7 week old am I doing something wrong

[Laylor]

Okay long post please bare with me and be kind.

I have a just turned 7 week old and every day is completely different to the day before. He was first diagnosed with reflux and given omeprazole but I wasbt convinced as he wasnt having much of the symptoms. Was then diagnosed with colic and taken off omeprazole and improved lots. Still very windy, arches back and is grouchy and grumpy. Yesterday I purchased colief after using infacol and gripe water for 2 weeks and not really noticing a difference. My husband thinks hes seen a slight improvement since using colief. Hes less grumpy and passing wind much easier

Up until 5 weeks he was having 5oz a bottle as 4oz wasnt enough so the midwife and HV advised to up it. We saw a paediatric nurse who bollocked us for over feeding saying we should be giving him 150ml per kg of his weight. I worked it out and it's about 3oz. We weaned him back to 4 which was very difficult but have since gone back up to 5 because hes just so unsettled. Please give me your experience on this as sometimes he still dosent seem satisfied with just 5oz. The odd time he will have about 4 but more often than not he will finish the whole thing and still chew his hand.

His sleeping is so erratic. Some days we get 3 hours out of him some days hes stirring all night. His napping in the day has improved lots I'm just struggling to read the tired cues until it's too late.

I feel like I'm doing something wrong. My friends have babies around the same age and they say their babies sleep all flipping night.

So my question is the feeding and sleeping. Does it sound normal to you all?

Sorry first time mum and clueless. Hes feeding every 3hours. Some days he may go a further half hour but some days he can barely reach 3 hours without kicking off.

Thanks guys xx

God bless you all. Led here in the wide awake club listening to the baby stir for the 65th million time

2050 - drank 5oz fell asleep on me
2200 - transferred to cot upstairs

Slept till midnight but grunted and strained the whole time so neither of us slept. Cries in sleep sometimes.

0000 - drank 4oz back down by 1245 ish. Slept till 2 then grunted and strained till 3.

0300 drank 5oz really struggled to wind. Back down by 350ish - slept till 430 and now led here grunting and straining.

I'll be up in 45 mins to prepare bottle as using colief so have to prepare 30mins before feeding.

I give up 😴😴

And if I go anywhere near his mouth to try his dummy he tries to bite my hand off. It's like hes starving x

Have you tried a comfort formula yet? The Hipp Organic one is supposed to be good

No i was going to change to hipp but the paediatric nurse told me not too. Starting today I'm not using the pre prep machine and I'm going to wind him every oz no matter how long it takes. I was thinking of keeping cool boiled water in the fridge say 4oz and using the kettle for 1oz of hot water to mix the formula during the night or would you suggest just doing it all from the kettle and being patient. X

At 7 weeks it would be very, very, very unusual for a baby to sleep through the night. Formula feed on demand, they aren't greedy at that age, they're running on instinct. Plus the amount they will drink varies depending on leaps etc, so follow your babies cues and remember that it is just a guide on the formula tins. I would advise trying to wind before a feed as well as during and after, DS had the same issue with discomfort from what seemed to be wind, and it massively helped. The perfect prep is fine to use as long as you pop the powder in first and then the hot shot.

Did the Nurse say why you shouldn't swap formulas Laylor?

The formula before the milk? I think I tried that once at the formula went all lumpy.

@JiltedJohnsJulie yes they basically said its colic and to ride it out and swapping and changing milk may make him worse and that there is no scientific evidence it helps xx

There also no scientific evidence that it causes harm either...

Yes I know but when I'm told things by the professional you tend to take their advise (first time mum issues) My mum thinks they are bonkers. X

It ensures that the hot shot is hot enough when it mixed with the formula, if you add the hot shot and then the powder there's a chance that by the time the last scoop is put in the water has cooled below to he required temp to kill bacteria. Swirling rather than shaking also helps minimise bubbles.

I have to say the best investment we ever made was a mini fridge in the bedroom. Make up the formula in the evening, flash cool then put in fridge, no kettle boiling in middle of the night and safer than hot shot method.

Keep it simple
Feed whenever he wants and as much as he wants

Cuddle him lots, if he sleeps on you, let him. If you’re worried you might fall asleep, move somewhere safe like your bed.

Digestive discomfort is normal in new babies, they sound windy, strain to poo and seem uncomfortable. Only time solves this (unless it’s extreme) all you can do is cuddle, offer something to suck (dummy), shhh, rock. It’s nothing you’re doing.

Do nothing except feed, change and cuddle the baby, sleep and watch bad tv, play on your phone etc. Absolutely essential housework only. Seven weeks is tiny, you aren’t creating bad habits or under stimulating him. Just get through.

Split the night so you both get a good chunk of sleep.

I wish I’d done just this. I look back and wonder why I worried. It all comes in time. The first months are just simply survival.

Thankyou for your kind words. In itching to make up the bottles and put in the fridge but the health visitors are so against it. My sister was advised to do it that way when my niece was born and shes only 3 so a lot has changed in such a short space of time.

I was debating on co sleeping but I dont dare do it. I bring him in to the bed with me in a morning for a cuddle but I'm fully awake.

He slept on me this morning for almost a full 3 hours. In his cot in lucky to get 40 minutes. Is it worth me keeping him up a few hours before bed to get him sleepy or not. X

Hi
Have you considered changing formulas?? When I had mine, now 19 & 21<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Shock" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/shock-7MJQdU1X.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Shock" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/shock-7MJQdU1X.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Grin" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/grin-D7Eg_B6y.png">, the hospital midwives said that SMA was the best formula for the least tummy upset, but to use what Id got at home already-which was SMA!!
But saying that, it was a really long time ago & so much has changed since then
Also, I always got told to feed on demand to how ever much they wanted at that age, they dont know how to be greedy yet!! And to look at the last 3-4 days worth of feeding, youll see a pattern emerging of roughly how much baby is feeding in 24 hours, some days might be more, some days a bit less, but it`ll be more or less the same over a few days

Making up bottles and putting them in the fridge is NHS guidance, 2nd safest way.
If you’re worried, you could just do it for night feeds. Basically water over 70 degrees kills enterobacter sakazakii which is why the guidance changed to hot water prep. Other bacteria like salmonella multiply the longer feeds stand at room temperature. The fridge slows bacterial growth so a feed prepared within the past 24 hours, flash cooled and refrigerated should be safe. However you introduce a tiny risk from improper cooling or refrigeration and a theoretical risk of sufficient bacterial growth in the fridge within 24 hours to cause infection.

We made up feeds every 12 hours in advance when mine were newborn to keep well within the time limits. You could even just prep the next feed in advance so you always have one ready to go and that would be super safe, not likely to have dangerous levels of bacteria multiplication within 3-4 hours.

Oh lovely thanks so much. Weve boiled 3oz of water and put in the fridge for over night. When I do a feed i will boil the kettle and put 2oz in to the bottle mix the formula then add the water.

When you say make up a feed do you mean the whole thing including the formula and then just take out when required? I thought that was completely un heard of these days. That would make my life so much easier. How do you warm it up? He drinks the milk cold but room temperature cold now fridge cold. If I was to do this I would probably just do two or three for over night x

We make up bottles for overnight.
They go in a cool bag with an ice block. Stays cool. (Luckily DD doesn't request it warm! )

No point making them go hungry when there's no need.

It consider getting a good quality thermos and fill it with the hot water and take the gubbins with you to bed.

My experience is sleep begets sleep at this age. Keeping them up makes the night worse. I found mine only managed 30-45 minutes of awake time before getting grumpy.

You could test the temperature during the day if you were worried. Needs to be 70°c or higher when making formula.

Oorrrrr

Consider premade formula for overnight.

Honestly it will save you a lot of stress and will maybe give you an extra 20-30 mins every feed.

Be kind to yourself. You've been a mum for 7 weeks - that's nothing - you're brand new at this. I can't help re feeding as my daughter was EBF but I know the lack of sleeping is tough. DD barely napped (only when moving) and slept something like 10 hours in 24 and I didn't think it was enough but the midwife said she was fine! It's all a phase - some are good and some are bad but they all pass. Motherhood is hard but the highs make the lows worth it so hang in there

Yes safer to make up the whole thing in advance and then flash cool than hot shot. Mine drank it fridge cold from birth but can warm in hot water or I guess a bottle warmer.

Or yes premade formula even better. We used a formula where that wasn’t an option but such a great option, anything that saves time and effort.

Have you tried putting dentinox in his bottles. It literally gets rid of the bubbles within seconds. Might help with your wee ones windy pains. We used it as our DS was kinda refluxy but not bothered enough for me to want to see the GP about it.

Thanks again guys you've all been so helpful. I think I'm going to try the made up formula just for over night. I can't help but think when I get stressed the baby gets stressed.

Just to throw in the mix that we are using colief so no matter what I do I still have to wait 30 mins before giving to the baby. Just remembered that bit. I'm hoping with the extra winding and being a bit less harsh on myself we may be able to knock the colief on the head x

I think you need to get a thicker skin when it comes to listening to the professionals. None of them are looking after your baby 24/7, you are so you are the expert. Listen by all means but if it goes against your instincts it is probably not right for you. Everyone will have an opinion on everything you do from now until your little one leaves home but everyone does things differently so you need to make your own decisions.

Totally agree with Easter. I can remember in my first day with DS a really bossy MW came over as I was feeding him and said “oh no! You don’t feed them like that!” Took DS off and repositioned him. Before she came we’d been nice and calm and I could see DS was swallowing.

After she’d gone away again, I thought, well, none of the other staff have commented, and a couple have said he’s feeding nicely, think i’ll just ignore you completely.

Please do not stick to one formula because one Nurse said so, it really is worth trying a swap