Hungry baby

Redmal

My little one is just coming up to 3 months, formula fed and taking 5-6 8oz bottles a day. In between each one, especially mid afternoon, he doesn't seem to settle at all and is sucking at his hands constantly. I know it's too early to start weaning but I don't know if he's going to start wanting more over the next month and should I just continue to give him more bottles when he does. Is there a limit to how much he can take in one go?

Also, I was reading a thread earlier about bedtime for a 3 month old and it seems the general consensus is that everyone's 3 month old goes to bed at a sort of reasonable hour but mine still wakes for a bottle anytime between 10 and 12.30 at night. Sometimes I have to wake him because if I don't he's awake in the middle of the night looking for a bottle. Otherwise he usually sleeps in till about 8.30.

Sorry for the ramble, I know every baby is different, and I'm pretty sure he's just hungry, I just don't know if it's ok to plow him with bottles.

Also, I'm giving him Cow & Gate hungry baby.

How Strange

Perhaps he's teething. he could also be going through a growth spurt. Perhaps give him an extra bottle in the afternoon or evening if you think he needs it.

Also waking at those times during the night seems normal enough to me.

Are you feeding to a strict schedule ie every 4hrs?

I really would advise against weaning onto any solids at 3 months.

Ms2011

Your baby seems pretty normal from my experience. At 3 months my son was still on an 'every 4 hour' feeding schedule so he was still waking at 12am & 4am for feeding. He dropped his 12am feed at around 3.5 months & his 4am feed at around 6.5 months. I began to wean him onto solids at 4.5 months.
It sounds to me like he's just having a growth spurt, it's a tiring time as babies seem to want to eat more than normal but it passes after about a week. I personally wouldn't consider weaning until at least 17 weeks.

pwurple

Yup, as above, sounds like either teething or growth spurt. If he looks for an extra feed, give it to him I would think. i wouldn't bother waking him for a night feed, give him an extra feed during the day instead and see how that works out.

Sleeping through the night is so variable... Try not to worry what other people say theirs did.

Redmal

Thanks for getting back to me.

I wasn't sure if I should be waking him for his last bottle but I think I will continue with it for now and giving him that bit extra when he looks for it in the afternoons. I was just worried that if he is looking for more now then how much more would he be looking for in a months time! My mum suggested putting baby rice in his milk but I know he is still too young and the thoughts of doing this made me uncomfortable.

I did think about teething also, I'll keep my eyes open!

Hannibal Smith

don't put baby rice in the milk. I know that was the done thing years ago but not any more. like you say baby is far too young for rice anyhow but never put it in the bottle

also the waking at 8.30am is a dream and is probably why he's drinking so much in the day...because he's not having during the night...you lucky thing!

Oral Slang

If I were you, I wouldn't be waking him to feed. Let him wake when he's hungry, they find their own routine, my little one was always up til 11/12 at that age, now goes to bed between 7 & 8 every night.

Definitely do not put anything in his bottle other than milk, his system is far too young for it. Hold off as close to 6 months as possible for solids whether baby is breast or bottle fed, much better for them in the long run.

Probably going through a growth spurt & or teething. Have a look at the wonder weeks app, book or website, great info there - there's a developmental leap at about 12 weeks. My little one got her 1st tooth at 5.5 months, but was teething for ages before then. When they're learning something new, they tend to eat more, sleep less etc, so all perfectly normal.

KGLady

I've a little one at exactly the same stage, and these last few days she is the same - mad hungry! I'm BFing and I just can't keep her fed over the last 3 days. She has wrung out my poor boobs on every feed in addition to devouring the bit of milk I had frozen and has been needing formula top ups too and she is crying with hunger without the top up from the bottle. Its a growth spurt and sounds similar to your little one.

She also still has a feed before midnight but I don't wake her for it, I go with feeding her on demand as its easier for BFing. One thing I have noticed is that the last 3 nights she's sleeping longer and her 3am feed has gone and its now somewhere between 5-6am. I've no doubt the greater daytime appetite is helping her to sleep better at night this week, but she does wake up like a wee savage for that first feed

Also please listen to the other parents re the baby rice in the bottle. It was the done thing in our parents day, but then a bottle of tea with milk and sugar was also common then! At this stage their digestive system is too immature for anything other than pure milk, and there's research indicating a possible link with the increase in things like IBS and food intolerances in our generation as a result of being weaned before our intestines were mature enough. Honestly if baby is hungry then offer milk till they are sated, at this stage they don't have ability to be greedy they just want to feel full and content

Redmal

Thanks everyone for the advice, everyone in this forum is so nice!

Yeah I was never going to put anything in his bottle, the idea of it never sat well with me. I do generally feed him when he's looking for it and the only reason I wake him at night time is because otherwise he will have me up at some ridiculous hour of the morning otherwise!! I've tried to leave him sleep through it a few times but I just don't think he's ready to drop it yet. I'll keep trying though and see what happens.

Moonbeam

I would not wake him during the night ,I would leave him sleep unless he is sick or a premmie .
At 3 months mine both sleep through the night and they were on roughly 6 x 200ml feeds a day. The older one on hungry baby formula.