to feed or not to feed?

[bigbelly2]

Hi everyone,

just a few questions for you, could you all please give your opinions and advice...

Tommy is 15 weeks now...was 5 weeks premature and was a very good weight for 35 weeks 5lb 12.5oz
He was breast and bottle fed, hes always hungry going 1.5- 2 hours for feed then sometimes 4 hours but has his last bottle about 7 and i wake and feed him at 11 which means he sleeps through til 7 or 8 in the morning. Hes having 6 or 7 bottles a day with 7 oz in each bottle...he ALWAYS finishes it in about 4 minutes flat and cries a bit for more but always bring up a load of milk after...to me this means hes still hungry but his tummy cant hold all that liquid!! SO my question is should i try him on a spoon of baby rice? Hes still on sma gold and i dont want to put him on the hungry baby food as i did this with maddy and she became intollerant and had to have everything soya...or do you think its too early..when i had maddy we weaned at 4 months now its 6 months and it seems a really long time, lots of people are saying hes ready for a bit of food with the amount hes taking and how hungry he seems but i dont know what to do>? would being premature hinder him if i started feeding him now as hes 15 weeks but really 10 weeks...if that makes sense?!?!

Ive been and bought some organic baby rice today so i think I think im ready to start him but i suppose i just want a bit of reassurance...

what do you think?

thanks h x

 

[Jayden'sMummy]

every morning i give my little boy 2 spoonfuls of baby rice in between a bottle just to get him used to it and because he doesn't always seem satisfied with just bottle. i know people will judge because of it, because he is only 3 months butt.. i know my baby + i know he likes it so i'm just going ot go with my mother instincts. i think you should just give it a try and see how he reacts to it xx

 

[AppleBlossom]

To be honest you should do what YOU think is best for your baby. Grace is so greedy and after a bottle often she will want more but only pick at it. People keep saying to me that maybe I should give her something that will keep her satisfied for longer as the only reason she wakes up in the night is to drink about 3oz of milk. I think I am going to start giving her some baby rice as of next week. I know some people will tell me that it's ridiculous to start so early but I know my baby and I know she would be much more content with something more than milk

 

[Serene123]

I was going to. I didn't. She was just going through a growth spurt and she's fine now.

 

[sonny]

Its really down to you hun.
You can buy thickener for the milk and see if that helps keep it down therefore making him fuller for longer....the one special care gave me is.... Hormel thick and easy instant food thickener. its designed for individuals with dysphagia. They said to mix it with SMA Gold when Tabs first came out but she didnt get on with the SMA so the following week they recommended Cow and gate comfort 1 which has thicker properties anyway.
Ive put Tabs on baby rice just once a day for just under 2 weeks now as she was going back to only having 3-4 oz tops at a feed from going up to 6oz. So i think with Tabs its the quzntity of liquid/feed she cant do etc.

The HV today said go for veggies and fruit now for her but stick to Gluten free stuff until 6 months so check anything you try
Let us know what you do

 

[Emmea12uk]

Tommy #2 is being the same, but he has started waking up earlier and earlier every night until we got back to 4 hourly and 6 bottles a day so I have introduced baby rice. he chomps it down before his evening and night feeds then guzzles all his milk. I am also topping up with flavoured water to keep him going until his 4 hourly feeds. Today is only day 2 though!

i spoke to my doctor and she said that up until recently they would have just started weaning early and both her and my HV see no reason why i shouldnt as long as i stick to rice and flavoured suger free water until 4 months.

 

[sonny]

Tommy #2 is being the same, but he has started waking up earlier and earlier every night until we got back to 4 hourly and 6 bottles a day so I have introduced baby rice. he chomps it down before his evening and night feeds then guzzles all his milk. I am also topping up with flavoured water to keep him going until his 4 hourly feeds. Today is only day 2 though!

i spoke to my doctor and she said that up until recently they would have just started weaning early and both her and my HV see no reason why i shouldnt as long as i stick to rice and flavoured suger free water until 4 months.

Tabs has been stuck on 3 hour feeds forever as i really dont think her stomach can take it...although i dont really offer water as when i did it gave her diorreah(sp)
maybe if i hold out for 4 hour feeds she might eat more? i dunno what to do now lol

 

[Emmea12uk]

every baby is different. Tom was always regimented to four hour feeds and went from 8-8 at night with one feed at midnight. It is because he has reduced the time between feeds that I am weaning him early. Tabs is nearly four months though isnt she? and she was overdue? Maybe give rice before every feed? I take it you are still bf? I am going to make sure he is taking a good portion of rice before every feed four hourly, and wait until the amount of milk he takes goes down before i introduce other foods. Hopefully he will be four months then.

have you tried a regimented four hour feed at set times? maybe you could try that and give water inbetween until she gets used to it and give her rice before hand??? Tom has 7am, 11am, 3pm 7pm & 11pm which wored wonderfully until recently

 

[bigbelly2]

well......

i gave him some baby rice yesterday at 115pm, used 2oz of milk to 1 tablespoon of "organix gluten free baby rice" not that runny it was liquid but not tht much thicker..he took it really well off the spoon...then finished his 5oz bottle, we then went up the stables to do maddys pony and he didnt eat again til 630pm!! The second we got home though He did scream the place down and resemble a ribena berry (he was tht red)...he also had 9oz!!!! Went to sleep about 8...we woke him as usual at 1130 to change him and give him his last bottle but would only take 1oz...he then slept til 8am!!

i gave him another spoon of rice this mornin but gave him half of it then 4 oz milk then the other half and then his last oz of milk....he wanted food at 1115 so i gave him 6oz and hes been sleeping then waking for a few minutes and playing but he seems very chilled out and has still not cried for food...its nearly 4 hours MY GOD!!

If he seems more contended tomorrow still i will keep doing it if not i wont...but i think i will, i remember weaning maddy at 4 months *tht was the recommendation then* and shes fine so wel see

h x

 

[Emmea12uk]

Glad it seems to be working!!! How is he today? Tom is lapping his rice up and drinking 6 ozs of milk every four hours, but didnt wake up until 6:30 today!! I thickened the rice up and he still drunk all his milk!

 

[bigbelly2]

Hes kind of doing ok but ive stopped the baby rice and changed it for a rusk as he didnt seem to like the rice, i also found a heinz pot of porridge *moms own recepie* i havent given it him but its there in case..touch wood thoug hes lovin the rusk i gave him a quater at 10 feed and a quater at 1 feed yesterday and he had his last bottle at 730pm, didnt wake til 7 am!!

i had to take him to the docs today as hes full of a cold i explained what id done re his rusk etc and the doc was really supportive, he said taht the 6 months is only a guideline or recommendation and as mothers we know what our babies need, he said to carry on and he was making really good progress even though mr t sneezed in his face "so funny" lol

h x

 

[sonny]

 

[Emmea12uk]