Can't keep up with hungry boy!

[Kristy&Alex]

Hello everyone, I just wanted some advice regarding my son Alex who always seems to be hungry. He was born 8 pound 4 & went straight to the boob with no problems. After 3 good solid months I decided to ween him from the boob & onto the bottle, which only took about 10 days in total. Initially he was having both boobs AND a full bottle of 4 scoops & 200mls. The 'feeding guide' on the tin said for his age to give him 3 scoops & 150mls but he was still hungry. Straight after he would finish his bottle he would instantly start screaming. Call it mothers instinct if you like, but I am glad i started weening him when i did, he was obviously hungry!! I started him on some solids today (Farex) & although the instructions said 'one teaspoon' he took 3. I am just wondering if this is normal or if any other mums have experienced boys they just can't seem to fill up? I have had him checked with my GP & the midwifes at my clinic & they all say he is just a big healthy boy that loves his food & not to worry. He has just hit the 7.5 kilo mark & my arms constantly ache! To look at him though he is still compact, he doesn't look over fed or dare i say it 'fat'. Just a little chubby perhaps & always smiling :p

[jarrahsmumma]

hi there,
my bub was the same, always hungry. He was a bugger to breastfeed though, so he was exclusively on formula from 8 weeks he would take 6-7 bottles of 150mls a day and then even when he was starting solids he would have 6 200ml bottles a day.

I remember even when he was born he would be drinking double what the tin said. i was worried at first cause i didn't want him to be too fat, but i thought "would i prefer a happy chubby bub or a scraming "correct" weight one"...my CHN did tell me he was getting too fat even though he was only a smidge abouve the "normal" line. I think if they only eat if they are hungry, so feed them what they want. :)

Now i have a happy, healthy 7 month old who is great weight, length etc...like you said go with your feelings.

all the best
Natalie

[Gribel]

Hi Kristy, I just couldn't keep up with the "demand" feed, so after 3 weeks of breastfeeding I had to switch to formula - since then all is good. He was really unsettled before, and just seeing now how much he drinks I know that I could have NEVER given him enough to fill him up. When he was 3 months I started putting Rice Cereal in his Formula to thicken the bottle up a bit, and he took it without problems - it seem to have a better taste. We just started giving him mashed banana and other fruit, and he loves it. He is just over 4 months now and weighs about 7kg, and is 66.5 cm long. My CHN said that as a mother I would know best what he needs, and even recommended that I give him more bottles (at the moment he get 180ml with 3 scoops, around 5 bottles a day) as his quota would be 210 ml - 5 bottles a day!!! But the fruit seems to fill him up. We even made our own Cauliflower and Potato Soup and gave him some of that, and he lolves it! So I wouldn't worry too much, you know what's best for your bub, and I rather have a healthy looking baby than a screaming, constantly hungry one. And Riley doesn't even look fat, he's just solid. It's all good!!!! Belinda & Riley (02.04.2005)

[madvoice]

My daughter was the same. I was exclusively breastfeeding for 3 1/2 months. Raleigh just wasn't getting enough and was starting to get dehydrated. I changed to formula over a two week period. I am now no longer breastfeeding and I didn't get engorged at all once I stopped. It broke my heart that I had to put her on formula. She is also taking anywhere between 200-250ml per feed at 4 months. She's now around 7.3kgs and she was also 8lb 4oz when she was born. Her height and weight are currently in the 90th percentile. She's just a hungry baby.