Hungry Baby?

Noah is 3 months old now and taking a 6oz bottle at each feed. The problem is he's always hungry!

He often goes just 3 hours between feeds (sometimes even less than that!) and if I try to make him wait a bit longer, he just screams and screams until he gets a bottle. I've tried distracting him and always check every other possiblity for his crying before I offer him a bottle but nothing works.

He has gastro-reflux and has to have gaviscon in his feeds, so we can't use the hungry baby milk as its too thick (it won't flow through the teat, and also makes the reflux worse).

I have asked my health visitor for advice but she wasn't very helpful - she just basically said we have to put up with it. Easy for her to say as shes not the one with a baby who screams non stop every 2-3 hours until he is fed!

I've been thinking about starting to wean him when he gets to 4 months, as the GP mentioned solid food may help the reflux problem and fill him up more obviously. But the health visitor made me feel terrible for even suggesting it. She told me he could die if I weaned him too early! I think she was being overly dramatic, but he's my first baby so I don't really know. Cait was already weaned when she came into my life lol.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Goodness, your hv is being OTT.
Goverment guidelines say 6 months but when I had my eldest it was 4-6 months. I weaned him at 13 weeks.
Hes absolutely fine.
Could you try using 6months plus teats with the hungry baby formula? So that it does flow easier?
Also do you use Dr Brown bottles? They are great. No air gets to baby at all(sorry for the lecture)

Hi Noah's mummy,

Some HV's shouldn't be in the job if they can't be helpful when mum's need advice they are too stuck to guidelines but children are all different and develop differently. Try not to let her upset you.

Like Lucyanne, I weaned Jack at 13 weeks and Charlotte at 15 weeks, they were both ready and after a week or so I noticed a difference in them. They were a lot more settled.

No one knows Noah like you, trust your instincts. If necessary go to see your GP for advice with him having the reflux, just for reassurance.

Take care, Zoe xx

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hello noah's mummy,

6oz is a bit too much for a 2 year old, if you abide by the guidelines on the formula boxes, but then again, my doctor always tells me that if this baby was breastfeeding, there would be no meter on the mother's breast, hence we don't know if the baby ate 1 or 10 ounces, so let him eat nad he will refuse the bottle once he's full.

my 6 month baby takes around 6-7 ounces per feed and the usual waiting time between feeds is three hours like you said, but sometimes it can be less if he's hungry.

i would greatly encourage to introduce solids early. i did that at 4 months, and seif was very content. mash the food very well though to begin with and gradually make it a bit thicker as he grows older.

good luck and keep us posted.

samiha

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Hi,

I am breastfeeding Hollie and she is nearly 5 months old now. I started introducing rice to her when she was 14 weeks old after 3 weeks of feeding every hour night and day. I thought she was having a growth spurt so stuck with it but after 3 weeks i really couldnt cope any longer. She developed a cold a week after starting her on solids and couldnt feed. So on the advise of the doctor, i cut out the solids to keep her fluids up instead of fillng her up on rice.
When she got over the cold she was back to feeding 3-4 hourly so i havent introduced the solids to her. She also started sleeping better at night so at the moment she doesnt need it. But when i told my health visitor i had been giving solids she too turned funny and told me she should have only milk until she is at least 6 months.

Like Samiha said, i have no idea how much food she takes at each feed. But as long as she is content between feeds then i dont worry. Only you know your baby and you should be the one who decides when it is time to wean. Weaning guidelines are just that, guidelines. So do what is best for you and Noah. Guidelines are changing all the time and weaning dates are being moved constantly. As long as you and Noah are happy with what you decide to do then go for it. It obviously sounds like he is hungry and as the hungry baby milk is out of the question, move to the next thing and try him with a small aount of rice. If he isnt ready he will let you know by refusing it. If he does wait a week and try again.

Hope that helps, sorry its long i waffled a bit.

Karen xx

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Hi Noah's mummy. Like the other ladies have said, your HV is being highly dramatic. She has obviously forgotten that a generation ago it was standard practice for babies to have solids pretty much from birth and I have heard nothing about a sudden surge in the infant mortality rate in the 1970s! Some babies are ready earlier than others and I suggest you speak either to another HV or to your doctor for some more advice - I presume you are seeing someone regularly in relation to the reflux problem?

Good luck with finding a solution, and come back if you get stuck again, or you find an answer to share with us. N. xx

Hi,
I agree with the others re.your health visitor, that is not at all helpful. I think the government guidelines of 6months is very unrealistic for most babies, and I most mums I know have weaned around 4months. I did with Tom and he was and is fine, no food allergies etc. Tate weaned at 17weeks and Luka just after. Try him with some rice and then progress to maybe some carrot or some fruit pear or apple if he seems ok on the rice after a few attempts. If he's really hungry give him the milk first then try just a tiny bit of rice first and see what he does. I bet he will gobble it up!! How much does he weigh? If he's a big baby he might need the extra food?
Trust your instincts they are usually right. Let us know how you get on!
x

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omg how unhelpful was she??!!
thast so silly, niamh was weaned at 14 weeks coz she was so hungry and tara at about 16 weeks.
in ireland, im pretty sure the standard practice is 4months still!!

each child differs greatly, and i have also heard that with reflux, as with colic, early weaning helps.
i would go and speak to another hv just to put your mind at rest.
hope you get it sorted soon
kas xx

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I am going to go against the grain and say hold off on weaning. The nutritional value they get from food is nothing compared to the milk. I would do smaller feeds more often. I have been where you are as my dd had severe reflux and would scream constant. Just try to make sure he is raised up for at least 30mins after a feed.

I was told that my dd's reflux would go once she was weaned. How wrong they were! hers carried on until she was at least 14mths.

Please try to hold off weaning as it can cause so may problems later on.

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oh, hope i dont make any people upset by this but.
he's only 3mths and 6oz isn't alot, and i think every 3 hours is normal tbh.
you hv on the other hand sounds as if she's got a nut lose saying that.
my advise would to be just feed him when he needs feeding.
charlie was on bottles, at 8 weeks old he was drinking 8oz's of milk every 2 to 4 hours or so. (he was weaned at 5mths)
if you can just hold of the weaning til he's 4mths at least (17weeks) your going to be helping his system better.

I spoke to my HV again who has now decided that I am overfeeding him. She reckons that according to the guidelines (which say they should only have so many mls per kilo) that Noah should only be having 4 1/2 oz bottles, every 4 hrs! I thought to just feed him that would be an absolute impossibility, but we gave it a try for a few days - just to be sure.

Noah screamed pretty much non stop for 2 days, and at one point he got so upset that he started choking.

I took him to my GP, who said the HVs advice was outdated and that I should be demand feeding. He suggested putting the amount of formula UP to 7oz, and just feeding him as and when he wants it. He also said that if I wanted to try weaning at 4 months he would be supportive, so long as it was gradual and I made sure to give Noah a full bottle before any solids.

At the end of the day I guess it just comes down to what I think is best, rather than what HV or anyone else thinks. So long as i'm not endangering his health, it's up to me how I choose to feed him etc.

So thank you very much for all of your advice/opinions. I think we will try to begin weaning when Noah is 4 months old.

Hi Stacey,
How refreshing to have a gp who's supportive.
I hope you feel happier about whatever you decide to do now.

ps I have a Katelin too but as you can see we spell it differently.

Hi,
I can't believe your HV told you that!!! Hey they soon let you know when they are hungry and your instincts are always right. Im so glad your GP was helpful. Luka was on 7oz bottles at Noahs age, every 3hrs. He now has 7oz bottle 4 times day and 3 meals. I hope you both enjoy weaning when the time comes.

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Glad your taking your g.p. advice as i agree with the others,feed him when he wants feeding,if his weight gain is good then dont worry.

Hope all goes well for you and could you look at seeing another H.V.

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Hi Stacey,

I'm so pleased you have the support from your GP that really is reassuring. I hope Noah is a happy baby now and that things go well for you.

Zoe xx

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Hi,

I am glad things are better for you now after speaking to your doctor. I wish you all the best when you do decide to start weaning Noah.

x

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Your gp sounds very clued up. I'm glad he is going to support you. You got very good advice there!!

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your gp defo sounds like the one to listen to this time.
can you changer your hv? cos the one you got doesn't sounds very good at all.
glad you feel a little better anyway