Has anyone tried Stage 2 Extra Hungry baby milk?

[mokey_cat]

I am just wondering whether to change form Aptamil stage 1 to stage 2 as my LO seems to be taking a lot more oz of Stage 1 - its lasted over a week though so don't think its a growth spurt.  I don't really want to start her on solids now (she is only 4 months) but I also don't want to switch her formula if it isn't going to work, then switch back and mess her about.

Also my Health Visitor has told me that 32oz should be the MAXIMUM that my LO should take in a day  .  Is that right that there is a limit?  She is a very healthy weight (on the heavier side but she is very long) and has started taking over the 32oz which is why I am thinking about the Stage 2.

Has anyone used the Extra Hungry milk & did you see a difference in your LO - did they seem more satisfied?

Thanks

Laura

[lilisuze]

Hi Laura, Stage 2 does fill them up more (stays in their little tummies for longer) but it also can make them constipated (you will see on lots of other posts that this can be a problem).

Its worth giving it a try (start off on the cartons for a day or so and see how you get on....)
HTH

[Alibobs]

dd was about 10 weeks and taking 40oz of normal milk so we changed her to the hungry baby milk. She did much better for a while, but by 13/14 weeks, she was taking 40oz of hungry baby milk and was STILL hungry. We had to wean her at 14 weeks. I think some babies are just more hungry than others. ds has never taken 32oz never mind 40oz and is still on stage one! It did make dd more constipated, but she would take a few oz of water between each feed and this helped. It was never a huge problem.

[mokey_cat]

Its worth giving it a try (start off on the cartons for a day or so and see how you get on....)

Thats a great idea - I might give it a go then.  I am a bit worried about constipation though as she already gets a bit contstipated from her reflux medication  .  I have never been able to get my LO to take water in fact she throws a tantrum if I even try!

Thanks for the advice   

[* Paula *]

If your lo already suffers from constipation I would be a bit hesitant to try the stage 2 formula.  It can be very constipating.  I tried my DS on this formula and he was in agony from being so constipated.

I don't know where the HV's get their information from sometimes.  Some will say oh that is not enough milk and others will say that is too much.

The general rule of the thumb is 2.5 oz - 2.7oz per llb of body weight, however some lo's are on more and some are on less, I would not worry too much about it.  Some lo's eat more than others.  Before my DD was 4 months old, she was drinking 5 x 9oz bottles of milk.  She was happy and healthy and was gaining weight well.

We did not wean her until about 5.5 months, and not because of her milk intake, only because she was showing interest in her foods.

Hope this helps 

[mokey_cat]

Thanks Paula

I might wait then - don't like the sound of that  .  I have tried to give her a tiny but of baby rice but I really don't think she is ready for it.  I might just increase her normal formula then - its not like she is overweight.  I don't know where the HV's get their info from either!  I just didnt like the fact she gave me a 'limit' on what your baby should eat. 

I am also a bit confused about DD's night wakings.  She has not needed a feed during the night since she was 10 weeks but we weaned the dummy about 2 weeks ago and before I would just replug and she would go back to sleep immediately but now I dont have that so Im not sure whether to feed her or not?  She doesn't cry, just coos and babbles, and usually goes back sleep herself after maybe 10 mins (or by holding her arms if she doesn't settle as we weaned swaddle as well) and this can happen 3 times a night.  I did try to feed her once last week at 5.30 am but she didnt go back to sleep after it for ages!  Then she didn't take her morning bottle.

Should I be feeding her when she wakes during the night even if she is not crying? I dont want to not feed her if she is hungry but I also dont want to encourage NW's!!  She gets really sick after her DF and night feedings and I always have to change the sheets (therefore waking her up completely) so don't want to do it if I don't need to  .

Laura
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[* Paula *]

Hi Laura,

Just wanted to warn you that the rice cereal can be very constipating too.  My DD was a refluxer too and was on a thickened formula.  When we weaned, we skipped the baby rice as we did not want her to get constipated.  Baby rice constipated my DS too.

The night wakings could be pure co-incidence.  It could be that your lo is getting used to sleeping without the dummy / swaddle, it could mean that she is ready for a routine tweak, or she could be going through her 4 month growth spurt.

I would say that if she is not crying, I would not feed her.  If she is just babbling etc I would leave her until she cries for you.  Then try to re-settle her first, and if she does not re-settle then offer her a feed.

Can you post what your routine looks like so that we can see if your lo may need her routine tweaking a bit?

E - how much
A - how long
S - how long including wind down routine.

[mokey_cat]

Oh thanks for the tip about baby rice  - I didnt know that!! 

As for out routine - we have been battling with short naps since DD was 10/11 weeks old!!  So I have been trying to extend and use W2S.  We have also changed her routine towards a 4 hour EASY so have increase A time to between 1.45 - 2 hours.  Over the last few days she is having a few unassisted longer naps  .  She gets OT very very easily though so NW's might be due to the increased A times.  Yesterday, I followed her cues and she had a 2.15 morning A time so I have a sneaky suspicion that that made her OT for the day??? 

Yesterday
Awake- 6.40
E-7.05
A-7.20-8.50 (wind down 10 mins)
S-8.55-10.20 (showed no tired signs but put in cot and she fell asleep after mantra cry for 5 mins or so)
A-10.20-11.00

E-11.00
A-11.15-12.10 (wind down 10 mins)
S-12.15-2.30 (woke after 45 mins and had to shhpat back to sleep)

E-2.45
A-3.00-4.45 (out a walk in park - had a mini nap of 15 mins)
S-4.55-5.25 (30 mins - this usually means OT for us)
A-5.30-6.00

E-6.00 (sometimes spilt feed before & after bath)
A-6.10-7.05 inc bath
E-7.05
S-7.30
DF-10.30

NW's - 1.30 (cried), 3.00, 4.30, 5.30, 6.10-6.45 (she pooped so changed nappy and put back to bed - usually would have got her up but I was sooooo tired).  She slept until 7.35.

Today was pretty similar except she had a 25 minute nap when we were out a walk (3.55-4.20) and as result we could not get her down for another catnap!!!  We tried from 5-6pm but she was so upset and when we got her up she was happy.  We gave her a bath at 6.30, feed at 6.45 and asleep at 7.15.

A few days ago, we had good naps all day - 8.40-9.55, 11.40-1.35, 2.30-2.45 in pram, and another catnap 4.05-5.25 and she slept allllllllllllll night from to 6.40.  This makes me think it is OT causing NW's.  What do you think?  I would struggle to do the 4 hour EASY (2 naps and a catnap) as she usually only takes 1.5 hour naps so I try to get 2 catnaps at the end of the day or a longer late afternoon nap depending on how tired she is.  I like to get out once a day so its nice if she has a wee sleep in pram then and another catnap but then, like today, she just isnt tired enough for another nap - leaving her OT at bedtime.

Any advice would be much appreciated 

Laura
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[RachelC]

Please follow this link to continue helping regarding the day's routine (and naps)
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=145642.msg1620683;topicseen#msg1620683