Sorry if this is a stupid question but Zac is almost 9 weeks old and has just gone onto to having formula all of the time (i was excl bf'ing for 5 weeks then gave bit of both and have gradually weaned him off of me - I alone just couldn't fill him up!)... I was just wondering how you know whether they would benefit from hungry baby milk and how is it different? Will it meanhe gains more weight?

This is what he currently has (more often than not) a day...

7am - 6oz
10am - 5 - 6oz
1pm - 6oz
4pm - 5 oz
7pm - 6oz
Night feed - between 2.30am - 3.30am - 4 - 6oz

On the C&G packet it says a 2 month old baby weighing approx 11lbs (which is pretty much Zac to a T) should have five 6oz feeds a day... does it matter that he is having more than this and is this a sign he would benefit from hungry baby milk... I'm happy with his routine just concerned he is having more than the guidelines... (I will be happier when the night feed gets dropped but its only once so I can handle it for now)....

He's not particulary big for his age (on 9th centile) but growing well each week.

Also could he benefit from goodnight milk??? would this stop the night feed??

Sorry to ramble and I know I could probably ask my HV this but I want a real answer not some text book reposnse if you know what I mean!!!

Thanks in advance...

Amy & Zac

Hi hun, feeding every 3 hours is normal so I don't think he needs hungry baby milk just yet. Also, hungry baby milk won't mean that he drinks less milk, it will just stretch out the time between feeds a bit - so he might want 6-7oz every 4 hours instead of 5oz every 3.

I would totally ignore the formula cartons. I use Cow &gate too and Gabe has always been over the amount. He started having 6oz at 4 weeks old. He isnt overweight, he is big but he has followed the 91st centile since birth xxxx

Hi i have a 6month old girl Grace i put her on hungry milk when she was 11wks but i did this because she went from sleeping all night to waking for 2 bottles so this told me she was getting hungrier i would leave it for another week or 2 and see what happens.If you do put him on it it doesnt mean he'll put more weight on because its just slightly thicker and you'll prob find after a couple of days he will spread his feeda out to 4hourly instead of 3 which means he will drop a feed.As for goodnight milk thats from 6 months the ive been told not to bother with it because its bulked out really thick with what is basically crushed rusks to help baby sleep longer.

Hi honey,

Zac sounds like he's doing great to me!

My advice would be to keep him on his stage one forumla for as long as you can. The hungry baby milk is meant to dealy weaning so from around 14-15 weeks. There are people who put their babies on it from just a few weeks which is crazy to me but each to their own!
I think they think it's a quick fix to getting them sleeping through the night but it's not.

At 9 weeks his tummy can't hold enough milk to make him go longer between feeds. I think that at 5-6oz bottles he is doing great, and you are doing a brilliant job!!

Obviously do what you feel is best, but I would move him onto hungry baby milk when he's taking 7-8oz at each feed and see if he will then go slightly longer.

The hungry baby milk has all the same goodness but it has ingredients which purely bulk it up. No extra calories, they just make it harder for babies to digest it, which is why it seems to fill them up, and why babies shouldn't be put onto it too young.

But at the end of the day, a mothers insticts are best so do whatever you feel is best for little Zac!

The goodnight milks are a follow on and for babies over 6 months.
They have alot more vitamins and iron in than normal milk and would make him very poorly if he had that now.

Good luck, and well done, you're doing great!

Amy xx

Hiya to give you a different perspective my eldest went on it at 6 weeks and my youngest from one week. Neither seemed satisfied with stage one, it had nothing to do with getting them to sleep through. Both were fine and thrived on it. I used Cow and Gate hungry baby which is suitable from birth so there is no reason to wait until a certain stage although hv will tell you anything to be difficult. Perhaps other brands are not suitable til older i dont know but you are the one who knows what is best for your child not hvs or other mums, only you know. And you could always try hungry baby milk and switch back if your not happy or if it makes no difference. And as for being crazy from using it from early,both my boys have always been happy content, slept through from 6 weeks and 10 weeks respectivelyand never had any tummy problems or colic etc, but if thats crazy then i guess i must be mad lol x p.s just messing btw i know every1 has a differnt opinion but its just to show that what seems crazy for one works really well for someone else x

I agree with emmalou,

my 2 children now 8 and 6 went on hungry baby from 5 or 6 sisx weeks. They were on stage 1 c&g, but they went from going every 3-4 hours between feeds to feeding every 1.5-2 hours, it just wasnt filling them.

Now with Tamzin who was 5 weeks on Saturday, she was bf for first 3 weeks then on c&g hungry baby. She is really settled, apart for a little bit of colic.

If you think he would be better on it, then there is no harm in trying.

Kerry xxx