Demand Feeding & Dropping a Bottle

[ruth222]

How long should we be demand feeding for? We started demand feeding when newborn, then LO set his own routine so went by that. His feeds are usually around the same time so works out really well. But he's not very well he has his first cold, but he seems to be copying rather well and generally speaking has been feeding normally.

But today he had his morning bottle as normal, and then went out to the corner shop in the pram just before lunch, he fell asleep (he usually has a mid morning nap and an afternoon nap) and its now quarter to 3 and hasn't woken up for his lunch time feed which he usually has between 12 and 1. Should I just leave him to wake when he's ready or wake him? Like I said we usually just let him tell us when he's ready but maybe hes extra sleepy because of his cold, just didn't really want him to be missing out on his usual milk and not getting enough, as its now looking like he might miss this feed and not wake until his next feed which is between 3-4pm.

He's already dropped his night feed just recently as he's sleeping though the night 7pm-7am, I thought the idea was when baby drops a feed they go up in oz to make up for it? well he hasn't hes just having the same. So thats one feed dropped already didn't want him dropping another feed, but not sure about waking him when hes sleepy. On the side of the milk containers it states around this age should be having around 6oz at every feed (which he is), and should be 5 in 24 hours (which he was before he dropped his night feed). So now its 4 bottles in 24 hours and has just dropped his lunch time feed today so that will be only 3 6oz bottles in 24 hours!

Anyone shed any light? Sorry its so long winded!

 

[dali]

i would leave him to sleep hun. if he is hungry he will wake up for it. my lo was fed on demand and gradually spaced out his feeds to create new routines as he dropped one at a time, i only started setting meal times when he was eating 3 meals a day ( that is at least half of his intake at those meals was solids followed by milk after to top up ) but eevn those meal times were somewhat determined by his feeding times at that point.
the amounts on the tins are only a guide as long as he is happy and gaining weight i wuoldnt worry about him having dropped a night feed, more than likely his day time amounts will go up to compensate in the near future, but if not again dont worry as long as he is ok
he probably hasnt just dropped his lunch time feed , most liekly he was just really tired because of his cold, sleep will help him get over it

 

[ruth222]

Thanks hun, he woke up on his own not long after anyway, and has been draining the bottles since, so think its time to go up to 7 oz! x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Personally I would have woken him. If he misses out a bottle he will want it at night. But it sounds like it all worked ok anyway

 

[dali]

glad it worked out ok
the first bottle my lo spaced out was his night time one so i guess i was lucky there, as he was quite good at telling night from day. in my experience having a bottle a little later than normal or even missing one during the day dosnt mean lo will definatly want it at night thugh