Max is a hog...advice please! :)

Max is 8 weeks old.....and he eats a ton! He is nursing every 2 hours (3 if I'm very lucky) and sometimes less than that. He was sleeping through the night and then stopped because he was getting hungry. During the day, he gets 1-2 formula bottles while I'm at work and they are each 6oz. And I'm opening the door to get my @ss chewed here(I'd rather not here the "he's too little" comments as my doc OK'ed this), but he's getting a scoop of cereal at night to help fill him and he just doesn't seem to get full enough! Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I just keep feeding on demand like I have been...should I try to stretch his feedings out? He's thriving very well! He's up to 11lbs, 9oz from 7lbs, 50z at birth, so I know he's getting plenty...he just acts so hungry.

[AndiJ78]

My obvious answer is to cut out the cereal. He is too young and any doc that okays that needs to be fired, seriously. Studies have shown that cereal does not help them sleep and in fact can make it worse as it causes GI upset when they are so young.

Let him eat when he is hungry, even if it is inconvenient for you. they are constantly growing so their eating and sleeping patterns will change frequently during the first 6 months of life.

[girliegrl1723]

is he cranky? if he's not cranky and just always hungry, then i'd say feed him. most times, if they're hungry, they'll eat and if they're not, they won't. edward was the same way. he was 8 lbs 10 oz at birth and was all the way up to 15 lbs by 3 months old. he was on formula and i just offered a bottle at any sign of hunger. sometimes it was what he wanted, sometimes it wasn't. he may just be going through a growth spurt and actually be really hungry. also, i used to put cereal in his bottle at night also and it didn't help :o(

how does he sleep at night?

[jenstam]

Does he take a pacifier? Brody loves to eat, too but I have also noticed he chews on his fists a lot and loves to suck as well, so sometimes the pacifier helps. He is up in the 11 pound range now, too from 5 lbs 7 oz! Believe it or not, this is kind of comical but they had a scale to weigh pumpkins at the pumpkin patch and when they walked away we put him on it! He was 11 lbs, 8 oz ;) He has more than doubled his weight in three months, so we are thrilled with that!! He has not had formula or cereal but does get up a number of times at night. I just keep telling myself it's only temporary. They do get to be little piggies though! We have started trying to get Brody on a schedule during the day. About 4 oz of breastmilk in a bottle while I'm gone every 3 hours. Doesn't always work so perfect but we're getting there.

[rubyolivia]

The cereal's not to help him sleep. I could care less if he sleeps all night. I do feed as SOON as he's hungry. He does take a pacifier, but wants nothing to do with it when he's hungry. And his schedule's not changing...he's been at this for 2 weeks now. I would think if  it were just a spurt, he'd have been over it.

I won't even get into babies eating cereal earlier.......they've done it for years. I was getting cereal VERY early and I'm A-OK. I'll just shut up on that. I specifically said I wasn't really here to be ridiculed about the cereal.

Sorry...I'm cranky. Bad day at work.

[peekawho]

ruby, people smoke and don't get cancer, too, so you can't say that because some people feed cereal early and aren't visibly harmed that its advisable to do.  

I'm absolutely not here to ridicule you, and I don't see a single post here that is ridiculing you in any way.  Of course you can do what you want.  But what this site is about is offering good advice based on good, solid appropriate fact.  Women ask all the time if different things are ok during pregnancy and childhood, and we all (including you!) try to point them in the direction of healthy and appropriate things to do.   That's why people are trying to stress that it is not recommended to give a child cereal before their bodies are biologically ready for it.  
Not to "ridicule" you at all!  

I'll shut up after saying this, too.  I hope you don't lump me in the ridicule pile.  Just trying to give good advice.  Feeding cereal early often leads to feeding MORE cereal early, and into early introduction of other solids, which cuts down on the formula intake, which is the infants primary need.  Will your baby be harmed by a tiny bit of cereal?  Probably not, but neither will a "tiny" bit of cereal help curb hunger if that is indeed what is going on.  Only more formula will curb hunger in a way that will give your rapidly growing infant nutrition.  Rice cereal is empty carbohydrate with virtually no nutritive value.  No nutritive value. It is a filler.

The problem is when you introduce solids early and nothing overtly happens right then, a mother will virtually always start giving more.   And that's the problem, not even going in to the other problems that can develop.  More cereal=less formula and less frequent nutritive feeds, and that is not good.

Bottom line, your baby, your decision.  But if you put the question out here, you can expect of course to get answers that are in tune with what is known today about infant care and nutrition.  And early cereal feeding will not be recommended here by anyone knowledgeable about the subject.

Good luck, and don't hate me.  You sound tired.  You have my sympathies.  I hope everything gets better soon.  It will, but that's hard to see when you are so tired.

[Cheyenne_08]

Jessica, you need to let me in on your secret because ashtyn is 11 pounds 2.5 ounces and is 4 months old!!!! But I guess he has gained 7 pounds since birth. He is taking about 6 ounces and is starting to sleep 7-9 hours most nights, but has his fussy nights now and again! My doc told me ABSOLUTELY no solids or cereal until 6 months, again because of his prematurity. If the cereal is helping him, then give it to him, no matter what anyone on here says. They have their own problems to deal with, and if Max can handle cereal, then give it to him:) Keep doing what you are doing because he is gaining weight good. My doc says that by 4 months they should be sleeping longer periods at night, so I am sure it is coming:)

[rubyolivia]

Chey...I heart you! :)

Peek...Thanks for your advice. I do understand your point. I do want to let everyone know that Max gets on scoop (a formula scooper) of cereal that is mixed with breastmilk each evening at dinner. It is made very runny and he gets it from a spoon. It does seem to hold him over for an extra hour or so and he seems very full and content between that feeding and his next. He nurses on one breast for 10 mins, then given cereal, then the other breast. Breastmilk (and a bit of formula on work days) is his primary source of nutrition and I intend to keep it that way until 4 months (or whenever we are given the go ahead for veggies).  Seriously....I nurse him as much as possible...it's my excuse to hog him from the inlaws and dh! lol

I just wondered if it was normal for him to be hungry every 2 hours like he is. It just seems like this pattern has been going on for so long!  And I'm sure it's hunger (not pain from gas or anything) because he's contented or sleepy when he finishes each time and RARELY spits up.

Anywho....I am tired. And DH wants to go out to eat. I think I'd much rather stay home...oh well! :)

[Van73]

It is VERY normal for Breastfed babies to want to eat every 2-3 hours.  Sometimes they do it just to be close to you and use you as a pacifer.  I am sure there are some out there, but I have never heard of a breast fed baby going any longer than 3 hrs between feeding.
Good Luck!!!

[daprincess21]

Well my docter ok'd cereal for Kennedy at 2 months as well. And she has  recieved many awards for her services.  I heard someone say on a post one time, that if they dont have M.D. behind theire name than they are not the ones to be critizizing. Go with what your docter has to say and if its not working tell him/her. good Luck!

[rubyolivia]

Jen,
I just saw about Brody being weighed on the pumpkin scale! That is toooo funny! He is a little punkin though! :) lol

[Nicole624]

Evan is at 12lbs 7 ozs. and is 7 weeks! He was 9bs 4 ozs, though at birth. It seems he is eating so much more now too! He is eating every 2 hours, but is still at 4 ozs. I have tried to up the amount, but he wont finish it. I try his pacifier first. Since he doesnt usually cry, I look at is  he is moving his hands up and down on his stomach. Thats how I know he is hungry. Sounds normal to me!! Unless its not and Evan and Max are in on something together! lol

[ImmortalOne]

Jess,

Lilith eats every 2-5 hours, depending on what she is doing.  At night we'll get 4-8 hours of sleep and she only gets up once or twice in a night.  I haven't given her any cereal however, and my pediatrician doesn't want me to till she's 4-6 months (depending on her needs and how she handles me going back to work).  She did go through a period there from 6-8 weeks where she wanted to nurse every 2 hours though.  

I have to agree with Van, she will nurse just to nurse and be close.  Its called "Comfort nursing" its doing the same thing that a pacifier would but they use you.  I enjoy it at times, as long as I don't get bitten and she's latched right.  We do it a lot around here, its one of my favorite times of the day.  This might be what he's wanting to do.

[pertykitty]

my son too needed to use me as his pacifier.  poor guy would spit up all the extra milk, but it made him happy.  id think (and im not a professional) that if it was just needed more food the cereal would hold him over for a longer period than an hour.  i guess its one of those things you have to experiment with breast/pacifier to see if he just has an intense need to suck.  good to hear he is getting nice and big!!

[tatorbug40]

Jess,  When Taylor was born I tried the cereal in the bottle too---  it didn't really help her sleep at all better...  but she wasn't breat feed...  I pumped for 6 weeks, she never took to me no matter how much we tried,  so she got it from a bottle....  very difficult for me... BUT anyway...  I have read that it can make them over weight,  but Taylor is skinny as a bean pole,  just like I was when I was a little girl...  I am sure there might be some truth to the matter, but I don't see it with Taylor....  I think it is great that he is eating with a spoon at 8 weeks!!  I didn't try the spoon thing until she was 4 months old,  that is when she started jarred baby food...  then at about 8 months she was onto table foods (some of the graduates stuff and soups, etc...)  I gave her formula inbetween meals until she was a year old...  I would agree with some of all of the posters,  if you doctor said it was okay, he or she might know a little more then the rest of us on here--- no offense to anyone :))  so you can keep doing it if you feel like it is the right thing to do (like I said I did)...  but maybe like Peek said, don't increase the amount too much this early...  she said that is the tendancy for moms to do,  if it isn't working, try a little more...  I'd just keep doing what you do and he will start to fill up soon! I am going to try breatfeeding this one, and I am looking forward to it,  but kinda not,  because Taylor was bottle fed,  she ate every 4 hours by an early age (6, 10, 2 am & pm)....  and I have heard that Breastfed babies eat more often (and I am having a boy this time,  so he might be like Max--- really hungry all the time!!  :))...  so I am trying to prepair for more work with feeding this time...  but we'll see...  hang in there...  those first few months seem really really long...  I'll never forget that,  but just remember too,  there will be things that you miss about this time too......  my boss told me that and I thought, LIke What??!?!  ...   but looking back I miss how little and peaceful she could be,   she just fit on my belly so perfectly, and in the middle of the night it was so peaceful to sit there and feed her (now, I do like sleeping in the middle of the night better,  but....)...  you are doing a good job mom!  

[Trialanderror]

Just wanted to say that my son breastfed every two hours for about 4 months and then about every 2 and a half hours. Nighttime feedings did not stop until 12 months. It was not just for comfort - he was really hungry. Of course most books claim that only breastfed newborns feed every two hours for the first two weeks but they also claim that feeding on demand is the way to go - and that is what I did. As for the cereal, I absolutely second Andi`s and Peek`s comment but I know this is not what you were asking about. Good luck. Some growth and hunger spurts can last a long time..

[rubyolivia]

Thanks everyone! :)

I am not sure what's up with him! I'm pretty sure he's not comfort nursing (he does that in between his million feedings lol) He does eat the whole time, sounding like he's starved, and never spits any of it back up like I'd imagine he'd do if he was overfilled. This morning he's been eating every 1/2 hour to 1 1/2 so I'm thinking he's just going to cluster feed for a while????

[jenstam]

My son uses me as his pacifier as well. Especially at bedtime. He hates his real pacifier but occasionally he will use it especially if I'm not here. He does the non nutritive sucking. Brody will not get cereal until he is 6-7 months old. I guess that means he will be eating constantly by then! So be it (:

Jess, yes I wish we would have gotten a picture of that. It was a huge scale! Ben laid him on it for a quick second to weigh him and scooped him up real quick before anyone looked. Quite comical!

[Crritter]

I totally missed where you said you were giving him cereal, but its up to you.  I think you usuallu wait till their system is stronger, it can cause allergies...whatever.  We started about a week before 4 months with Cam, Dr. told us too.  He is a big boy too and up till then he was eating aobut every 2 to 3 hours as well.  I was so tired at work and coudn't understand why he was eating so often still.  He was taking 8 + oz., but I think the Nutramigen is so broken down it didn't fill as much.  Dr. told us it's a big growth spurt and to feed when he needs it.  Bigger babies eat more too, so you can't judge one baby against another on their eating habits.  You are so lucky he's sleeping through the ngiht, Cam did it for almost a week last week and that's it.  He will be 7 months old next week.  What he does do though is cluster feed, he eats a ton in the evening so he sleeps longer at night, if Max is going long stretches at night, he's making up for it in the day.  He sounds fine to me, but you can always ask the Dr.  Can't believe he's getting so big so fast!