3 weeks old, always hungry, what do I do?

[sparkleymum]

Myles will be 4 weeks old on Wednesday. he dirinks big bottles for his age, he is over 10 lbs now and drinks
7am.............150mls (seems happy after this bottle)
10am............120mls (seems happy after this bottles)
2pm..............120mls (seems happy after this bottle)
5pm...............100mls (not happy after this one)
then has a bath and after that at approx
6.15pm...........100mls (not happy after this bottle usually cries till 8.30pm)
10.30pm..........150mls (goes straight to sleep after this bottle)
3am.................120mls (goes straight to sleep after this bottle)


So he is drinking ALOT of milk mut is totally unsatisfied at the 5pm / 6.15 feeding. I am trying to do the contented baby routine but this timeing isn't working for him. Should I just give one big bottle? In total in that hour and a half he is getting 200mls, that is a mammoth feed just split by the bath. I dont know if he is mega hungry, he is routing and does appear very hungry or if he is just in a bad routine cause I keep lifteing him and trying to settle him in my arms cause he is so upset at this time. I cannot feed a baby his age any more can I?

[punkbaby]

I cant say what he should be drinking ( i have bf all mine at that age :) ) but to me it sounds like the witching hour all babies have this and well times of the day vary but generally i found it was at the end of the day with my lot . Mine had it anywhere from 4 hours to 1 hour where they werent hungry they just wanted cuddle and comforting then they were hungry then they werent etc it really is a testing time but it does pass eventually

This is what it sounds like to me anyway but hopefully someone else can shed some light on what he should be having, good luck and congrats on your little man

[justmum]

I wouldn't worry about what he should be having. If it were me, I would make up a bigger bottle for the 2 feeds he isn't happy after and let him have what he wants at those feeds.

[Hollywood]

Hi, sorry, I'm a breastfeeder but had to stick my nose in here. I agree with Punkbaby, sounds like witching hour to me. I read somewhere once that it peaks at about 6 weeks of age (their crying).

We went through it with DS and some nights we eliminated all possible reasons for him to cry and fuss, but he would cry for ages. So one of us would just retreat to the bedroom with him and cuddle him so that at least he was getting physical contact with someone.

If it is witching hour it will pass pretty soon, and get less in a few weeks or so. All the best :)

[gizmoduckus]

How much does it say to give him on the side of the can of formula?

Does he drink everything in his bottle? Or does he drink only part of it and is still unsatisfied?

[bubs_and_us]

my initial thought would be the witching hour. my DS used to just cry and cry - we thought he was hungry, but turned out he was just unsettled and wanted hugs. it does pass though :yes:

[sparkleymum]

Thanks for all the replies.
Yes he drinks the whole bottle. He's drinking a bit more than the tin says for 2 weeks to 2 months age group.
I didn't know about this witching hour, emm, could be that alright.
Thanks

[delirium]

:yes: Yep to the witching hour thing. Infact we call it that in our household too :laughing: Between about 4.30 and 6.30pm both our kids are unsettled and grouchy. I think they are tired and had enough for the day.

As for how much he's drinking, I wouldn't worry. He's actually eating great for a 3 week old, at that age both my kids would only have 60-80mls in a sitting as their tummies are so small at that age. Just as with bf babies, bottle fed bubbas vary widely in how much they drink.

Could he be overtired? I know my boy is absolutely terrible when he gets overtired :hair: Maybe by the 10.30pm bottle he's just really tired that's why he settles with that one??

[~Temet Nosce~]

shes 3 weeks old and feeding 3-4 hourly around the clock, sonds perfectly normal to me :yes:

the 5pm grumpy thing is usually a sign of colic, becuase thats when it bothers them the most from the build up of wind during the day. Try giving her some gripe water or brauers (sp?) or some infacol wind drops in her bottles.

[Kittylou]

Defnitely sounds like the witching hour to me. My DD was unsettled for that same period until she was about 8 weeks old. It gradually decreased to 5-7pm and now (at 5 months) she's pretty good, just a bit clingy between 5-6pm-ish.

[krixly]

I think it is perfectly normal hun!! I always just gave my ds whatever he wanted with milk coz there is really no right and wrong with amounts. I believe it is all down to instinct for bubs most of the time. They will stop when they are full!!! Someone gave me some advice that was really helpful for my hungry boy. Whenever he finishes all of the bottle, offer an extra 50mls. I don't think it matters if he drinks more than 100mls at a time (ie. at 5pm). Maybe just offer more and if he is still hungry and wants to drink it, then you know it is just a hungry thing and not something else. Of course a lot of bubs do get the witching hour probs, but if he is just still hungry, then that can be a bit more easily solved.

I kinda demand fed with formula until my ds was about 8 weeks old when it just kinda settled more into a routine. Ds was feeding 2 hourly (all day!) for a few weeks, but just not drinking enough at a time to sustain him for longer. He learnt to drink more over time and now at 5 month old he has only 4 feeds a day!!!! Just do what works and don't stress that it isn't what 'they' say to do. that is something I have found the most helpful thing to do. and remember that all bubs are individuals! different sizes, different appetites, different needs!!!!

Hope this helps hun! All the best with it.

[sparkleymum]

Thanks for all the great advise. I will be trying your suggestions:hugs:

[bissym]

hi sparkleymum,

I'm dealing with a similar thing (how can she be drinking so much?!!).
I tried that same routine - it didn't work at all! So I tried kicking it out by an hour (all the same feeds but an hour later than the book suggests), this worked for a couple of days. After that I thought 'alright kid, what routine do you want?' and since then we've worked out a routine by demand feeding and just taking notes for a few days to find out how it worked. She seems to be extra hungry (unsatisfied) at this same time but if she gives signs of being hungry after a bottle (100ml) I'll give her an extra 50ml...this usually settles her. Today and yesterday though she still seemed hungry about an hour later so another 50ml. I assume this is what they call 'cluster feeding'.

Don't know if this is helpful but I know i've found it helpful to see that I'm not the only one in this boat :)

[allsgood]

Hi, I was wondering how big your baby was at birth. My boy was nearly 11lbs and therefore was feeding for his size rather than his age. He is 6wks old and has been taking 200mls per feed for about 3 weeks. Another option could be to feed a formula developed for 'hungrier babies'. I know how frustrating this must be for you. I was in two minds about how much to feed my boy as I was fearful I was over feeding him. After discussion with the child health nurse (not GP as they are not as experienced specifically in babies) I felt comfortable that you cannot overfeed your baby. They will take as much as they need.
Just as an after thought ... is your baby spewing much up? If he is emptying out quicker. Excessive spewing could be reflux which can be assisted with a thickened formula (my eldest had reflux).
Good luck :hugs: