Hungry baby formula query.

beachbabe

Hi. My daughter is now 7 weeks old. She was 6lbs 13 at birth and is now up to over 8 lbs. She is formula fed, Sma gold. She takes between 3 and 6 oz every 3-4 hrs. She feeds fairly well during the day. The issue is at night. She starts a feed between 8 and 9and can take 2 hrs to feed. She will take a few oz, fall asleep and then finish the feed over the next hour and a half. I have tried waiting untill she is really hungry, but she still takes untill 11 to finish that feed. Last night she took 7 oz before settling.
She will then sleep until about 2 and then wakes for another feed. Typically takes 2oz, sleeps for half an hour and then takes 2 to 3 oz over maybe an hour and a half. She then wakes between 6 and 7 for more.
I have tried dream feeding but she won't feed when asleep. I was thinking of changing to hungry baby formula for her evening and overnight feed. I am thinking she might be more satisfied and sleep better after 2 oz of that.
Does anyone have any advice? Is it worth a try? Would I be better changing over to hungry baby for all the feeds or just the night ones? Or do I stick with her current formula and increase my caffeine intake?
All and any advice/ tips welcome. Thanks in advance.

January

My advice would be: she is 7 weeks old, let her feed how she wants for now. She'll get herself into her own little routine over the next couple of weeks, but right now if she's hungry, feed her. Don't switch to hungry baby formula unless she really needs it or on the advice of your PHN/GP.

How Strange

I didn't use formula so can't comment on hungry baby formula v ordinary but it's quite normal for babies to feed often at night time. They do eventually stretch out their feeds and perhaps drop one but it tends to happen after 2 months. My son fed every 2 hours from 1am right up to 6 months but he dropped the 11pn feed so he was sleeping from 7pm-1am.

I'd follow your baby's lead and feed her when she wants it for now.

Unfortunately that means less sleep for you at night but try to rest and nap as much as possible during the day.

It's still early days and she'll soon settle into a little sleeping pattern of her own.

Gee_G

If you are planning on using the hungry baby food,you would be changing all the feeds to hungry baby food. The aptamil helpline told me never to mix the two foods as they digest at different rates and can really mess with babys system. I presume it would be the same with SMA.:)

Hannibal Smith

Does the baby wake for the 8pm feed? if not don't torture yourself trying to feed for 2 hours. if they don't finish the bottle in 30-40 mins I wouldn't persevere.

But waking every 3 to 4 hours is pretty standard....try to get as much rest when you can. You've only 5 more weeks to the 12 week stage and then you're laughing.

beachbabe

Thanks for the replies. Hannibal, she does wake for 8pm feed. I know she will feed frequently at this stage. It's more that after she takes her few oz and falls asleep she is looking to feed every 10 or 20 mind for the next couple of hours. She just does not seem to be satisfied with the few oz and won't settle properly but won't take more then small amounts every 20 mins.
And I agree with you about the 12 week stage!

Hannibal Smith

beachbabe wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Hannibal, she does wake for 8pm feed. I know she will feed frequently at this stage. It's more that after she takes her few oz and falls asleep she is looking to feed every 10 or 20 mind for the next couple of hours. She just does not seem to be satisfied with the few oz and won't settle properly but won't take more then small amounts every 20 mins.
And I agree with you about the 12 week stage!

Oh no...that is a pain. are you sure its a feed she's looking for and its not wind or something? Do you use a soother?

beachbabe

We wind her and she burps well. We use infacol drops. She uses a soother as well.

Moonbeam

Talk to your phn but to me she does not sound like a hungry baby.
I would feed her when she is hungry so prob roughly every 3-4 hours and if she does not finish the bottles just give her less in them.
150ml x 5 times a day is what the cartons recommend for that age but others recommend that you do with by the babies weight and your baby is not huge.
Maybe trying a different formula might be worth it?

Ms2011

I changed my son to the hungrier baby formula at 2 weeks old & tbh if I had to go back I would have kept him on the normal formula.
As a nurse pointed out to me babies have no concept of time, they feed cos they're hungry & they're hungry cos they're growing so should be feed as much as they want at that age.
In hindsight the time goes by so fast & it's not long until they get into a routine & the feeds start stretching out even if it does feel like an eternity at the time :-)

dublinlady

i didnt startthe formula til 14 weeks so not sure if breast feeding translates here - but my daughter used to snack constantly between about 6 & 11 at night up until about 15 weeks! she woke every night up until at least then at 3/4 for another hr long session and really only slept past 5ish from about 11 months. not what u want to hear - but some babies are snackers - and esp at that age as their tummies are still quite small and so she might be hungry but just a little bit windy or even just not in the humour for proper feeding in the evening and just enjoys being held and fed in bits and pieces. it so hard - we used to have to take every second evening so id go to bed at about 8 aafter the last feed and my hubbie would give her expressed mily until 11ish when shed drift off and then id get up at 3 to feed her while he slept - we were in different rooms for months! but i found if i could get 5-6 hrs in a row - even if i got no more i could cope. never realised it would be so hard beforehand tho!!! starting all over in 3 weeks ish.... eek!!

beachbabe

Just an update. I spoke to Gp and phn. I might not have explained properly in op but the issue was how unsettled she was between feeds, therefore overtired, not feeding properly as falling asleep and getting into a vicious circle.
We changed over to hungry baby and what a difference! She feeds every 3 hrs during the day and is a much happier babs between feeds. She has slept from 23.30 to 05.30 the last 3 nights so
fingers crossed this continues!
I rang the sma careline and they said no prob mixing regular feeds and hungry baby. Given aptamil said you can't I thought that was strange. I switched over completely anyway.
Thanks for the replies everyone.