Formula question

My b/g twins are 4 weeks old today, and they are eating 4 ounces approximately every 3 hours. Lately I've noticed that they are starving around 2.5 hours later and I feel like I'm constantly giving the food. Although we have spit-up issues like most everyone, they seem to keep most of it down. My boy twin eats like crazy, to the point where sometimes he takes 6 ounces at some feedings.

I think I'm going to up their bottles to 5 ounces to see if they can make it 3-4 hours because I'm going crazy. However, all the charts say my twins are really overeating. Did anyone else have such ravenous little ones? At their check up on 12/31 (2 weeks old) they were 7 lbs. 3 ounces and 7 lbs 8 ounces (they were born at 6 lbs 8 ounces and 6 lbs 2 ounces -- yes the boy is the latter set of numbers and he has gained a significant amount of weight)...
AM I OVERFEEDING THEM?


Also, I have a "poop" question: Both twins seem to poop more like breastfed babies -- they go very loose almost every time they are fed. It's almost explosive!!! I was worried but the doctor doesn't seem concerned since they are gaining and when I described it to him he said it was fine.
SHOULD MY KIDS POOP SO FREQUENTLY AND SO LOOSE?

Any advice from experienced twin moms would be helpful!!!

 

I am sorry, I have no experience with this. At that age mine were drinking about 2-4 ounces every 3 hours (born at 33 wks 4 days) but my best friends baby was wanting to eat about every 2-3 hours and 6 ounces at a time. At 6 weeks her pedi recommened added a little cereal to his bottle to help him feel full. Perhaps you can ask your pedi?

 

I would ask the Pedi also or if you are fortunate enough to qualify for WIC you could call your local office and talk with the nutritionist. Either can advise you on the benefits or harm that adding cereal can bring for your 4 week olds or advise you on a schedule of more frequent feedings or higher oz feedings.

 

You aren't over feeding them. Babies aren't programmed to over eat. For my boys, Nathaniel who is the bigger one is eating 5.5-6 oz every 3-4 hrs, has been since he was 4 weeks old, he is now 5 weeks. His brother William, is eating 4.5-5 oz every 3-4hrs as well. Nathaniel is 8lbs 15oz and William is 7lbs 0.5oz. Up their oz and see how they do. My first son was eating 8oz by the time he was 6 wks old. They are doing great.

 

Mine were breastfed half the time and on formula half the time (we split it up each feeding). They ate four ounces (Any more made their spit-up worse)or nursed every two hours until they were almost six monthe old. I know that probably isn't what you want to hear right now. If it make you feel any better, I don't think this is the norm and I admit I have spoiled my twinkies rotten. At that age we just couldn't get them to last three hours. Even now it's hard to go four hours without crankiness.

 

It's true that "every baby is different." My babies are 7 weeks old and my son was hungry, as if on cue, every 2.5 hours as well and is drinking 4 ounces! He is finally going 3 hours between some feedings and even one 4 hour stretch. My daughter can barely drink 3 ounces yet she would usu eat every 3.5 hours. They are both gaining weight at about the same rate, although he weighs almost a pound more. I agree the feedings can make you crazy! If you've ever seen Ground Hog Day, that's what it reminds me of! Anyhow, i wouldn't rush to the rice cereal, give them a bit more time! Hang in there!

 

They only way you can overfeed your baby is if you are forcing them to eat more when they are showing signs they are full.

If they are finishing the bottle willingly, and on their own, than they are hungry and want that amt. I would try upping them to 5oz bottles and see how they do. If they come close to finishing it most of the time, then great! And if they consistently leave that extra oz, I would take it back out, no sense wasting expensive formula!

Every baby is very different, even though there is a basic guideline for what they will eat, that doesn't mean every baby will fall into that guideline.

As long as they are gaining weight fine, and following THEIR curve, I wouldn't worry. You can always call your ped for a weight check to make sure they are still on their curve and not gaining too much weight.

There's also a growth spurt around 6 wks, so they may be heading into that growth spurt and be eating more, and then slow down again afterwards.

As for poop....once again...soooo many variations! Some babies poop several times a day, some once a day, some every every several days. Some have runny poo, some thicker like paste, and some have more like rabbit poo.

If your are consistently runny...then that's probably what's "normal" for them, it's when it changes (goes from runny to hard, or from runny to diarrhea ~ super thin) that's when you start to wonder if something is wrong.

Both my twins went from being breastfed to formula fed at 6 wks. Their poop didn't change for several weeks, until it went from breastfed poop to a less yellow/little thicker. As babies grow in the first several weeks their digestion system matures, which will change how they digest what they eat. Expect their poop to continue to change the older they get, and the more diverse their food intake becomes!

And now that I've written a small novel, I'll say "Don't worry, I'm sure they are fine!" :wub:

 

Oh and for the record, none of my kids has gone longer than 2.5 to 3 hrs between feeds, whether breastfeeding or formula!

 

I don't think our twins were able to take 4 oz until they were about 4 months old, but they are preemies so they had an adjusted age of about 2 months then. But in any case, it was very common for them to start screaming to be fed after only 2.5 hours. Heck, to this day they sometimes can barely make it 3 hours before getting fussy and they take 6 oz now (though sometimes they can go 3.5 hours especially if they've had a little cereal). I'm always amazed when I read about other moms here who say their babies go 4 hours, or even 5 hours (!). Our boys have always wanted to be fed around 3 hours, often times sooner than that. So I agree with PPs and would recommend trying them out on 5 oz and see how they do. Good luck!

 

Thanks everyone!

I started them on 5 oz. last night, and although my little girl was fussy for about two hours after her 8 p.m. 5 oz. feeding -- she's the fussier one anyway -- they both did last 4 hours overnight before eating again, and each had very little, if any, spit-up. This morning, they ate at 5:30 and 6 a.m., and it's now 9:15 and they are still sleeping. I'm hoping that extra ounce satisfies them...

I was so confused that they always wanted to eat at 2.5-3 hours a lot of the time... My DD (who is now 7) was at 4 hours like clockwork. I know each baby is different, but it seems like they are always hungry!

 

I am so glad it seems to be working for you. I am also in the camp that you cant overfeed your babies. If they want more, I would give it to them.

 

I agree with what Danielle wrote.

My B/G twins were eating about 4oz when they were 4 weeks old and they´d eat every 3-4 hours. DD went through a growth spurt around 5 weeks and she sometimes took 5oz so they may just need it. I say if they´re hungry, feed them! In your shoes, I´d offer an extra ounce, i.e. 5oz, at each feed and see what heppens - they may take it sometimes but not always.

As for the pooping, dont worry. Mine were pooping left, right and centre every day!! It will settle down