Bottle feeding
Greedy & irregular eater
Kim1989
Hi everyone
Our little boy (almost 2 weeks old) is quite a greedy eater. He really dives into his bottles and gulps everything down. Sometimes milk runs out of his mouth because he's so eager, or he starts coughing because it's going too fast. He also gets hiccups 9 out of 10 times during or after his bottle. In the meantime, I've started including enough pauses while he's drinking and give him the chance to burp between sips.
On top of that, he's a fairly irregular eater... I was advised to either give him a 60ml bottle every 3 hours or a 90ml bottle every 4 hours. He's now getting 90ml (60ml sometimes runs out and then he doesn't get enough), but he doesn't always finish it. He also spontaneously wakes up every 3 hours and usually doesn't make it to 4 hours. Sometimes he's awake after just 2 hours and shows clear signs of hunger (sucking on my neck, searching for my nipples, crying and hard to soothe...). I usually give him another bottle then, but I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing since it messes up the regularity of his feeding schedule.
Are there any other moms who recognize this problem? Any tips? I've already sent an email to a nutritionist from a specific formula brand and can call her on Monday, but I'm curious to hear your experiences here.
Our little boy (almost 2 weeks old) is quite a greedy eater. He really dives into his bottles and gulps everything down. Sometimes milk runs out of his mouth because he's so eager, or he starts coughing because it's going too fast. He also gets hiccups 9 out of 10 times during or after his bottle. In the meantime, I've started including enough pauses while he's drinking and give him the chance to burp between sips.
On top of that, he's a fairly irregular eater... I was advised to either give him a 60ml bottle every 3 hours or a 90ml bottle every 4 hours. He's now getting 90ml (60ml sometimes runs out and then he doesn't get enough), but he doesn't always finish it. He also spontaneously wakes up every 3 hours and usually doesn't make it to 4 hours. Sometimes he's awake after just 2 hours and shows clear signs of hunger (sucking on my neck, searching for my nipples, crying and hard to soothe...). I usually give him another bottle then, but I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing since it messes up the regularity of his feeding schedule.
Are there any other moms who recognize this problem? Any tips? I've already sent an email to a nutritionist from a specific formula brand and can call her on Monday, but I'm curious to hear your experiences here.
Replies
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Beertje #2
Hi Kim!
One thing you can do to help with the gulping is to let your little one suck on a pacifier for a few minutes before feeding. This often satisfies that initial strong urge to suck, so he’s less frantic when you start the bottle. Sometimes it takes a bit of practice though.
I’m not really into schedules or averages. I mostly feed on demand. Today, for example, my girl was feeding every hour for 3 hours, then suddenly had a regular day with 4-hour intervals. With bottle feeding, it’s generally better to stick to a schedule, but that doesn’t always work. They have their good days, days when they’re hungrier, or days when they’re less hungry. If he’s truly hungry, just feed him. They’re still so little that you can’t really talk about a strict schedule yet. If he stays so hungry, you could look into formula for hungry babies—I can’t quite remember the name right now. I had that with my oldest too.
I don’t know what bottle you’re using, but you might want to check the nipple. It could make a difference for the mess and the hiccups. Some nipples have a smaller opening, so the baby has to suck harder.
Don’t stress too much, girl! Watch and listen to your little guy; he can show you very well what he needs. If he’s spitting up a lot, he’s overfed. -
BabyRelaxed #3
Hi Kim,
I'd like to know how much your little boy weighs and exactly how many times a day you offer him 60 ml.
I'm also curious about which bottle you're using.
Babies often get hiccups quickly and frequently. This is because their diaphragm is still so incredibly flexible. Fortunately, babies don't suffer much from it. There's nothing you can do about it either.
If you'd like, you can send me an email to [email protected] -
BabyRelaxed #4
What a lovely little boy, by the way! -
madelene #5
I always gave on demand, I didn't stick to a specific schedule.
And I gave to both of them, for example.
And that was often back-to-back, they were also often restless at the breast, but I still held on, dead tired, with dark circles under my eyes, exhausted every night again, but I felt I had to persevere, it's only once in your life that you can give that to your baby.
And often between drinking, they just needed to feel secure.
That's also why they often sought my breast for comfort or to calm down, which is tiring, but I thought motherly love means putting yourself aside for your children, so if that's what it means... -
madelene #6
I had to push through with sleep deprivation then, and I just had to accept that. I didn't feel I had much to say about it for my kids. It's such a short period where you can give them so much health and security.
Well, if your child is a greedy eater, then that's just how it is.
That too will pass. It would be a pity to stop breastfeeding then, but everyone has their own choice, of course.
One child needs more food than another; that's just the way it is. You'll find your way naturally.
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