My 6-week-old always seems hungry: Advice?

Okay, so, I have a six week old baby. These past couple of days, it seems like he is ALWAYS starving. Like, I will put him down to sleep, he will wake up in an hour crying… I’ll change him, hold him, and do everything I can to calm him down… nothing does until I put a bottle in his mouth! And he guzzles it right down! I don’t understand… I give him formula. I just don’t understand why these past few nights he’s been CONSTANTLY hungry. He usually eats 4-5oz every 3 hours! Now he’s eating 3-4oz every HOUR! I don’t get it?! Is this normal?! Does he have a growth spurt? I’m so confused, and I don’t want to overfeed him, but he literally will not calm down until I do… he threw up at one point last night too because he ate so much so fast, he threw up as he was eating… I’m at a loss; obviously I’m a first-time mother as well… please help and please don’t be rude! I genuinely have no idea what to do.

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Cluster feeding/growth spurt

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You cant over feed a baby. If he was breast fed he would be cluster feeding. Try a different bottle with a slower teat maybe or increase his formula amount. X

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My daughter went through a phase like that, it’s normal! :heart: You’re doing great mama!

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Just keep feeding.
Probably a growth spurt.

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Yup, growth spurt. My son ate 4 ounces every 2.5/3 hours at that age. Feed him as often as you need. No cereal at that age! They’re tummies may not be able to handle it.

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Let him eat. Don’t put cereal in his bottle. That’s outdated, and very dangerous.

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U can over feed and that will just make him miserable maybe try a different formula

Definitely normal definitely a growth spurt or wonder week there’s an amazing app called wonder weeks helps you track when your bubs going to roughly go through a growth spurt

Yes they say that you shouldn’t but every baby is different and I’d say that’s the earliest to “safely” do it.

Make sure the bottle doesn’t have an opening too big for the baby. Also burping after feeding will help with the throwing up.

Do NOT add cereal to his bottle! Just increase his formula amount. It’s most likely a growth spurt. Happened with all my girls.

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Maybe an extra little half a scoop of formula for extra filling calories? Thats what we had to do with my son just add a little bit more formula to the bottle for a more filling feed. With a bottle that small i would only add maybe a 1/4 of extra to start out

Growth spurt/cluster feeding. Don’t add anything to his formula, his stomach does not need that. Use a slow flow nipple and start pace feeding.

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My 5 month old eats 4-5 oz every 2 hours. That sounds like a lot of food for a 6 wk old. But I do remember my baby was constant hungry too a newborn.
Maybe try a slower nipple for the bottle? Extra slow flow I use Tommie Tippee 0+ extra slow. I burp every 2 oz of food.
:pray:t2: Call the pediatrician
I was told to feed on demand for my baby.
Do not listen to that person!
He is too young for cereal.

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Growth Spurt definitely normal.

Make sure he stays away during the feeding!

Let the babe eat
No cereals or added crap
Just milk
Maybe try a different formula that’s more filling etc
But don’t add anything

Normal…feed your baby when it’s hungry

Growth spurt. Feed him.

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Maybe When You Feed Him Try Feeding Him Upright Not Laying Down And Keep The Bottle Flat Not Tilted Downward So The Milk Isn’t Pouring Into His Mouth…

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Our parents and grandparents added cereal to our bottles and we still alive. I have 3 kids and by the time they were 6 weeks they had cereal in the bottle. Not rice I used barley or wheat

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Also watch how you hold him and the bottle, certain ways make the milk flow faster out of the bottle while baby is sucking

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My twins were this way also. I literally just fed them on demand. That’s really all you can do. If they’re hungry, they’re hungry. Also, maybe try a slower flow nipple? Or a different type of bottle even?

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Probably a growth spurt. Just feed him when he’s hungry. Do you use a pacifier at all?

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Yep, feed him. :slight_smile: If he’s vomiting while feeding, try burping after every 1.5/2 ounces fed, then feed the rest and burp again. Also, as others mention, make sure the hole in the nipple isn’t too large. He will get a lot of formula and that may be causing him to vomit too.

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Every spurt of growth is in 6. 6 weeks, 6 months, etc. Perfectly normal.

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Sounds like a growth spurt totally normal!

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Add a table spoon of gerber baby rice to the bottle

Use a boppy pillow to help baby sit up after feeding, or holding him in an upright position 20 min after bottle helps avoid spiting up

My almost 2 week old wont stay off the boob for more than an hour lately. Growth spurt and cluster feeding.

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He’s going through a growth spurt and sorry you can over feed a baby, if he’s puking he has too much on his belly! Add a little bit of baby cereal to his bottles and it will help! Do 4-5oz with cereal every 3-4 hours and get him used to that instead of doing it every hour or you will be feeding him constantly which will result in constipation and then that’s something else to deal with! Mine did the same thing for about a month then started getting back to a normal feeding habit! Good luck

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It’s likely a growth spurt. No need to add anything to his formula, just feed him when he’s hungry.

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Lil growth spurt. Happens about this time

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Add rice cereal to the milk, not much like a tsp per ounces or go up on his ounces

Cluster feeding. All babies do it. Breast and bottle fed. Could also be a growth spurt. But you aren’t going to over feed him. You are doing great Mama!!

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Do NOT add cereal to a bottle. Try giving him a paci or rocking him back to sleep.

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Maybe look into enfamil ar. It has a rice startch in it that thickens in the stomach might help the feeling of being fuller longer.

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As someone who got their degree in Early Childhood Education and family support I can say with complete confidence no cereal until 4 to 6 months at earliest. I just had my first child as well and at 6 weeks cluster feeding and growth spurt were in full affect! Totally normal. Usually 3-4 ounces every 3 hours is normal but I agree with finding a bottle with a slower flow…

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He’s hungry then. Feed him. Probably a growth spurt

Cluster feeding it is hard but babies go through it about 3 times I believe at least my daughter did

He may just be a baby that cries more. You definitely CAN overfeed a bottle fed baby, so be very careful. Their tummies are approximately the size of their fist. Very small. And formula is slower to digest than breast milk. Perhaps try pacifying, swaddling, cuddling, etc before feeding that many ounces that often.

Um feed her at this age they can ear like pigs that what our pediatrician said

Put some baby cereal in his formula just make the hole a little bigger in the nipple the formula isn’t enough for him my third child was put on this the day after he was born

Totally normal hu. Just feed baby. Sounds like a growth spurt both my boys did that I got through about 12 to 15 cans of formula a month because my boys ate so much lol

A baby will eat a much as you let them he probably has gas

Talk to your doctor :blush: dont add cereal or anything. As long as he’s not puking he’s good. Just burp him well and watch to make sure he’s not spitting up. Its very hard to over feed a baby.

Growth spurt and add 6 oz to the bottle. Don’t mix anything with it cereal are empty calories and increased iron that can constipate babies. They dont need fillers unless they have medical issues that require thicker formula

They have a growth spurt round about 6 weeks so will feel more hungry no harm in feeding abit more!

Do not put fucking cereal in a 6 week old’s bottle! Why are people even suggesting this shit? :woman_facepalming::woman_facepalming::woman_facepalming:

Try getting some baby rice cereal and putting a little bit in his milk and Dee if that won’t help.

Feed and burp. Sounds like a growth spurt. If he vomits after eating then perhaps he’s eating too much otherwise just feed baby.

Cereal is not going to hurt it will help feel him up!

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Don’t poke a hole in the bottle tho! It can eventually rip through & be a choking Hazzard, they make different size nipples for thicker liquids.

Try a pacifier right after he eats. That seems a lot for a 6week old…but then again, all babies are different. Sometimes, my little guy would still act hungry after a bottle but then, I’d give him a binky to keep him calm n let the food hit his belly. It worked! If he is puking, then he definitely is eating too much, not getting burped enough…or could be that the it’s too diluted. I personally use a scale to make sure he is getting the grams of formula per ozs it says on the can. I tried doing the unpacked, level scoops n it would always be short by at least a gram or so. I put an empty bottle on scale…tare it til it’s back to 0.00 n then add the amount of formula it says on can for every 2 oz. Have the feeding bottle filled to the right amount of oz u r giving him, then mix it. I do it so he isnt getting shorted on formula. It prob doesnt make a huge difference, but at least ik he isnt getting ripped off lol. Or instead of giving him feedings every hr, try increasing the amount again so he stays fuller for longer. Just like everyone else said, no need to add cereal. Also, make sure he is getting burped every couple oz. They will sometimes eat more if they feel gassy for some reason. Maybe t2your doc about acid reflux cuz that also will make a baby eat more. Hope it all works out for ya

He may have reflux, sounds exactly like my son and nephew. I would ask his doctor to check for it.

Please don’t listen to the people telling you to put cereal in his bottle! First of all, 6 weeks is WAY too young to start doing that anyways. Second, pediatricians don’t recommend doing that anymore. The main reason being that they can choke. All the older people I know kept telling me to put cereal in my 2 month olds bottle, i said no from the jump but I wanted to see what her pediatrician thought about it. At her next app he told us that that’s an old school thing & people only do that to get their babies to sleep longer which isn’t good. He said if we’re even thinking about doing it we need to wait until she’s atleast 6 months. As for your baby, it sounds like he’s cluster feeding. At about 6 weeks my daughter did the same thing it seemed like she never stopped eating lol. But it passed after a week or so & she was back on her regular schedule.

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Newborns and infants go through growth spurts like crazy! It won’t last forever. Just feed him when he seems hungry. Also look for other signs that it might not be hunger. At this age they kind of get out of the sleepy fresh baby phase. They still nap a lot throughout the day but it’s not a 24 hr constant thing. They may need more assistance getting to sleep and staying asleep. I had to get up a rock my baby constantly as an infant. Some babies have a harder time than others. Also if he has any acid reflux or gas that could be keeping him up and making him pretty upset. Try gas drops and gripe water to see if that helps.

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My lil boy is the same 9 weeks old today waking up every 2-3 hrs for a feed but hes been on hungry baby milk for a few weeks try tht instead x

He may be allergic to the formula you’re using. You may have to use either soy or hypoallergenic. Contact your doctor

Cluster feeding. He will slow down, eventually.
Trying giving him a little more at a time. Maybe that will help him stay asleep longer.

Try Cereal in the mornings… I had to with my son and then he was fine after

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I would talk to your pediatrician as well :slightly_smiling_face: we can only give advice on what we did and what worked with our babies. But every baby is SO different. My oldest was BIG and hungry all the time. We put a little bit of rice cereal in her bottle (im gonna get attacked for this)and she was a whole new baby. Happy and slept. My youngest wasn’t like that at all. She didn’t need as much and she never slept anyways lol. Every baby is so different so talk to you Dr. they won’t judge you and all new moms have questions.

My 2nd daughter at two months ate 9 oz within a hour and a half once… Sound like a growth spurt

Some babies are ready for solids as early as 3 months, but it’s not recommended; the earlier a baby gets started on solids, the more likely that she’ll be prone to food allergies later on. Rice cereal has no nutritional value for babies and is also known to cause your baby to choke. Stop telling people to add rice cereal to their bottles. I didn’t know we had so many pediatricians on here :rofl::rofl:

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With my second she was eating 6 oz every two hours by 8 weeks. If he’s eating too fast getting him a slower flow nipple.

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My son has been doing it on and off for months. He is now 5 months. I honestly would say growth spurt but if you are concerned definitely ask his pediatrician.

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Feed your baby what he wants to eat. He is over a month old so that is more than likely what your pediatrician will tell you. Slow down the flow with a 0 month nipple and let him eat till he’s happy

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What’s up baby cereal in the bottle and give it to him It isn’t going to hurt him give him some baby cereal in the bottle runny

Sounds like a growth spurt. Just gotta ride it out

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Thats a lot of ounces at 2 months! My baby is 4mo and can hardly finish a 4.5oz bottle

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Baby’s don’t just suck because they’re hungry, the sucking is comforting to them. Have you tried a pacifier?

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Geralyn Owens is right. It may be a comfort thing. I’d try a pacifier cuz I mean if he’s really hungry he’ll spit the paci out and keep crying.

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Becoming babywise on amazon for 11$. The book tells you how to make sure baby is getting a full feeding and helps you get them working towards a sleep schedule. At 6 weeks it’s completely normal for him to be feeding A LoT but you can work towards a schedule that is conducive for you to sleep too :blush:

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Cluster feeding and growth spurt. It’s normal. Just feed on demand.

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baby cereal or baby rice in the bottle will help fill him up. he’s probably not getting full off of milk alone. I gave my daughter’s just a bit of cereal in her bottles around that age. and both are fine. do what you think you should do, but sounds like your baby isn’t getting full on just milk. and i had my first daughter at 21 in dec 2104, and my 2nd in jan 2017.

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Babies won’t eat if they aren’t hungry. He’s growing and any time you have questions call your doctor, they’ll help better.

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Maybe he has gas and is sucking the bottles to calm him…

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Try adding a extra ounce every 3 hours so 6 oz

Growth spurt ! I breastfed but it sounds a lot like cluster feeding where the baby gets hungry and just eats and eats and that’s associated with growth spurts

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It’s called cluster feeding. The baby won’t eat if they aren’t hungry.

Get a slower flow nipple

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Sounds normal, our son ate a LOT as a baby and would go through cluster feeding times where he just seemed hungry all the time. Monitor the flow of the nipple, make sure you’re burping frequently. If he’s not throwing up then I wouldn’t worry. If he seems cranky/fussy make sure to have him checked out at your pediatricians. Our baby was cranky and fussy and we assumed it was colic or he was just hungry and it turned out he had a double ear infection. It’s so hard to tell, so eliminate medical stuff first. Also, I don’t know how your pediatrician is set up but we are able to message ours and she is always available for questions/concerns, so if you’re worried maybe try reaching out to your baby’s doctor.

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N if baby is hungry feed him.

Could he have a burp

Cluster feeding and growth spurt it could be. Pointers to spot the puking would be burp the child every 2 ounces they drink and also don’t lay baby down flat on back. Also baby won’t over it they will eat until they are satisfied. Baby’s also suck to soothe themselves so you can offer a pacifier.

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My daughter goes through this when she’s growing. She’s 9 months now. I thought I was always feeding her. She would eat and eat and eat. Then she would throw up because she ate so much. (No, the nipples weren’t flowing too fast) She just always wanted to eat. Lol it will pass. I agree with the moms who say cluster feed.

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Consult your ped first before you listen to fb.

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He’s growing!
I always fed my babies on demand, I breastfed 2 and bottles for the last 2 due to medical reasons.

I really agree with the comments on trying hard to burp first to make sure. My babies always fed super fast when they had gas but they were not necessary hungry. Try burping. Some babies have a really hard time burping and they drink to soothe which makes it worse.

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It’s Cluster feeding, which is normal. Just feed on demand.

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Its so hard not to feed him when thats what he wants.
Sometime a nipple that works slowly and not feed too fast helps…

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Growth spurt. Is he finishing off his bottles at feedings? Maybe he just needs a bigger serving. If my son polished off a 4oz bottle I would make 2 more at a time until he was finished, burping in between.

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Try oatmeal to fill him up more, the NICU started my baby off on oatmeal when he was in the NICU and I started putting baby food in his bottles at 3 months old

Do not give a 6 WEEK old food or additives in the formula. Holy hell is that bad advice. Their digestive tract is not ready for that and that will affect their digestive tract for life.

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My 3 month old JUST slowed down and stopped being hungry ALL the time. But he is a huge baby, he was 11 lb 3 oz at 39 weeks, and he’s wearing 6-9 month clothes… my pediatrician said he’s the boss and as long as we are burping him and he isn’t spitting up a lot, he’s kind of the boss, so feed him if he’s hungry. He’s growing.

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Most likely a growth spurt.
Just feed when baby is hungry.
At 6 months old I fed my daughter 6 OZ of formula every 2 hours or so for 2 days because of a growth spurt

Burp and feed him my 2 month old eats alot.

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It’s likely reflux. The milk soothes it, but ends up exasperating the issue

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After a 3-4oz bottle if hes up for more in an hour I’d only give him another ounce every hour if he wakes up till his next normal feeding would be, Just to calm him down enough to go back to sleep. Make sure your burping him. 6-8oz in 3-4 hours is gonna give him a tummy ache. He could be cluster feeding. But he also could have reflux and trying to use the formula to calm his tummy.
Call your doctors office and see if you can get an appointment to get him checked if he keeps throwing up.

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Growth spurt. I thunk I remember, 3 wks, 6 weeks babies grow a lot and eat more. Follow doctor’s instructions.