How do I prevent my baby from snacking all the time?

Question

I have a 6 weeks baby and she only drinks small amounts at a time (30ml) then feels hungry after half an hour and wants more. This is not so bad during the day, but a pain at night. She is healthy and putting on weight so in definantly getting enough. People have suggested to give her cooled water or play with her but she will not take it and cries because she is hungry. Has anyone else experienced this? A tired mummy!

Answer 1

Your baby is still very young! Please do not listen to these people telling you not to feed her or to let her cry. Babies this young should be fed 'on cue' meaning when they are hungry. And they should not be fed water...it does not have the right electrolyte balance and too much can make them sick. Please check with your doctor if there is another reason she is crying often such as reflux, a milk allergy, or an ear infection.
Most of all, hang in there...I know you are tired but it will get better and it will not last forever.

Answer 2

If you are nursing the baby, you might not be providing enough nutrients. I knew a woman who was nursing and dieting at the same time and the baby was ever so hungry. Check with your pediatrician to see if you can give her a bit of cereal with formula because that would keep her full for a while longer. You can put it right into the bottle (make sure it is a small amount) and use a cross-cut nipple. I did this and it worked very well.

If you are using formula, maybe you need to change to another brand. I hope you find a solution soon, because both of you are suffering.

Answer 3

at 6 weeks your baby isn't snacking... she is just asking for something she needs.
i would suggest trying her on a bottle so suppliment her diet. what someone said earlier about lack of nutrition is right. i know several cases where mothers were tired and stressed, so wheren't producing good milk.
so give yourself a break. get out the formula for some of the feeds... give your body and your self a break, express the milk (alternate breast every 4 hrs) to get your body working for a regular demand, feed yourself properly and use full fat milk (i drank a litre a day when breast feeding), and ease back into breast feeding your baby when you a feeling less stressed, and she is more satisfied.
if there is a lactation specialist in your area, i would highly recommend that you talk to them about it.
honestly... hang in there... it will work out, and it does get alot easier after the 3mth feeding binge.
oh! yes, the feeding binge.... your baby will demand more at the 6 weeks stage for several days, and the next stage is 3 mths... after that it is plain sailing!
good luck... you are being a good mum! so don't let judgemental people make you feel bad.

Answer 4

Maybe let her cry for about 1/2 hour. Then she will be hungrier and eat more and that will keep her full a little longer. Eventually it should stretch out her feedings. Good Luck. My youngest is 8 mths. She still only takes 6oz bottles.

You could also try putting a small amount of cereal in her bottle to help but make sure it's not too thick to come out of the nipple

Answer 5

My baby is 8 weeks and did the exact same thing. I was nursing and have moved to bottle. He gets half formula half breast milk now. He can only go 3 hr maximum now and drinks about 5 ounces each feeding. At least it isn't every half hour. He is much happier and sleeps 7 hr at night now!

Answer 6

Your baby should be on about 5mls now. Every four hours. All I can suggest is change her milk up to the hungrier baby one and see if that helps. If you are on SMA the one you need is SMA White. I hope you can get some rest soon. You need to get her into a routine. To help her sleep go for a walk for about an hour and really really try to not feed her before 3 and half hours are up. you will soon notice the difference. Good luck

Answer 7

Your baby is six weeks old. FEED HER ON DEMAND. She is asking for what her body NEEDS....and most moms of 6 weeks old goes through this.

You are going to get some hillbilly advice about cereal in the bottle and all of that.....DO NOT DO IT....NO SOLIDS FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS ACCORDING TO THE APA (American Association for Pediatrics)

She is probably in a growth spurt. If your nursing she may be increasing your production. Feed her and go back to sleep.

Get someone to help you in the day so you can sleep, or have a friend come over to help you at night. If you a nursing, you may be able to pump so you can get some rest. Be sure you use a bottle for nursing babies (avent are best) so she doesn't get dependant on the bottle.

If you are bottle feeding, have someone help you!

Answer 8

Is she being breast fed or bottle fed you don't say?
If its bottle try a different strength of baby milk - eg: SMA gold is weaker than SMA White etc. She may be thirsty. Or just want physical contact with you - sometimes they just want you around rather than being fed - hate to suggest it but does she suck her thumb or have a dummy?

If its breast then she may not be feeding long enough to get the nutrious milk so she is hungry.

Answer 9

She is not "snacking" all the time..she is getting the nutrition her body is demanding of her to grow properly. Don't expect her to follow the same eating patterns as you !..Babies have tiny tummy's, they can't hold alot of food.This may sound harsh, but it is not about you anymore, you have to adjust to her needs. Sleep when she sleeps..forget the cleaning or whatever..get naps in,. If you refuse her food when she is hungry, you are starving her. Why do that to meet your needs???..Babies are not like us, if we see something yummy..we have to have a taste..whether we are hungry or not..babies only eat when their body is requiring nutrition.
You might want to check out some books for refrence for yourself.

Answer 10

You are asking the wrong people about this, you should be asking a doctor! Sometimes babies only can hold so much at a time in their stomachs!Maybe the baby has a lot of gas and needs to be burped?Gas can fill a stomach!