4 months - to wean or not to wean - can't go longer than 3 hours

[Crosby]

Basically this is the story - baby 4 months old, takes 5 bottles a day, sleeps from 8pm till 6am. He takes 6oz every 3 hours during the day but it's a constant battle to keep him going for 3 hours, after 2,5 he would start fussing. I tried 7 oz, he would finish those but again after 3 hours he would start fussing. My pediatrician (yes we are under ped at the mo) said at this age babies should go 4 hours between feeds, then I can increase to 7-8 oz. And said he defo isn't ready for real food yet coz he needs his milk bla blah.

What should I do? Keep him on 5 x 6oz bottles a day which works out every 3 hours (30 oz a day) or try and switch to 4 bottles at 7-8 oz? What do they do at this age?

 

[Bevziibubble]

I would just give more milk more often for now

 

[ClairAye]

I'd offer more milk. My son was still taking six 9oz bottles every three hours then and I weaned him and honestly it made zero difference to his milk intake and I'd rather have just kept giving him milk.

 

[eegor]

One of mine fed every 3hrs for 14 months. It was just his own unique feeding pattern.

 

[noon_child]

My pediatrician (yes we are under ped at the mo) said at this age babies should go 4 hours between feeds"

Obviously your doctor knows your individual circumstances but here in the UK that would be considered really old fashioned advice. Young babies ask us for what they need, when they need it. When we respond to them and meet their needs they learn to trust us, feel the world is predictable and safe. There is even evidence to suggest that when their brains grow while they are calm and content, rather than under stress, it makes them cope better with stress later in life.

Yes you could risk over feeding a child by offering bottles at every whimper and moan, rather than discovering whether he's bored, over stimulated, cold, hot, scared, stressed etc. but if you know it is definitely hunger and your baby likes smaller bottles more often then following his cues is surely much better than overfeeding him on big bottles less often (possibly leading to tummy pain). Yes, I've seen under stimulated babies cry out for attention just to be given propped bottles instead of interaction, and of course they drink them because it's the only sensory input they are getting. However if you also ensure you are paying attention to him during feeds, allowing him to tell you if he is hungry or actually would prefer to interact with you, able to stop drinking when he wants etc. then I don't think you need to worry about over feeding.

Food doesn't usually help with hunger as a baby can't digest much, so they might temporarily feel better but it wont help them grow. You'd be better offering more milk.

 

[Crosby]

I am in the UK, so this is the UK doctors advice to stretch to 4 hours
In the weekend we went every 3 hours and one stretch was 4 hours after a 7 oz bottle (at lunch time, after which he had a really nice long nap), will try to stick to this schedule. It is still a battle to go through 3 hours, like i mentioned above after 2,5 hours he wants his bottle, so I am having to go all out and entertain for 30 minutes, which isnt fun I can definitely tell he is hungry (not bored or stressed)
offering small bottles isnt an option, less than 6oz isnt enough for him

 

[krissie328]

My daughter is 9 months and still takes 6 oz of milk every 3 hours. My son only took 4 ounces every 3 hours until he was over a year old. Each child is individual I would just keep doing what you doing.

 

[noon_child]

Can you ask your paediatrician why he feels that feeding more often than every 4hrs is a problem. Does he realise your child is miserable because he's hungry and this makes you miserable too - does he think your child ISNT hungry? I'm surprised at this advice but maybe there are circumstances I'm unaware of that he's taking in to consideration.

 

[noon_child]

This from Unicef/Start for Life/NHS leaflet:

"most [babies] will require approximately 150 to 200 millilitres (ml) per kg of the baby’s weight per day, until they are six months old. For example, a baby aged four months, weighing 6 kg would need approximately 900–1200ml of infant formula per day. This amount will vary from baby to baby. As solid food is introduced from around six months of age, your baby will gradually drink less infant formula.

Although most babies gradually settle into a feeding pattern, they vary in how often they want to feed and how much they want to drink.

Feed your baby when they show signs that they are hungry. Babies tend to feed little and often, so they may not nish their bottle. However, a big feed does not mean that your baby will go longer between feeds."
https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfrien...08/02/start4life_guide_to_bottle_-feeding.pdf

 

[mel28nicole]

My twins are 3 months and started sleeping through the night (8pm-7am) around 12 weeks. They easily ate every 4 hours (at night they went 6 or 7 hours before doing a night feed). When they stopped the night feed, they now want to eat every 2.5-3 hours during the day. I tried offering 7oz (they are eating 6oz) and they either don't finish or spit it up. I figure they are making up for missing a feed in the middle of the night.

 

[Leisha88]

Hey my little one is 3 months and she takes 9oz every 2-3 hours right now apparently it’s safe to give a baby as much milk as they want? I’m worried about mine as I don’t know if 9oz at 3 months is normal but try giving him a few extra oz. good luck with it all x