Cow & Gate Hungrier Milk

tigerlillie

Hi all wondering if anyone can help me I have a 8 week baby who is now on C&G Stage 1 milk but he needs to be fed every three hours and only drinks 4 oz at each feed but he is so hungry he cries when I am feeding him. He was born five weeks premature and was on nutriprem until his term age so he is only on the stage 1 for the past 3 weeks - my question is does anyone have any experience with the C&G Hungrier milk and is it recommended to change him now - i try to give him more milk but he doesnt get through it within the two hours

lazygal

Babies don't just cry because of hunger. I'd check with your gp and public health nurse about whether to change formula. The makeup of those hungry baby formulas is different and should really only.be used if medically recommended. Have you tried smaller quantities more frequently?

tigerlillie

He is already being fed every three hours and the bottle lasts for two hours so he is only doing without a feed for one hour

lazygal

tigerlillie wrote: »

He is already being fed every three hours and the bottle lasts for two hours so he is only doing without a feed for one hour

Could he be suffering from reflux if he's crying so much? Tbh though at eight weeks I'd feed on demand and not time things too much. Slightly different for me as only my first got bottles but they're so small and getting used to the world I'd just go with their needs.

seventeen sheep

Eight weeks seems very early to be putting him on a hungry baby formula.

Would you try the next up teat size first? Definitely makes a difference, in my experience. What bottles and teats are you using now?

Also, I know it's technically allowed to feed bottles for up to two hours after making them up, but I know I wouldn't enjoy milk that's be sitting around for so long.

tigerlillie

lazygal wrote: »

Could he be suffering from reflux if he's crying so much? Tbh though at eight weeks I'd feed on demand and not time things too much. Slightly different for me as only my first got bottles but they're so small and getting used to the world I'd just go with their needs.

No he is not showing signs of reflux he settles after the feed but only for a short time until the fist is in the mouth again and he is not uncomfortable he just cant get the food quick enough but then stops at about 4oz so giving him more would not work as the bottle would have to be disposed off after 2 hours

tigerlillie

seventeen sheep wrote: »

Eight weeks seems very early to be putting him on a hungry baby formula.

Would you try the next up teat size first? Definitely makes a difference, in my experience. What bottles and teats are you using now?

Also, I know it's technically allowed to feed bottles for up to two hours after making them up, but I know I wouldn't enjoy milk that's be sitting around for so long.

As he was on Nutriprem for the first five weeks it was recommended to put him on the number 2 teats and keep him on them so that is what he is on

seventeen sheep

tigerlillie wrote: »

As he was on Nutriprem for the first five weeks it was recommended to put him on the number 2 teats and keep him on them so that is what he is on

Which brand bottles?

If the problem is him drinking too slow, logical solution would be size 3 teats. Maybe alternate every bottle between 2 and 3 - that's what we did when switching between teat sizes, to let him get used to the new size.

tigerlillie

seventeen sheep wrote: »

Which brand bottles?

If the problem is him drinking too slow, logical solution would be size 3 teats. Maybe alternate every bottle between 2 and 3 - that's what we did when switching between teat sizes, to let him get used to the new size.

He is on Tommee Tippee - he does drink very fast but then stops and he gets the wind up great

Moonbeam

poor little pet.
I had 2 super hungry babies and 2 with milk allergies and he doesn't sound like a hungry baby,at 8 weeks they were feeding constantly.
DO you feed on demand?
Could it be colic or reflux?
Talk to your PHN.

lazygal

tigerlillie wrote: »

No he is not showing signs of reflux he settles after the feed but only for a short time until the fist is in the mouth again and he is not uncomfortable he just cant get the food quick enough but then stops at about 4oz so giving him more would not work as the bottle would have to be disposed off after 2 hours

Tbh if he's looking for the teat it could be comfort suckling. Babies need that comfort when they're so small. Sucking on the fist is also a comfort thing. Have you tried a soother?

January

tigerlillie wrote: »

No he is not showing signs of reflux he settles after the feed but only for a short time until the fist is in the mouth again and he is not uncomfortable he just cant get the food quick enough but then stops at about 4oz so giving him more would not work as the bottle would have to be disposed off after 2 hours

Those are classic signs of silent reflux.

CSU

We had the same problem from 6 weeks. Our PHN wouldn't advise the hungry milk but as we pushed the idea she said that she was not allowed to advise it (we got the impression that it would be no harm).

Given the colic probs we started with colic milk (Aptamil), which combined with the slow feeding problems was a disaster as that milk clogs the teat only to compound the problems.

She is 10 weeks now and on hungry milk these past 3 weeks or so and all targets are on track with no probs.

Try #2 teat with little breaks as he feeds maybe as it may be a bit quick for him...he'll get used to it.
Oh, she is drinking 6-7oz every 3.5 hours daytime and less during the late hours.

Hope that helps.

PS. My conclusion to the nurses not advising hungry milk is that it may be much safer to have your baby wake more often for feeds than to have him/her full and sleeping for hours on end. In Our case was similar to yours and seemed as if we were constantly feeding, in this case she wakes and is hungry often...I do see the logic behind the unwillingness of a PHN to advise hungry milk, but we had no otjer option and as I've said all is on target and 100% now.

Soooky

January wrote: »

Those are classic signs of silent reflux.

I agree it does sound like silent reflux. Stopping feeds after a small quantity taken even though they are still hungry. The poor things put their fists into their mouths because the acid is coming up and going back down and burning their throats in the process Our LO had this and we couldn't understand at first what was wrong :(:( I would have a chat with your GP if I were you OP - there are lots of treatment options available including the comfort formulas which are thicker....

Brian?

January wrote: »

Those are classic signs of silent reflux.

Exactly the way our first fella behaved. Has silent reflux written all over it.

OP, before trying hungry baby formula, which I hear makes reflux worse, try switching to a comfort formula. I believe C&G do one, but we always used Aptamil comfort and constipation.

FYI: the reflux became not so silent before we made the switch. Gutted we didn't do it earlier.

January

Brian? wrote: »

Exactly the way our first fella behaved. Has silent reflux written all over it.

OP, before trying hungry baby formula, which I hear makes reflux worse, try switching to a comfort formula. I believe C&G do one, but we always used Aptamil comfort and constipation.

FYI: the reflux became not so silent before we made the switch. Gutted we didn't do it earlier.

We've ended up on SMA Staydown (formula specifically for reflux) and Zantac to control our little boys reflux. We waited until he was 5 months before heading to a doctor as we thought he was just a pukey baby.