Is my 21 week old eating too much now

[Jo1stbaby]

Hi,

I've been posting on the reflux board and feel like we are begining to get somewhere.  before we sorted the reflux my LO was eating 2 -4oz per feed, 6oz at bedtime.  Now she is on gaviscon and c&g anti reflux milk.  She used to sleep from 7pm until 12/1am but recently it's been getting earlier and earlier.  She's only been on the anti reflux milk for 2 weeks now and gaviscon 3/4 weeks., but she is actually taking full feeds now. My question is she takes on average 5/6oz per feed, now she s taking more, I feed her at about 6/6.30pm about 7oz but she's been finishing off the bottles then crying so last couple of nights I've up that feed and dream feed to 8oz which again she's finished.  But she is started in the past week or so waking at 9pm and I can't resettle her so about 9.30pm I feed her her dream feed which is not so much a dream feed at the mo.  she will then wake about 12.30/1am for another feed.  Why am I feeding her more yet she seems tobe getting hungrier earlier? How much should I feed her? 

I have started to introduce a little bit of solid for her, first I tried at about 5pm as she starts to get grumpy and tired then (doesn't nap well) but she was struggling to eat as she was tired so I've now changed it to breakfast - porridge/banana&apple.

Am I feeding her right? Too much or too little?

Thanks

[Lolly]

How much is she taking in her day bottles? If you aren't offering bigger feeds during the day I would increase those bottles too. It's quite normal for a baby her age to be taking full bottles by now, they are good at self regulating so you need to be offering as much as they need.

She could be going through a growth spurt or making up for the times when she was taking small feeds!

Laura

[Jo1stbaby]

Hi Laura,

She takes 6oz bottle and finishes them but now I think about it and looking at her last bottle because the formula is quite thick although it looks like she's had it all by the time it's settles again (takes awhile, to come back down to the bottom) and with the lumps she probably losing about an 1oz/1 1/2oz so she's probably not taking as much as I think.  So I think I will up her daytime feeds to account for the loss in lumps as stuff.

Btw because it's so thick it's really hard to dissolve without any lumps.

Thanks
Jo
Xx

[Lolly]

A tip for dissolving reflux formula is after you have added the powder on top of the water put the top on, keep the bottle upright and roll it between your palms to let the powder fully settle into the water and then shake it! We had to do this with the formula my two were on, it also mixed better in cold water so it may be worth experimenting with the temp of the water in the bottles. We sterilised the bottles, put the once boiled water in, put the tops on and then kept them in the fridge until we needed them then we just added the powder and warmed.

It's not how you are *supposed* to make formula because the water isn't hot enough to kill any bacteria in the powder but they drank the formula straight away, it was never kept past the hour so we were happy that the risk was minimal and never had any issues.

Laura

[Jo1stbaby]

Awh that's interesting, I've been doing it when the water is still hot and then cooling down.  I thought the hotter the water the better.  I do roll it in my hands and have been adding a little, rolling, adding a little.  I'll try the next one the way you said, give that a go.

Thanks
Xx

[Jo1stbaby]

Hi Laura,

Just wanted to say fab tip about the cooling of the water first.  I've been doing it and the formula now dissolves right up.  So fab tip, will pass to one one. 

Thanks
Xx

[Lolly]

That's great!

Our formula said on the tin to use cool/ cold water but I think they *have* to say to use hot now because of the bacteria thing. As I said though, neither of mine had any issues from making it with cold water.

Laura