Can I give newborn water to top up?

[Watermelonbaby1]

My son is 11 weeks old and has become a very hungry baby! Recently he has been wanting to eat every 3 hours almost on the dot. I am giving 6oz bottles at the minute which is too much to feed him every 3 hours so I try my best to play/talk/keep him occupied to reach 4/5 hours at least before I feed him but most of the time he screams and sucks on hands so viciously that I have to feed him earlier. As soon as he’s had his bottle he’s the happiest baby smiling so I feel awful trying to make him wait all the time. I have tried giving him less oz per feed but this leads again to even more frequent feeding. From 12 weeks I have been told he should be on 7oz bottles every 5 hours so would like to give him this but scared he will gain too much weight because he will still want to feed every 3 hours. When I went for an appointment at 9 weeks he was just slightly above average weight but am now scared he’s gaining too much as he’s eating more often than he was then. So my question is can I give my newborn cooled down boiled water with just a bit of formula in every so often when he is wanting to feed constantly so he’s happily full but will not put on as much weight?

The first person who has also spoken sense and checked their facts about giving water.

@Livingoffcoffee no it isn’t - I said this on the first page, I think someone else did too. Maybe read people’s responses properly before getting so irate.

There are so many comments I am trying to keep up. Thank you to everyone who has been helpful and supportive. I will just check with my health visitor then I have definite advise as this is all very conflicting between people.
To come onto mumsnet for advise and come away been made to feel like a bad mother 🙄

I haven't read all the comments. Babies, the same as adults need different amounts of feed. My baby has ALWAYS taken more than she is 'supposed' to. It's a guide. She's nearly 7 months and is fed every 4 hours and has solids. If you're baby is draining 6oz then up the bottle to 7oz. Always make 1oz more than is being drunk. I don't know if any baby that goes longer than 4 hours between feeds.

This is my concern that he could possibly be wanting more bottles as it is warm and he may just be becoming dehydrated quicker rather than actually needing the formula and my health visitor has said to give small amounts on warm days.

This isn’t what you said in your OP at all. The response would have been very different. You were obsessing about your child being above average weight and suggesting watering down formula and replacing formula feeds with water to reduce his weight gain.

I would forget about his weight and just feed him as and when he wants. If he is finishing him 6oz bottles and wants more then up his bottles to 7oz. His feeds will change and go and up and down over the next few months as he has growth spurts, it teething, starts wearing etc

As others have said ff babies can have a little cooled boiled water in hot weather but not in place of a milk feed and certainly not with a little formula mixed in, you may well upset his tummy doing that.

Also regarding the water, my health visitor advised to give water at around 3 months if my baby was getting agitated between feeds. They also suggest it if baby is constipated.

You said
""6oz bottles are to much to give him every 3 hours, so i try and wait 4/5 hours""

The response here is very simple
"""Feed him 6oz bottles every 3 hours.
He will be fine""""

Thats your answer OP

I'm really concerned about the doctor's advice too, however I've heard of doctors who also absolutely insist that every woman ovulates on day 14 of their menstrual cycle. Some of them have no fucking clue that a human does not conform to a textbook, and I wonder if that's what is happening here OP.

Also - everything I've read about over feeding a formula fed baby refers to over feeding within a specific feed, rather than having a higher frequency of feeds. I think keep doing what you're doing, just feed him when he's hungry, and don't worry about the weight gain (unless it's not enough). I very much doubt you're going to make him overweight for life at this stage.

From 12 weeks I have been told he should be on 7oz bottles every 5 hours so would like to give him this but scared he will gain too much weight

Who told you this OP? Is it based on babies weight or generic advice? You can tell you're a great mum as you have listened to what you have been told and are just asking for advice, but having had a very hungry and heavy baby (99th centile when born, fed a lot around leaps etc), if he is showing signs he is hungry such as rooting, I would feed him. DS fed a lot, but is a toddler now and a healthy weight. If you feel he wants milk and feel bad for distracting him, personally I would give it to him.

Look at the baby, not the clock. (feed on demand)

To come onto mumsnet for advise and come away been made to feel like a bad mother

You're not a bad mother but you need to remember no one knows your child like you do. My advice would be to try and trust yourself more. Parenting is a hard job and you are doing great.

Also if draining bottles then go up an oz, your baby knows best at what they need, they don't have a 'greedy' gene. A lot of the research on overfeeding FF babies actually relates to when parents feel their baby should be having x amount and almost force feeding them, rather than baby sending cues more often than needed.

@ Pinkblueberry
This is one of my concerns as it has been so warm. I am thinking of reasons why he is feeding so differently from when he was a couple of weeks ago despite me giving him a lot more formula and a lot more frequent feeds.
I was asking if water could be used to water down the occasional bottle because of how often he is wanting to feed and he hasn’t gotten a lot bigger from his last appointment, to me looking bigger than I though he would just within a couple of weeks. I have not given him a watered down bottle I’m simply asking a question!

@pinkblueberry I think you meant to tag me rather than @livingoffcoffee. I've just checked back and indeed you did get there before me, so I apologise. I first posted right back when this thread started and several times since, and hadn't spotted anyone else who knew what they were talking about. However, I admit to skim reading for general gist of each post and clearly I missed yours.

This is a personal bugbear of mine and I saw red.

I think by 11 weeks my DS was 8oz every 4 hours and had sips of cooled boiled water throughout the day as it was very hot last summer. Hes not over weight and even now on top of his meals he has 4 7oz as struggling to get him onto cows milk.

You're not doing anything wrong, don't worry about weight gain and go with your baby and what they want. They'll tell you when there full x

I try my best to play/talk/keep him occupied to reach 4/5 hours at least before I feed him

This was also a bit worrying and probably why some posters have been a bit shocked and harsh with you - if that’s the ‘least’ amount of time what was the maximum you had in mind
3 hours is perfectly fine. So is more than 6 ounces. Chances are if you feed him more in one go he will go longer without a feed - but even an older baby shouldn’t go more than 5 hours unless it’s in the night and they’re sleeping. The time between feeds will definitely not stretch if you’re being stingy with his formula.

My DC had water from a very young age to help with constipation, this was as per advice from my HV and GP therefore it's very unlikely to be dangerous!

OP hope you are ok. You've come on here for advice and support and gotten an onslaught of lectures. DM if you want a normal chat.

Okay, so recently I found out that I’m 5 weeks pregnant and I’m debating if I should keep the baby or not. Right now I’m currently waiting for a job as I am in a job employment program! I told my parents and family and they’re willing to support me on the baby and they’re saying I should keep it, but on the other hand my baby father is saying that I should get an abortion and how we are not ready for the baby and he recently started ignoring my calls after me and him been together for three years! First he was excited and happy then he said I should get an abortion. I am so hurt by what he’s been doing to the point where yesterday I blocked him on social media and changed my number! I feel like he wants me to get an abortion and then continue to sleep with me! Btw I still live with my mother and she’s willing to help me out but I’m not sure what to do since I’m in school and still working towards getting my high school diploma.. Adoption is not really a choice!

Everything that Drs and HVs say is a general guideline for all babies. It does not mean it's applicable for your baby. Always take your babies lead. If he's hungry, then feed him. He certainly won't get fat on formula milk. Don't set a timer, just watch him and follow your instincts. I hate the amount of "your baby 'should' be doing such and such at this age" advice that's given nowadays. It just makes you worry when they don't conform to it. Enjoy every moment of your baby as he really won't be a baby for long, if he's happy then that's what matters.

@ Pinkblueberry
The ‘at least’ is because if 4 hour stretches were right for him at 9 weeks and should increase according to the doctor then 4/5 hours is what I would assume normal at this age however like I have said he has never gone that long between feeds and the longest is 3hours, and about 2.5 longest in the night.

No! Feed on demand and ignore the "rules" about how much to feed them.

Oh no I’m sorry @Livingoffcoffee

@ArtichokeAardvark fair enough, I just don’t like to be left out

Mine fed two hourly until he was quite a few months old.

Now nineteen, tall and skinny, no food issues. And that is with me possibly feeding him when he wanted something else.

You said you were trying to distract him to go longer. That isn't feeding him when he is hungry.

DD drank every 3 hours on the dot and usually at least an ounce a time more than the box recommends although she did sleep 10-12 hours a night. She was off the weight chart. She was also off the chart for height though and was always at least 1 if not 2 sizes bigger than her age (she went into 12-18 at 7 months) because she's so long. Just feed him whenever he needs it and give him however much he needs ☺️.