Feeding FAQ: 3-4 months – Other

Is my baby of almost 17 weeks hungry?

My baby is nearly 17 weeks old today, and I was adamant that I was going to wait as long as possible before starting solid food. She is taking four 9oz bottles of formula a day with a smaller feed of 5/6oz at 11pm, amounting to a total of 40oz a day. She sleeps through from her last feed until 7.30am every morning. But she is no longer sleeping well at her lunch time nap, and when I go in to try and settle her back, she is stuffing her fists in her mouth. I don’t know whether this is hunger or just frustration at not being able to get back to sleep.
She is fairly content most of her awake time but is stuffing her fists in her mouth the whole time, so much so that she actually cut herself with gnawing them so much. I have ended up giving her the dummy more than I would like to. Also in the evening she goes crazy until she gets her bedtime bottle. I can’t do a split feed in the evening as I have a 16 month old daughter, and I just don’t have the time to give her tea, and feed the baby.
I am so confused about whether she is ready to be weaned or not, she is a big girl and I am already dressing her in 6-months+ plus clothes, and she is only 4-months-old.

As your baby has always been such a contented little baby we are fairly sure that she is showing signs of being hungry. As you are aware, The World Health Organization now recommends that babies are not weaned onto solids until six months. However, other experts recognize that all babies are different and some babies may need weaning before the age of six months. Please refer to http://www.contentedbaby.com/members-only/GR-Weaning.php for guidelines on weaning.

Your baby is a good size for her age and she certainly shows all the signs of needing to be weaned. If you decide to wean her now, it is important that milk is still the most important form of nutrition, and you should introduce solids very slowly. The guidelines in the CLB book of weaning will explain how to do this.
If you choose to wait a little longer before introducing solids, you should try to introduce some extra milk during the day. This could be done by giving her a split feed at 10.30am and 11.30am. We know how difficult the 5pm to 7pm slot with two such young children can be, but perhaps you could introduce a split feed at 4.45pm and 6.15pm. By giving her these split feeds twice a day you will increase her milk intake, and satisfy what most certainly appears to be an increase in her appetite. If in any doubt, keep a record of her milk intake for several days and show it to your health visitor so she can help you decide whether your baby is ready for weaning or not.