Why Does My 7 Week Old Baby Want to Constantly Eat

We all appreciate that immature babies take tiny tummies and are growing at a rate that is faster than any other fourth dimension in their lives. Hence, they need to eat often. However, when parents express concern virtually their 'hungry baby' this refers to a babe that appears to exist excessively hungry, who demands feeds more often than expected, or is eating well above the recommended volume of milk for a babe of his age and size.

The 'hungry baby' phenomenon where babies act like they have an clamorous ambition is specially common in babies younger than three months of age.

The showtime step toward finding a solution that will satisfy your baby is to distinguish between the reasons for genuine hunger and the advent of hunger. In this article, I explain what causes good for you babies to act like they're excessively hungry and what you can do to promote your baby's contentment.

18-carat hunger

In that location are several reasons why babies might be genuinely hungry and need to feed sooner or require more milk than you expect. These include:

1. Normal behavior

2. Cluster feeding

three. Growth spurt

4. Catch-up growth

v. Poor latch

6. Low breastmilk supply

seven. Diluted baby formula

8. Farthermost vomiting or diarrhea

one. Normal behavior

If you're a commencement-fourth dimension parent, it may be that you are unfamiliar with the huge range of 'normal' babe feeding patterns and behaviors. The kickoff step is to clarify your expectations about your baby's feeding with his healthcare professional.

If it's confirmed that he's feeding more often or consuming greater volumes than expected for a baby of his age and weight, consider if whatsoever of the multiple reasons for the appearance of hunger, described afterwards in this article, apply.

two. Cluster feeding

'Cluster feeding', which is a pattern of frequent nursing in the afternoons and evenings, is an example of normal feeding behavior for breastfed babies. A breastfed baby could demand feeds every ane to two hourly when cluster feeding.

iii. Growth spurt

How chop-chop a babe is growing will influence his ambition. Babies' growth occurs in a step-wise pattern. Growth spurts (a period of accelerated growth) are separated by growth plateaus (a period of stagnant growth). During a growth spurt, your baby may appear to be hungrier than usual. If breastfeeding, he may demand nursing more often. If bottle-feeding, he might drain the bottle and desire a little more than.

On the flip side, during a growth plateau, your infant's appetite will reduce and his milk volumes decrease. He might too go longer periods of time betwixt nursing or feeding sessions.

4. Catch-upwards growth

Catch-up growth is a period of accelerated, compensatory growth (faster than typical for historic period) which occurs after the removal or resolution of a problem that previously caused under-nutrition or growth filibuster.

5. Poor latch

If a breastfed baby is unable to feed to satisfaction every bit a outcome of a poor latch, he volition demand frequent nursing.

six. Low milk supply

If a breastfeeding mother has a depression milk supply, her baby may demand to feed more than oft. (Run across our commodity on How to tell when infant is getting plenty breastmilk.)

seven. Diluted formula

If a infant'south infant formula is accidentally diluted, perhaps due to using the wrong scoop or not accurately following the manufacturer'due south instructions, this would decrease the calories he would receive, and he would want to feed more than oftentimes.

8. Extreme vomiting or diarrhea

If your baby vomits often and hence loses much of the milk he receives while feeding, he may need to feed more often. Nonetheless, information technology's of import to take care to avoid overfeeding because it's one of the about common reasons for salubrious babies to vomit.

Similarly, if he has frequent watery bowel motions every bit a result of a digestive disorder, for case milk protein allergy or intolerance, he may be losing nutrients and calories due to poor digestion, and hence demand more frequent feeding.

Rule out the possibility of a feeding management problem such equally lactose overload before assuming the cause is due to milk protein allergy or intolerance, equally this is 1 of the most common reasons for healthy, thriving babies to have frequent, watery stools, extreme gas, and abdominal discomfort.

Needless to say, if your babe appears unwell or is not gaining sufficient weight, consult with his healthcare professional.

Surprisingly, it's typically babies who have no problems putting on weight that are the well-nigh difficult to satisfy. If this is the example, it may be that one of the following reasons is mistaken as hunger.

Why babies Announced hungry

Baby behavioral cues are not easy to read, especially earlier 3 months of age. There are many reasons why parents might think their baby is hungry when he is not. These include:

i. Misinterpreting behavior cues

ii. Frequent feeding patterns

3. Underlying sleeping problem

4. Abdominal discomfort linked to overfeeding

While it's possible for there to be only one cause, generally in that location is a combination of the reasons listed beneath.

1. Misinterpreting behavioral cues

Hunger is one of the outset things we suspect when a babe fusses, cries, or looks like he wants to suck. Yet, hunger is only one of many different reasons for babies to brandish these behaviors. Other reasons include:

Baby reflexes

Babe reflexes such as rooting and paw-to-mouth are often assumed to be signs of hunger. Sucking and swallowing reflexes are often mistaken equally confirmation that a baby is genuinely hungry. However, these reflexes can be triggered irrespective of whether a baby is hungry or not.

Sucking urge

Immature babies have a strong urge to suck. They often want to suck when tired, overstimulated, bored, uncomfortable,or for pleasance. Consequently, a infant'due south desire to suck is not proof that he is hungry.

Tiredness cues Babies display signs of tiredness differently than we expect. Tired signs displayed past young babies include clenched fists, waving arm and leg movements, facial grimaces, fussing and grumbling then crying. Infant tiredness cues are often overlooked or misinterpreted as hunger, boredom, or pain.

Thirst

A thirsty babe may give the impression of hunger. One time a babe starts to eat solid foods, it'southward recommended that he be offered small volumes of h2o during the solar day in addition to his usual milk feeds.

2. Frequent feeding patterns

Babies can develop a pattern of frequent feeding - often referred to as snack-feeding or grazing - where they have small volumes of breastmilk or infant formula at each feed. As a issue, they demand feeds more often.

Snack-feeding is easily identifiable when a bottle-fed baby consumes small volumes. However, it'south not as readily recognizable when a baby is breastfed. Many breastfeeding mothers mistakenly arraign low milk supply when their baby wants to nurse every hour or two.

3. Speed-feeding

Babies have an young nervous system. It takes time for their encephalon to annals that their stomach is total. Speed-feeding ways a baby consumes the milk also quickly. Speed-feeding can outcome in newborn babies overfeeding before they recognize they have had enough. (Come across How long to feed for ideal feeding elapsing for age.)

4. Underlying sleeping problem

An unresolved sleeping trouble is a major reason for infant feeding problems including the appearance of hunger, fussy feeding beliefs, overfeeding, and underfeeding. A sleep association problem is the most mutual of all reasons for good for you babies to experience sleeping problems such every bit brief naps, frequent night awakenings and irritability due to slumber impecuniousness.

Without understanding the effects of slumber associations on their babe's power to autumn asleep and remain comatose, many parents mistakenly assume the cause is hunger.

While at that place are many different props, activities, or atmospheric condition that individual babies could learn to associate with the act of falling comatose, feeding to slumber is peculiarly common during the newborn period.

A feeding-slumber association, which means a infant has learned to link feeding with the human activity of falling asleep, is fifty-fifty more likely to cause a baby to requite the advent of hunger.

Once a feeding-sleep association is established (which tin occur in babies as immature every bit 2 weeks of age) the baby will human action like he wants to feed whenever he wants to sleep because he's learned that "This is the way I become to sleep".

three. Abdominal discomfort linked to overfeeding

One or a combination of the reasons for the appearance of hunger described above, e.g., misinterpreting behavioral cues, a feeding-sleep clan, and speed-feeding in combination with an agile sucking reflex will increase the risk of overfeeding in newborns.

The symptoms of overfeeding tin can include spitting up, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort.

What practice babies like to do when uncomfortable? They like to suck! If a baby'due south desire to suck for comfort is mistaken as hunger, he will be offered another feed, perpetuating the overfeeding bike.

What you can do for an insatiably hungry baby

one. Resolve any feeding problem: This includes feeding position, latch, catamenia rate, supply problems, and bottle-feeding equipment.

2. Resolve any sleeping problem: Better sleep = better feeding, and the combination adds upwardly to a content baby.

3. Don't assume he'south hungry: If your baby appears hungry sooner than expected, consider the possibility of other causes like tiredness, discomfort, or desire to suck, before assuming the cause is hunger.

4. Satisfy your baby'southward sucking needs: Provide a pacifier, or your finger to suck on. He will let you know if he's non satisfied to suck without receiving milk.

Completing the above steps will become a long way towards helping you to gain more confidence in understanding your infant'due south needs and accurately interpreting his behavioral cues.

How Baby Intendance Communication can help

Nosotros capeesh that unless you have extensive feel in child evolution and the effect of different infant feeding and settling practices on a baby'south behavior, it tin be hard to know how and where to start to resolve a infant care problem. There are two ways in which we can assist you proceeds a greater understand of your baby's needs and your function every bit your infant'south parent and caregiver.

ane. Rowena Bennett's parenting books

two. Babe Care Communication consultation

3. Rowena'southward Online Bottle-Feeding Aversion Program

1. Rowena Bennett's parenting books

'Your Sleepless Baby'

Skilful quality slumber non only promotes babies' contentment it will reduce the risk of feeding issues. Data contained in my book, 'Your Sleepless Babe', is designed to help parents to understand their babe's sleep needs, how their actions influence their babe'south slumber, and means in which parents can improve the quality of their baby's slumber.

2. Baby Care Communication Consultations

Baby Intendance Advice consultants have extensive experience in providing parenting teaching and assisting parents to resolve feeding and sleeping issues that affect salubrious babies. A Baby Care Advice consultation will assist you to explore all possible reasons for your salubrious baby'south discontentment. The information, guidance, and advice you receive will assistance yous to proceeds greater confidence in your ability to accurately interpret your babe's behavioral cues and provide for his needs. (For more on our consultation service).

3. Rowena'due south Online Bottle-Feeding Disfavor Plan

Past Rowena Bennett, RN, RM, CHN, MHN, IBCLC.

Written Revised Aug 2021

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Source: https://www.babycareadvice.com/blogs/bottle-feeding/hungry-baby