weaning

[xNatLauz]

Oh ladies.. :/

My lbis 12 weeks and he's very hungry. 2 hours between feeds and he's having 8oz of hungry baby formula. I try water between feeds, his dummy, try entertaining him but all he wants is more milk. I bought some baby rice and made it really milky and gave him some but my health visitor is so against this. Idk what to do :-(

Can I have some advice please?

[NicoleW09]

My daughter was 10lbs 2oz at two months and she's never been overweight. My son was a preemie and lost a pound in the nicu. He's seven weeks old and weighs 8lbs8oz, so he's on the small side as well.

You shouldn't continue the rice cereal if your dr advised against it. However, I definitely think you should be formula feeding him on demand if he continues to be hungry.

[KTowne]

My daughter isn't even a month old and already 10lbs..that's definitely in a lower percentile. You can't overfeed a baby, you should give him formula, not water, on demand as he's hungry unless he's "overweight" or in a higher percentile (even then my daughters ped. says to feed on demand as she's hungry). He will stop when he's full, if your doctor is giving you this much misinformation I would think of switching.

[babyboy111]

ya my gf rebecca had her son decemeber 4th hes just over 2 months and hes already 13 . 6 pounds....i think your baby is under weight...

[lisaerin86]

My son was 10.9 lbs at his 4 week check up and he was a 7lb baby at birth. I would maybe talk to ur dr again?

[MamacitaTP]

What's wrong with giving him more milk?

[RockRose]

No one said your baby was long,  I'm not sure where you're getting that.  

Your baby's weight is in the very lowest percentiles.

And it appears your doctor is not advising you to feed him as much as his appetite is demanding,  but rather,  put him off with a pacifier or water when he cries for food.

Or anyway,  that's how I'm understanding it because it's hard to tell what's going on - I'm not there.

I'm just saying,  since your child is small for his age,  it might be worth another consult to ask if you should feed him as much as he's demanding.

[vivi2013]

My kids at 3 months old were eating baby fruits  and breastfeeding !! They are the healthiest boys ever !!

[xNatLauz]

My baby isn't long, doctor is happy. Thanks for advice x

[RockRose]

oops,  "of babies",  not "if babies".

[RockRose]

No,  don't continue rice,  your health advisor said not to.  

When plugging in his weight and age into a baby growth chart,  he comes out between the 5th and 10th percentile - meaning,  that 90 - 95% if babies his age are bigger than he is.

[xNatLauz]

I'm quite concerned as to how some ladies think my boy is small? He was bang on the dot on his score chart at his recent check up. My health visitor advised 2oz of boiled water a day is absolutely fine. He doesn't suffer from reflux either, anyway my question is shall I continue the rice or not?

Thanks

[NicoleW09]

Reflux babies overeat to soothe their throats.  Have they checked him for that? He is small for a three month old, so i would just continue to give him formula if he's hungry. A baby his age should only receive breastmilk or formula. No water or baby food until six months. Rice cereal is usually given in bottles to thicken the feeds of a reflux baby, but it isn't much per ounce and its to keep the formula from coming back up.

[breee08]

Ya I didn't give my daughter water until alot later, theirs water in the formula. Even if it seems like he's drinking alot of formula he's too young to start cutting back on formula. I know its expensive but he needs more

[RockRose]

Hmm.  I'm kind of confused,  Nat.  It looks like your boy is below the 10th percentile for weight - is there some reason your doctor doesn't want him gaining weight?  It would seem a child so small would be given extra nutrition if he's asking for it.

Also,  I don't understand the advice to give your baby water when he's crying for milk.  I think if you search around on baby websites,  you won't find one that recommends giving bottles of water to a 3 month old.  It can over hydrate them very quickly,  causing drops in electrolytes that can be dangerous.  

I just don't understand some of the reasoning behind your doc's advice.  Can you call and speak to a nurse about this?

Best wishes -

[xNatLauz]

My doctor recommended water between feeds? He's 11lb x

[RockRose]

A baby 3 months old shouldn't be given water - nothing except breast milk or formula.  

Is he heavy?  He does seem like he's eating a lot,  but if he's not heavy he might be going through a growth spurt.