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Sleep

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Original poster

Hungry milk has increased my baby's feeds

21 replies

KLM84 · 15/10/2017 08:09

My 7 week old was always hungry so we moved to hungry baby milk and now his night time feeds have increased, he was lasting 5 hours on regular milk and now won't last more than 3 hours at night-he is screaming like he is starving! Any suggestions how to help him?

OP posts:

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eurochick · 15/10/2017 08:09

He’s probably having a growth spurt. Feed him when he’s hungry.

BertrandRussell · 15/10/2017 08:12

At 7 weeks just feed him whenever he asks-5 hours was probably too long between feeds at that age. What is in hungry milk that makes it different- could it be upsetting him? ( no idea about that at all- just a thought).

Could you go back to the milk that seemed to suit him?

TittyGolightly · 15/10/2017 08:14

8 week growth spurt.

Babies aren't linear - sometimes they eat more, sometimes less. Sometimes they sleep more, sometimes less.

By rights your baby should still be in your tummy (human babies are all born 3 months premature - google the fourth trimester). Just go with what he needs and ignore the clocks/books.

Original poster

KLM84 · 15/10/2017 08:19

The milk has the same calories but is slightly thicker to make him feel full, I should add we changed because he was taking too much of the regular milk which then made him sick. He has also started waking at 5 am for a feed and not going back to sleep when he used to sleep till 7am-would this also be a result of the growth spurt?

OP posts:

User5Million · 15/10/2017 08:20

He's 7 weeks, it's very normal. His stomach is still tiny.

BertrandRussell · 15/10/2017 08:24

Could whatever makes it thicker be upsetting him? They do need little and often at this age.....

Was he actually being properly sick on his other milk or just bringing a bit back?

But it sounds like a growth spurt to me as well. Far too young to be thinking about regular waking up times.... just hang in there for a bit longer!

Bluntness100 · 15/10/2017 08:27

Five hours is quite long between feeds, why was it so long? Are you sure he is a hungry baby and not more he was going to long between feeds so was trying to have more?

PerfectlyDone · 15/10/2017 08:29

His stomach is the size of his fist - tiny.

Growth spurts can make the best 'routine' go out the window

"Hungry" milk is just less easily digestible and sits in the stomach for longer - personally, I'd not bother.
It always struck me as odd to have something on the market that is less easy to absorb to give to a baby

Original poster

KLM84 · 15/10/2017 08:30

He wasn't waking and when he did he wasn't taking a full bottle. During the day he would take more and then vomit, it was nearly the full feed coming up but we had lots of breaks so he wasn't over eating. Moved onto hungry milk following advice
As the thicker milk may help his sickness. He hasn't been sick with the new milk so don't want to move back as his stomach seems more settled.

OP posts:

yikesanotherbooboo · 15/10/2017 08:38

I agree with everyone else, feed him on demand . He hasn’t read any rule books and can’t tell the time. All he knows is to ask by crying when he needs something. 5 hours does seem a long time for such a young baby although I suppose it depends on lots of things such as is he feeding very much more frequently in the day. Try on to worry about little changes like this as next week this will have passed and another issue will have arisen.

Changerofname987654321 · 15/10/2017 08:42

Who advised hungry baby milk? A baby knows how much milk they need by volume not calories content. It is normal or babies to feed every two hours or sometimes more.

Original poster

KLM84 · 15/10/2017 08:44

So should I move him back to normal milk then? Won't that upset him more?

OP posts:

reallyanotherone · 15/10/2017 08:50

The milk has the same calories but is slightly thicker to make him feel full,

There’s you’re problem then. He’s having a growth spurt and needs more calories, but he’s taking less because he feels full from the thicker milk. Go back to normal milk and feed on demand. Give more frequent feeds rather than larger ones.

Fyi- the same can happen if you wean early because you think they’re “hungry”. A stomach full of carrots has hardly any calories, so they feel full but can’t meet their calorie needs, and you end up with night waking etc that you are experiencing now.

dementedpixie · 15/10/2017 08:51

Hungry milk isn't any thicker, it just contains more casein milk protein that is harder to digest than the whey milk protein in the first milk. I wouldn't give it to a baby that age tbh

crazycatlady5 · 15/10/2017 08:54

I don’t formula feed but I personally think hungry milk is a con. There is no need to fill them up so much, people keep being told to fill up their babies to make them sleep better/longer but it’s just normal infant sleep. If you think the original milk was upsetting him could you try a different brand perhaps? Good luck xx

pastabest · 15/10/2017 08:57

Ditch the hungry baby milk.

Babies need little and often at that age.

The sick is a normal part of baby development (possessing) and although it seems like they are bringing whole feeds back up they usually aren't.

There really should be better support for people who choose to formula feed because there is so much poor advice around and different gimmicky products like hungry baby milk from formula companies don't help at all.

BananaSandwichesEveryDay · 15/10/2017 09:09

Who advised you to move to the different formula? I would be wary of making more changes at this age. Many years ago, I was advised to switch one of mine to the hungry baby formula because they were just not satisfied on regular formula. Result - much happier baby. Yes, there were occasional 'blips', as others have said, babies don't grow in a steady, regular, way - sometimes they seem to plateau and others they almost grow visibly before your eyes. The main benefit for my child was that they stopped throwing up their feed because they had overfilled their little stomach.

FATEdestiny · 15/10/2017 12:43

KLM84

How many bottles are you giving a say? And approximately when are they?

How big are the bottles you are making and how much of that is being drank?

FATEdestiny · 15/10/2017 12:44

day*

Original poster

KLM84 · 15/10/2017 13:14

He feeds every 2.5 to 3 hours per day and takes about 4/5 ounce a feed x

OP posts:

FATEdestiny · 15/10/2017 14:53

How about feeding every 2-2.5h for a few days? Just in the daytime.

At night, so you have an alternate way to settle baby that isn't feeding? I'd suggest a dummy.

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