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My baby is constantly hungry! Help and advice needed!

Hi guys!

This is the 2nd time I've done one of these and you were so helpful last time I thought I'd give it another go!

My 12 week old little boy too much of his birthweight and had to be readmitted to hospital. Since that blip I've been bottlefeeding him and all has been going great. He's been taking 6oz bottles every 2 hours, sometimes more frequently. My health visitor has told me to put him on greedy baby milk and make him go at least 3 hours between feeds. I've been doing this and he's been having 7oz of greedy milk and still crying for food after 1 1/2 or 2 hours! I'm at the end of my tether cos the health visitor is concerned he's putting on too much weight too quickly. Its really frustrating when you know why he's crying and try to distract him but it just makes him cry more! Do you think I should think about weaning him early?

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Replies

  • Ok, firstly, I want to reassure you that you're doing great!
    I had the same thing with my little boy.
    It's more than likely to be a growth spurt, these happen so often at the early stage. Try and hold off the weaning, if you feel like it's something you want to try, then talk to your GP first - not your Health Visitor as they'll just give you a load of grief!
    My suggestion is to feed the baby up with the milk then try and go for a long walk, or drive somewhere when he starts to get grumpy for more milk. Hopefully this will distract him enough to sleep through the hunger. It's more likely to be a comfort thing.
    My son did exactly the same at such a young age too. I felt like I was constantly feeding him (I bottle fed from birth). It's all very well them saying make them go 3-4 hours, but some babies just won't!
    Just persevere with the milk when your baby wants it! It will all pan out in the end and once he starts wriggling about more, he'll soon burn off the excess weight.
    Was your little one a big baby? My son was 10 pound 8 when he was born!
    He's now 23 weeks and I've managed to keep off weaning him - so far! He takes 5 bottles a day of 8/9 ounces each.
    He's slept through the night since about 9 weeks too!
    Good luck
    xx
  • if you think that your baby needs weaning then that is what you have to do - i weaned by son at 11 weeks - he was the always hungry and the milk that he was on did not fill him up (he was allergic to milk and therefore on a really thin milk). anyway i gave him baby rice at his 11 feed and then at his 3 feed after a bit of time.
    the health visitor went mad and said i was doing wrong but my pedetrician said that i was doing the right thing - you know your child so therefore do what you want
    i would not give him anything else until he hits for 4months mark but baby rice - and then start giving him porridge in the morning.
    if you get in the habit of driving him when hungry you are just going to dig yourself in a whole as not always wanting to go in the car.
    hope this helps and good luck - your doing a great job. x
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