Hungry Milk (also in BIO)
in Baby
I'm wondering whether to put Dexter on hungry milk but still not sure as DH says no but what do you think?
I said I would start him on solids when he either got to 4 months or was regularly draining 7oz bottles however he's been on 7oz for a few days and he's finished pretty much every one! He's still having them every 4 hours which suprised me but he's still a bit too young to start on solids so should I put him on hungry milk for a few weeks?
Don't know what to do, i've been looking forward to weaning but this bit is driving me mad trying to work out the right time to start.
I said I would start him on solids when he either got to 4 months or was regularly draining 7oz bottles however he's been on 7oz for a few days and he's finished pretty much every one! He's still having them every 4 hours which suprised me but he's still a bit too young to start on solids so should I put him on hungry milk for a few weeks?
Don't know what to do, i've been looking forward to weaning but this bit is driving me mad trying to work out the right time to start.
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Replies
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personally I'm not a fan of hungry baby as I understand it doesn't contain anymore calories, just expands more in baby's tummy making them feel fuller for longer rather than actually being full if that makes sense? However, Dexter is your little boy so you and hubby should do what you feel is best Maybe have a chat with your HV and see what they advise?
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My doctor told me it was a good idea. It isn't bad for baby in any way.
We often choose foods that make us feel fuller for longer - better than giving your little one food they are not ready for.
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Sammi and boys is right about the whey content of hungry baby milk. If you think about milk being split into curds (the thick stuff!) and whey (the watery stuff) then stage 1 milk has more whey (and therefore is closer to breast milk) and stage 2 i.e hungry baby has more curd (called casein in baby milk). The higher casein content causes the milk to curdle more in their tummies which takes longer to digest and so they feel fuller for longer. It has no more calorific value at all so it is important that your baby doesn't decrease the amount they drink because they are full as they then wont be consuming the right amount of calories iyswim?!
I started my DS on hungry baby milk from about 13/14weeks and it took a lot of ummming nad aaaahing before i bit the bullet and gave it to him. My main concern was that i actually didn't want to wean until 6months and was worried that starting him on it too soon would result in me having to wean him early. Well i needn't have worried as he is now 25weeks, still on hungry baby, still satisfied and not weaning yet!!
The point of hungry baby milk is to delay the early onset of weaning so if you're deciding between food and hungry milk then i would suggest the milk is the best way to go.
To be honest though you may find just upping the amount of Oz in each bottle is enough as your LO is still managing to go 4hrs between feeds which is great, or you could maybe feed him every 3-3.5 hours but the same amount? I wouldn't worry if he then is taking more than the recommended amount of Oz in 24hrs that is stated on the tin as every baby is different and this is just a guide. Some babies take much less and some much more.
Yes hungry baby milk can cause constipation so i would just watch out for that but after all my deliberation and hesitation in the beginning i'm glad i put him on hungry baby milk as my goal of not weaning before 6months has been achieved!
Sorry for the very long ramble-HTH!
My little girl is 19 weeks (and a hefty 19lb) and takes 7oz every 3 hours. Admittedly I've started weaning her as of last week as she's showing plenty of other signs and the HV advised me to, but I think you still have a long way to go before you need to wean your little boy!
Trying feeding him every 3 hours if you feel he needs it, then if he's still having 7oz every 3 hours try the hungry baby milk. There's a reason they say 17 weeks is the absolutely minimum x
Hungry baby is harder to digest and whilst it's a good tool for babies who just can't be otherwise satisfied, it seems a bit daft to lob an obstacle at his little digestive system if he doesn't actually need it.