Feeding times

[Mrs Doddy]

I have tried to feed on demand, lo is putting on 4oz a week - do you think this is ok?? she was born at 36 weeks at 4lb 12 oz, ive decided to stick to 3 hours during the day as she doesn't always ask but think that she is hungry, do you think that if she starts taking 150mls I can try to do 4 hours? she takes approx 100mls a feed (occasionally more)

 

[katy1310]

Sophie puts on about a pound every 4 weeks so that works out the same and our HV is happy with that - she's stayed on the 9th centile the whole time. Is your LO staying on the same centile?

I'm sure if there was any concern, your HV would have mentioned it but you could just ask her next time you see her. Some babies are just slower at gaining the weight - Sophie is very much slower than all her full term friends born around her due date and she's even a lot smaller than my friend's baby who was born 6 weeks after Sophie's due date.

We've always just followed Sophie's cues with the feeding - if she's full she stops and if she's still hungry she lets us know and that's when we up the amount she's getting - also if she starts going 3 hours instead of 4 before getting hungry, we increase the amount. She was already in a 4 hour routine when she came home from the hospital and has pretty much stuck to that.

Sorry not to have been more help but I'm sure others will be able to add something. xxxx

 

[toothfairyx]

Jamie was on a 4-5 hour routine when the was on demand (bottle mainly) feeding in the hospital taking up to 90mls. It took around 2 days for this to go out the window when I started to establish breast feeding and we were on maximum 3 hours 90 mls for what seemed like ages as he still had some bottles at home. When we tried to push the feed times apart by increasing volume it didn't work and I think the reflux he developed may have been triggered by overfeeding partly. I think 100ml to 150mls sounds like a big volume increase to try, if it was me I would try 120mls and see how that goes just incase your LO starts hurling it back up.
I've found feeding volumes and trying to establish a kind of routine hard work I must admit, it's only now we are on thickened formula for some feeds and are on to of the reflux that we've been able to do a 4oz or 120ml bottle and for me Im letting Jamie dictate the pace, increasing and changing things gradually like in the hospital. You can but try! Good luck!