arrrg...little and often!

[Annaspanna]

Hi Ladies,
My LO was switched to 100% FF about two weeks ago, now for the past week she's been wanting feeds little and often, for example today:

2oz at 0930
2oz at 10.15
2oz at 12.30
3oz at 13.30
2oz at 14.15

I wonder if it's growth spurt behaviour as she's 7 weeks old today?? Does anyone else's LO's do this? I wonder whether she'll grow out of it and start to take more at each feed and go longer in between or whether I should try make her wait a bit more between feeds!? I'm dreading going out and about as she'll want feeding all the time, and its so difficult to know how much to put in her bottles too...im wasting so much formula!! Any advise would be great.
Anna xx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Are you sure she's definitely hungry when you're feeding her? It sounds like your LO may be a snacker. Alternatively it may be that she DOES just want feeding little and often, lots of babies do. I think you're right, she will take more and go longer between feeds as she grows.

 

[Annaspanna]

Yeah well, i tried just putting the dummy in and seeing if she'll settle but it lasts five mins and then she's crying again until i give in a give her a bottle, so I guess she is hungry. Oh how I wish she would take 4-5oz and be contented!!Lol! xx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Oh she will in time. My Ruby had tiny amounts to start with, like 1oz, but she upped the quantity she took very quickly and at 5.5 months is now a greedy guzzler who takes 9oz

 

[Aidedhoney]

Alex did this for a while and as harsh as it sounds i made him wait, did discuss it with my HV and Alex's doc to check it was ok. I would distract him by going for a walk, talking to him, playing with him etc etc.
Alex now goes 3 to 4 hourly and sleeps from 10pm till 6amish

Good luck

 

[jojo2605]

I'm in exactly the same situation!! My LO is doing the same as you, having 2-3oz every 2ish hours!! it's getting worse not better! I thought it might be something to do with the teat as it wasn't fast enough and we did try the next one up (Dr Browns) for a couple of weeks actually, but he just swallowed so much wind as he was taking a lot in at one time so we've moved back down to number 1 teats now so we're still stuck with the problem! I do think no.1 teats are too slow and no.2 teats are too fast... great!

What is your LO like of a nighttime? Mine normally manages to go 3 hours in the night between each feed but it is starting to drop down to 2.5hrs! Yet a couple of times a day he will take a 4oz bottle!!

I have tried making him wait, and tonight it's worked as he wanted a bottle an hour and half after the last one and I was like NO not happening! So I persevered with the dummy for 5 mins (as he was tired too) and he hs gone down and is currently about 2.5hours past his last feed so I'm hoping I can get him to go 3ish hours and he'll take more, just get him on track for the night time feeds!

Sorry to waffle, but I guess I'm just saying I'm in the same boat and not really sure what the right answer is!!

 

[Annaspanna]

Thanks JoJo, that's good to hear I'm not alone!!

She's not as bad at night time, she goes down approx 11pm-12am and then sleeps from 4-5hours and then back down for another 3 hours and then once she's up for the day she starts feeding every 1-1/2- 2 hours taking about 2oz. It's so frustrating isn't it, Im trying to give the dummy and make her wait a little longer too and hope that works. This am she woke at 0730 after having gone back to sleep at 0600, so I just put the dummy in and she went back to sleep for another 2 hours so It does work sometimes!!xx

 

[golcarlilly]

Myles is much the same, i have put it down to combination feeding and the fact he has never gone much more than two hours between feeds except at night when his max is still only around four hours! he just loves his food!! ikwym though i wish i could set the clock by his feeds like so many people seem to be able to do!

 

[KimE]

Pops did exactly the same and I tried everything. She's only a small babby so I didn't expect her to take loads but to go longer would be great!! She would start the bottle then pull away from it after a couple of ounces and no matter what I did she wouldn't take anymore. She's screech at me and I thought it meant she was hungry and frustrated. I tried different teats, different bottles, winding her, trying to play with her, I was on here asking loads of advice - in the end I figured out she was overtired and wanted to have a nap!!! I enforced nap times and since figuring that out she went 3 hours between bottles and took between 4 - 5 ozs each time. Could it possibly be that hun?? xx

 

[CeliaM]

My son was the same. WHat ended up working for us to space out the feeds, is that if he was hungry prior to 3hrs since his last bottle, I'd just give him water. It worked great, and the doctor said it was fine.

 

[Annaspanna]

Pops did exactly the same and I tried everything. She's only a small babby so I didn't expect her to take loads but to go longer would be great!! She would start the bottle then pull away from it after a couple of ounces and no matter what I did she wouldn't take anymore. She's screech at me and I thought it meant she was hungry and frustrated. I tried different teats, different bottles, winding her, trying to play with her, I was on here asking loads of advice - in the end I figured out she was overtired and wanted to have a nap!!! I enforced nap times and since figuring that out she went 3 hours between bottles and took between 4 - 5 ozs each time. Could it possibly be that hun?? xx

Yes I think sometimes she is overtired, maybe a silly question but how do u make ur LO nap more!?? I tried everything too like u have, the teats, keeping busy in between, winding her etc.x

 

[KimE]

Pops did exactly the same and I tried everything. She's only a small babby so I didn't expect her to take loads but to go longer would be great!! She would start the bottle then pull away from it after a couple of ounces and no matter what I did she wouldn't take anymore. She's screech at me and I thought it meant she was hungry and frustrated. I tried different teats, different bottles, winding her, trying to play with her, I was on here asking loads of advice - in the end I figured out she was overtired and wanted to have a nap!!! I enforced nap times and since figuring that out she went 3 hours between bottles and took between 4 - 5 ozs each time. Could it possibly be that hun?? xx

Yes I think sometimes she is overtired, maybe a silly question but how do u make ur LO nap more!?? I tried everything too like u have, the teats, keeping busy in between, winding her etc.x

Hey hun sometimes you just wish there was a manual don't you!! I've never had a problem with the morning nap - she automatically takes this i.e. if she gets up at 7.30 she'll feed at 8.00 then nap from 9.00 till 9.45 (I can set my watch by her!!) but the middle of the day one was a nightmare.

After her "lunch" whenever that was (usually around 12.00) about 15 minutes after her feed I take her upstairs and put her in her moses basket. I created a routine for "during the day napping" which basically involved closing the curtains (she can't stand sleeping in daylight) and taking her bib off and then tucking her in with a blanket and a muslin cloth (she likes to rub her face against them during the day - doesn't want or need them at night time). This way she can tell the difference because she isn't in her sleeping bag which is only for bedtime. First time I did this she kicked off cos she didn't want to sleep but was overtired and I just stood next to her with my hand on her chest saying "shhhhhhhhhh" over and over again and not making eye contact. She fought sleep and it took 50 minutes but it wasn't "real" crying if you know what I mean? It was temper and tiredness - she was pissed at me and I could see in her eyes she was trying to make me do what she wanted but I knew she'd feel better for having a sleep which she just wouldn't do on her own. I just thought if I pick you back up I'll make a rod for my own back and decided to carry through and stick to my guns. I told myself even if she only sleeps for 10 minutes at least she'll know that I won't give in and I will come back and get her up when she wakes so she trusts me and knows I haven't abandoned her. The next day took 20 minutes and then the day after she just went down turned her head to rub the muslin and went straight to sleep! Now if she wakes after 45 minutes (one sleep cycle for Pops) I just go put her dummy back in and she goes back to sleep and then lets me know she wants to get up by "talking" to me through the monitor. She has 1 1/2 to 2 hours at lunchtime now and she is brilliant for it - totally relaxed and happy in the afternoon until witching hour (5pm) when she's getting tired for bed (which is at 7pm) I know routines don't agree with everyone but Poppy's is pretty relaxed apart from she has one big sleep in the middle of the day with one short one in the morning and a short one in the afternoon - when she takes them is up to when she has fed etc and is feeling tired (when she gets grumpy) and she is happier for it too

Wow that was an essay, sorry about that!! I do waffle on ..... What do you think you'll do? What is your bedtime routine by the way? How did it go with the feeding today? Poppy has just upped her bottles over the last couple of days from 4/5 ozs to 5/6 ozs and has today sunk 7 ozs before bed!! She also now only has 5 bottles a day which is great considering she used to do 8 when she wasn't napping properly. Hope I've given you some ideas? I think the best thing to do is to look at what everyone else does then decide what is best for you and your baby and just adjust until you're comfortable with it If you have any q's just give me a shout

PS: I wait a couple of minutes for her to fall asleep then take the muslin off her and she doesn't miss it once she's asleep. xx

 

[helen1234]

Rhys was exactly the same he was a grazer and still s really, he's 9 months now, i wouldnt make him wait as you'll just have a screaming baby, its better to take little and often than take a great big bottle and then throw it up, just made rhys's bottles up 3 at a time and put them in the fridge i didnt boil the kettle for 3oz of milk this seemed to help.

x

 

[Annaspanna]

Thanks everyone, and thanks TTCarmybratt, your essay was a great help, I shall be taking some of your advice no doubt!! Its so nice to hear exactly what other people are doing so I really appreciate it. Shes getting a little better between feeds now, about 2 1/2- 3 hours and shes been napping well the last couple days too. I reckon it may have been a growth spurt too xx

 

[Sovereign]

Charlie was like this too and just snacked on milk all the time. x