also really good to know. I might try infacol. We do wind her well when she decides to come off the teat, whether that's in the middle or at the end. I have also been recommended HIPP organic but at the moment we are only able to get SMA in the shop!! Xx

@JesseandNancy

We have been told mixed reports about infacol but I think it works! The HV and my mum thing it is pointless.

We have the best success with HIPP in boots and the coop but it is tricky times ☹️ i'd perhaps try infacol first? My HV said a lot of parents report positive changes on HIPP though.

I don't know how different it is but we noticed a difference from aptimel straight away (about 4 weeks old) as he stopped griping almost immediately. Its tricky as babies digestive systems are so immature so sometimes I wonder if just time actually helps rather than products. X

Infacol is great you can see it disperse the bubbles in the bottle.
5 oz seems a lot for a small baby, mine will only take 3, she sometimes looks for more but it usually ends in the whole lot coming back up.

Yes, maybe it is just time. I'll try infacol first. 5oz is taken from the guide on the formula box for her age. It does seem a lot but she's not sicking it back up x

@JesseandNancy ah I just checked and mine says the same but it also says 5 feeds in 24 hours! No one told DD that so I'll stick with my 3oz for her many feeds and we'll get to the same total

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@SuddenArborealStop perfect, thank you!