Help with feeding routine

[kellycontrary]

Help needed!!

I stopped bf completely 2 weeks ago to start giving formula. In the last 2 days I thought I'd start establishing a bit of a routine, so starting from when he was waking and hungry in the morning, I'm feeding him at 6:30am, 10:30, 2:30 and 6:30pm. He then goes to bed around 7ish.

Before I did this, he would wake once in the night between 1-3am for a feed. Then like I say he would wake around 6ish and I'd feed him around 6:30. Also, I would give him a bath around 6.30-7 and then bed, but he wouldnt go down properly until around 8ish. Since doing this routine, he has fussed and moaned for around 10 minutes when I put him down at 7pm but thats it - hes full and tired and pretty much gets himself to sleep so its a vast improvement....

HOWEVER...

the last 2 nights since I've tried to implement these feedings, he's woken at 11:30pm one night and 12:30pm the other night and then woken for the morning (screaming for milk!!) at 5am!!! which of course throws the whole routine out for the day which leaves me confused and just a little tired. not so bothered about getting up at 5am (but of course 6.30 was much better!!!) if he needs it but wondering whats happened!


I'm not quite sure if what I'm doing is wrong. Before he would feed every 2-3 hours but the problem was he would never finish a bottle, so keeping him occupied for 4 hrs I between seemed like the best solution. He hasn't been weighed for almost 3 weeks but his last weigh in he was 14lb 2. He is 15 weeks o Tuesday and I put 7oz in his bottle ( but he rarely takes more than 5/6)


Does anyone have any ideas? Am I not feeding him enough? Am I trying to establish a routine too early?!! He (and I!) have both been poorly with coughs this week so perhaps he's just out of sorts......

 

[MrsButterfly]

It's always tricky if they're poorly so it could be a phase. will he go back down after the 5am milk?

We had a rough routine from about 3 months and my lo would wake anywhere between 5-6.30am for a bottle but then went back off till around 8.30/9am. My lo was a guzzler though so I never had an issue with getting milk in him. If he won't take any more than 5/6 oz then there isn't much more you can do other than feed more regularly if he's hungry. You are also coming up to the 4mo regression which for us threw everything out the window. If his weight gain is good, I'd try not to worry too much about routine and go with it.

 

[Leesy]

I FF on demand. I tried bottles every 4 hours but it just didn't work for us. Lo eats when he wants & how much wants. He has gone from sleeping 10-12 hours without feeding to waking every morning at 4.30am for a feed. No idea what's changed but just going with it.

 

[kellycontrary]

hi mrsbutterfly - unfortunately he doesnt go down after that 5am milk no! He thinks its morning time! Having said that, pre-routine he used to not go to sleep until after 8pm even though his bottle was only half an hour before it is now, and then wake at 1-3 and then up at 6/6.30. I considered that this may be the problem, that we are putting him down too early, but he is literally asleep within 10 minutes at 7pm so its obviously the right time for him.

Thanks ladies, I gave him a bottle at 9am (again he only had 5oz) but that is 4 hours since his last feed...so I think like you say ill just have to go with it and not stress! I think being around friends who have babies not much older than mine who are in a regular routine makes me panic that connor should be doing the same. I guess eventually he will fall into his own routine? But Ill ride this out and feed him when he wants to be fed rather than keeping him from bottles for the 4 hour period!

 

[b4baby]

Ever child will start their routine at different times, and some will change this often! My DD wakes around 7:30 and takes a 6oz bottle of BM, then again at 9 she has 5oz of formula. At 12:00 5oz of formula. And then in the afternoon it depends what we are doing but she will take another 5oz of BM and then anything between 5-10oz about 7pm for the night and then she sleeps through. But this has changed many times. Just as I think I know what she is going to do she then changes it all!
Does you LO cry for milk at 5am or just fusses? I used to feed DD in the night when she was fussing, but after I while I just left her to the fussing and only picked her up when she actually cried. She soon learnt to settle herself again and no longer has feeds during the night