Struggling with hungry babies - Help needed!

[Helen]

Phew! OMG I'm exhausted. We started weaning Tom just over a week ago because he was so hungry after feeds and Charlotte at the weekend.

I wanted to give them a formula feed or two instead of weaning them so early but they just won't take to it. I've tried SMA a few times last week and today I've tried Cow and Gate. They just pull this face and spit it out. HELP!

How can I get them to take formula? Is this normal to refuse it? I can't keep up with BF any more. I gave them some potato at 12 o'clock and have only just detached them both from my breast in desperation. Tom's still crying with hunger despite having baby rice this am, potato (which he wasn't keen on) and banana (he fell asleep).

From being pretty organised up until a couple of weeks ago with the BF following a regular sort of pattern I feel all over the place as I can't work out what to give them when.

Does everyone go through this chaos?

 

[Kina]

Absolutely - it's their four mont growth spurt (the worst of them all!). Don't despair it WILL pass, but normally lasts a good few days. Just rest, eat as much as you can (make sandwiches/healthy snacks when you have a couple minutes to last you through the day), drink pints of water and stick on a good DVD and let them feed feed feed. I'm sure that you know that they're ready for solids now, but just to say that lots of people try solids in desperation at this age because of the feediness (I did with Alex, though apart from a couple of times he just refused it until he got nearer to 6 months). As for formula, they're probably refusing it because of the taste compared to breastmilk (it's pretty rank), so all I can advise is trying different brands if you want to wean them onto formula now. A lot of babies don't get on with the ready made stuff either, so if you've been trying that it might be worth getting a tin. But I am sure that you can get through this, especially if you just try to rest for a couple of days (though putting them in the buggy and taking them out for a mosy always helped my two and my sanity!).

Good luck hon!

 

[KX]

Hi Helen,

Im an inexperienced BF as Ive only been doing it a month, but my MW told me that if I was going to give Lucy a night bottle I was best to get Aptimal as it was the closest to breast milk and that included taste too. But u could spend a small fortune trying every milk on the market.

Hope ur ok hun xxx

 

[vicky]

aww hun i hope it gets better soon, the four month growth spurt is the worsed.

KX i didn't know that about the formula interesting.

 

[ablaze]

i think you have done great to solely feed twins for 4 month!!! tht is fantastic!!!!

most formulas sell cartons, so u cud try a few without having to get a big tin of it

hope u get summin worked out hun xx

 

[Helen]

Thanks guys. Afternoon was okish. Went across to my Nana's where my Mum was and they entertained them for me. Charlotte was pretty chilled out but Thomas was ravenous. He ate loads of banana followed by a feed from me and was still hungry. He's making me pretty sore with the constant feeding and he's pulling and biting me quite a bit.

Someone else I know has suggested the Aptimal so I might try that though I'll probably give the ready mixed stuff a whirl first cos this is costing me a fortune!

TBH after today I've decided that enough is enough on the BF front and I'm ready to stop now. I just wish I could find the formula that works.

Has anyone ever tried mixing formula and expressed milk? Can you do that? Does it work?

 

[Kina]

Do you mean in the same bottle, or doing different feeds of each?
You've done really well to breastfeed both babies for this long, well done

 

[Venseia]

you've done great so far with breastfeeding so long. I lasted 3 1/2 months and was just drained wit one baby so admire how you've coped. most of our days are filled with chaos and just follow your baby. they will let you know when they hungry and just follow your instincts.

def aptimil it took alot of persuading at first but this is the closest too breast milk X

 

[Helen]

Do you mean in the same bottle, or doing different feeds of each?

I was thinking of mixing them in the same bottle to mask the taste of the formula a bit.

The good news is that DH managed to get them both to take about 2.5 oz of formula last night before they refused so we've made some progress. I'd been wondering if they wouldn't take a bottle from me (DH has always given them their night-time bottle of expressed milk) because they could smell milk on me. What do you think?

 

[ablaze]

is bets for baby to let daddy feed them from bottle hun, soz never realised you were trying to feed them yourself!

if baby smells milk off you and your giving them a bottle.. there thinking hmmm this aint right lol!! they will take to it hun, just perseverance and patience im afraid! even if your mum and that can help by offering bottle too