think I’m feeding my baby wrong!

[Rainbowchampagne]

All of a sudden my 1 month old never seems full after a feed. She displays all the cues for being hungry and if I’m holding her she starts rooting and gets really frustrated. I’ve tried giving her a dummy but she won’t take it

She is formula fed and I’ve upped the formula amount but she’s still hungry. She seems to be struggling with her stomach as I notice she strains a lot so I assume she is gassy, sometimes she doesn’t poo for a couple of days max but I read that’s normal. As for the straining I’m concerned this may be to do with over feeding

Should I feed her little and often or are some babies just really hungry? So worried about over feeding her and I feel so fraught with panic 😞

Is she refluxing? Refluxy babies often try and quench the fire so to speak, by taking more milk but it's a vicious circle.

Hi, she might be thirsty!! I know it sounds odd but my two were thirsty especially after formula.. it’s powder after all!!
Boil some water and let it cool completely, put in small sterile bottle and let her have a small drink now and then!
It might help-it helped my two...also in the poop department-water is great for helping easier stools!
But definitely don’t use tap or bottled water-has to be sterile.
Good luck and stay safe x

I don't think you can over feed a baby, they usually know what they need. She could be growing, babies often eat more when having a growth spurt.
Or if it's what a previous poster mentioned
You could try some infacol which you use before all feeds and have to use it for a few weeks that would help with wind.
Don't give baby water they are only supposed to have milk at this point.

@Ohfeckohfuckohshit your username is how I feel right now 🙈 no she doesn’t seem to have any reflux issues at all, it all seems to be the other end that’s the issue

@Roxybaby12 that makes sense! I will give it a go!

Please do not give your baby water. It can be dangerous for small babies to take on too much water

@strawberry2017 my concern is that she’s feeding too much at once and it’s causing her distress. I know you can’t over feed a breastfed baby but wasn’t sure about FF

@strawberry2017 & YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake can I ask why not? NHS website says it’s ok to feed water to FF babies as long as it’s sterile under 6 months. This is so confusing!

The NHS website says FF babies may need a little extra water in extra warm temperatures.
This isn't that situation.
My health visitor told me not to give water until 6 months because it can confuse the feeding more; they feel full but they aren't because it's water and they can actually loose weight because of it.
I personally wouldn't dream of giving a 1 month old water.
If you are seriously considering it you should speak to your health visitor first and see what other options you should be trying first.

Risks of giving your baby water too soon
Very little babies can't drink water because of the following risks:
• A lack of nutrients. Babies who satisfy their appetite and their need to suck with bottles of water miss out on important nutrients they get from breast milk and formula feedings.
• Insufficient weight gain. If your baby regularly drinks water in addition to breast milk or formula, she isn’t filling up on food. Over time, that means your baby won’t have the calories she needs to gain the appropriate amount of weight.
• Decreased milk supply. If you’re breastfeeding, giving your baby water can ultimately decrease your milk supply, since babies who fill up on water will feed less at the breast.
• Chemical imbalances. Letting your baby drink large amounts of water can lead to water intoxication, a potentially dangerous condition where electrolytes (like sodium) in a baby’s bloodstream become diluted. This can impact a baby’s normal body functions, resulting in symptoms like low body temperature or seizures.

This is from the What to expect when your expecting website.

Don’t give water unless advised to by a medical professional. It should only really be done for constipation or really extreme heat.

Have you heard of paced feeding and feeding on demand? She may well want feeding little and often. Look out for her feeding cues and let her guide you with regard to amounts. Hold the bottle horizontal with the floor and hold her in an upright position (air in the teat is fine), take the teat away every few sucks - if she keeps rooting give her more, if she isn’t looking for it burp her and offer again.

@strawberry2017 thanks a lot Makes sense about the confusion for feeling full!

@Bienentrinkwasser I only feed her on demand at the moment, which can sometimes be up to 4 hours! I’m thinking of making it every 2 with smaller feeds. That’s great info for the paced feeding, I’ve heard of it but didn’t know they had to be upright. I will definitely give it a go!

When my DS was born last year he was formula fed and HV advised that if he was finishing a bottle to add another oz. So if the baby is totally finishing a 5oz bottle let’s say then make 6oz’s each time after that. If you over feed I think they would be sick and you would know or they would stop feeding when full.

My baby had reflux too so had the same problem with straining but it was all the time. Brought him to the GP and got gaviscon which helped a bit but I found he only fully settled when he could pass gas comfortably.

Please don't give water! Milk quenches thirst and water fills them up unnecessarily.

She probably needs more or may want to be held differently when fed. Can you ring HV?

How much milk are you giving per feed? You should be demand feeding - that means when she wants and how much she wants. To make it how much she wants you need to make sure she never drains the bottle and stops when she wants. If she drinks it all then you need to offer her more.

Also try paced feeding.

My little one cluster fed from about 3-6 weeks old CONSTANTLY. He just could not seem to get full . I remember after one night of nursing , it was 11pm and I had been nursing nearly non stop since 5pm and in tears . Out of desperation for sleep, I gave him a 100ml bottle and he drank it and then after still wanted to nurse more . I was like HOW???? I mentioned it to my health visitor and she was like that’s normal 😟

Anyway , it got better after 6 weeks 😅

How much are you giving in a feed? If they are draining the bottles add another ounce

I’m currently giving 150ml/5 oz per feed, which is the guide amount for a 2 month old! Sometimes she has less, sometimes she still wants more. I’ve been cluster feeding to make sure she is actually hungry and not just looking for comfort etc. She is still only in newborn so I’m not worried about weight, she’s quite long so probably needs the extra. I’ve tried to contact HV and was waiting for a callback so I’ll bug them again next week. I’m not particularly worried, I think it’s just a growth spurt 🤷‍♀️

What size teat are you using? You may need to go up a size .

@Bubblysqueak I’m still on the first size, would going up mean she would consume less?

No, it would mean she'd drink it faster

Mine at around 5 weeks ish would take the bottle really slowly and get tired so would stop feeding but then be starving 10min later so would end up having lots more. We went up a teat size and they were able to take the whole bottle and then sleep and not need to be fed extra.

Hi

I know this thread is old but was wondering what you did. My baby also has the same issue. He never knows when his full. Any suggestions is welcome

I'm in the party of feed the baby if their hungry 🤷🏼‍♀️ I did that with ff. She wanted feeding that much I gave it to her usually 3 hourly at the age mentioned above, sometimes 2 hourly. She drank well over the recommended amount, and cluster fed in evening - honestly could feed her hourly 🙄😬😳🤦🏼‍♀️ she went up 2 centiles I think initially

From 3 months old my LO went through phases of refusing feeds and still does, and hasn't gained any real weight since then. But she's happy and settled that is all that matters.

It changes all the time. I was on size 3 teat by 4 months old, but it worked for her.