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12-06-2012 at 8:26 AM
BabySmiles...
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BabySmiles31 is not online. Last active: 01-26-2013, 5:54 PMNewbie

Insatiable 5 week old - Underfeeding? Rice cereal?

My 5 week old has acted completely insatiable lately - he is never full! We fed him 6 oz. at 6pm, 4oz at 8pm, and then he took 5oz every 4 hours through the night. Is anybody else's baby like this? I don't want to overfeed him and make him sick, but he acts like he's never been fed before. My friends can't believe that he eats that much, and tells me he shouldn't be... but he rarely throws up. My mom and my MIL said they gave their baby boys rice cereal at 5 weeks because they were having the same problem, but I'm nervous about it. Any advice or tips from experience? How much is/are your babies eating? TIA! :)

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12-06-2012 at 8:28 AM
JenK1108
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It's very possible that your little guy is just going through a growth spurt.  If you are at all concerned though, I would just put a call into your pedi.  I would hesitate to give rice cereal so young, but I'm not a doctor...I would just call and check in with your doc's office. 

p.s. just lurking - my guy is 9 months old, so can't weigh in with personal experience currently.  good luck :)

 
12-06-2012 at 8:33 AM
danieliza1...
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danieliza1127 is online. Last active: 05-21-2013, 10:33 AMSilver
I agree with pp, if you're concerned, call your pedi. It could very likely be a growth spurt.  I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal.  If he's that hungry, he needs the food and rice cereal is more of a filler with nowhere near the nutritional value of formula or BM.  Rice cereal isn't meant to be started until 4 to 6 months when the baby is ready to learn to eat with a spoon. 


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12-06-2012 at 8:39 AM
mabenner1
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5 weeks is entirely too early for rice cereal, especially when you're talking about a hungry baby. All the rice is going to do is fill up your LO's tummy with no nutrition. Feed your baby milk-sounds like a growth spurt to me. And call your pediatrician.

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12-06-2012 at 8:52 AM
tinkerbell...
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tinkerbell09 is not online. Last active: 03-27-2013, 10:18 AMNewbie

My LO is also 5 weeks and going through the same thing.
We were just told to feed on demand. I EBF and have been told by pedi that if we want we could try give him a bottle of formula at night to top him off and fill him up.

I have been pumping and storing milk so when he goes through these growth spurts and I am on empty he still has lots to eat.
LO eats 6oz at 8pm and 5oz at 11pm and is sometimes still hungry after that.
It is just a stage though


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12-06-2012 at 9:40 AM
Megroons
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Megroons is not online. Last active: 05-21-2013, 9:14 AMSilver

BabySmiles31:
My 5 week old has acted completely insatiable lately - he is never full! We fed him 6 oz. at 6pm, 4oz at 8pm, and then he took 5oz every 4 hours through the night. Is anybody else's baby like this? I don't want to overfeed him and make him sick, but he acts like he's never been fed before. My friends can't believe that he eats that much, and tells me he shouldn't be... but he rarely throws up. My mom and my MIL said they gave their baby boys rice cereal at 5 weeks because they were having the same problem, but I'm nervous about it. Any advice or tips from experience? How much is/are your babies eating? TIA! :)

First thing, you can't over feed a baby. Second, are your friends Drs? A baby will eat when he / she is hungry . Yes, my baby is "like this" too and It's also very normal for a baby to eat every 4 hours. It's also very old school to think putting rice in a bottle at that age is the best but it's not. Call your pedi. and they will reassure you. Last thing, if you "over feed" him / her the baby will just spit it back up.



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12-06-2012 at 1:37 PM
christinas...
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christinasullie37 is not online. Last active: 05-20-2013, 8:23 PMBronze
My LO just went through that last week. She was 5 weeks also.  It was horrible because I didn't know how much to make so I didn't have to keep stopping to make more formula.  We EFF so I know exactly how much she gets each time. She has now topped off at about 5 oz.  Sometimes just a bit less sometimes just a bit more.  Like pp, it is more than likely a growth spurt.  My mom told me to  do the same thing with the rice cereal.  My pedi gave me a great piece of advice...ignore all the old wives remedies

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12-06-2012 at 4:08 PM
Emerson200...
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My 3 week old takes 4oz every 2 hours. At night he will go 3-4 hours. Two days he went 6, but that hasn't happened again. We are using Similac for Spit Up which has rice already in it. He was on Similac Sensitive, but that didn't fill him up and so the pedi put him on the rice cereal. My other 2 boys were also getting the rice in the bottle per the pedi for reflux. Now they actually have it already added in. I know all pedis have different opinions. However, he is still hungry all the time and doesn;t spit it up. I feel like all I do all day is feed and burp, and 30 min later, it starts all over. My other 2 boys ate every 4 hours so this is new for me. He has eaten this way since birth so I'm not sure when this will slow down. We are moving through formula like crazy.

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12-06-2012 at 5:04 PM
anonsouthe...
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anonsouthernbell is not online. Last active: 05-21-2013, 9:32 AMSilver
tinkerbell09:

My LO is also 5 weeks and going through the same thing.
We were just told to feed on demand. I EBF and have been told by pedi that if we want we could try give him a bottle of formula at night to top him off and fill him up.

I have been pumping and storing milk so when he goes through these growth spurts and I am on empty he still has lots to eat.
LO eats 6oz at 8pm and 5oz at 11pm and is sometimes still hungry after that.
It is just a stage though

in the long run this could tank your supply.  Just feed on demand as it helps to develop your prolactin receptors. 


 
12-06-2012 at 11:17 PM
MelsaX
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MelsaX is not online. Last active: 05-21-2013, 4:13 AMBronze

mabenner1:
5 weeks is entirely too early for rice cereal, especially when you're talking about a hungry baby. All the rice is going to do is fill up your LO's tummy with no nutrition. Feed your baby milk-sounds like a growth spurt to me. And call your pediatrician.

All of this. PLEASE don't give your LO cereal, especially without talking to your pedi first.


 
12-07-2012 at 1:08 AM
kegallagh
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kegallagh is not online. Last active: 05-21-2013, 10:22 AMBronze
anonsouthernbell:
tinkerbell09:

My LO is also 5 weeks and going through the same thing.
We were just told to feed on demand. I EBF and have been told by pedi that if we want we could try give him a bottle of formula at night to top him off and fill him up.

I have been pumping and storing milk so when he goes through these growth spurts and I am on empty he still has lots to eat.
LO eats 6oz at 8pm and 5oz at 11pm and is sometimes still hungry after that.
It is just a stage though

in the long run this could tank your supply.  Just feed on demand as it helps to develop your prolactin receptors. 

x2. Baby's frequent nursing during a growth spurt will increase your milk supply, but feeding a bottle will do the opposite. Your body is made to feed your baby; don't worry about being "on empty." It's unlikely. 


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