How do I break this habit?

[shaunanicole]

Ava will be 2 months old this coming Friday and she has begun a TERRIBLE habit when eating. She will eat 2 oz of her bottle and stop eating, then 10 mins later she will eat another 2 oz, and then about 15 minutes later eat another 2 oz.

I don't mind it much really when we're at home but the other day I brought her out to lunch with me and was stuck in the restaurant for 45 minutes after I ate because she wanted to stop and eat and stop and eat. Then later on after doing some shopping I was stuck in the backseat of my car feeding her for an entire hour!!!

What can I do to break this habit? Or is there even anything I really can do?

Additional Information: She is eating 6 oz at every feeding and eats every 2-3 hrs and is on a medium flow nipple. Thanks girls!

 

[dom85]

I would maybe try and stretch her to eating every 3 hours so she's hungry enough to take more. How long does she sleep at night in one go? Does she still do this on her first bottle of the day? Brady can be a bit of a picky eater if I give him a bottle at the first stirrings of hunger, now he's over the 6 week mark it's ok to get them into more of a feeding routine. I give him his dummy and play with him to distract him.

You could try the fast flow as well to see if that helps

 

[faille]

6oz every 2-3hrs seems a bit much too often.. I'd be inclined to try what dom85 said and try seeing how she goes feeding every 3-4hrs.

If she's not really interested or not really taking it then I'd hazard a guess that she's not really hungry for it yet.

 

[aimee-lou]

Earl has always eaten every 2.5-3 hours too, and he takes between 5 & 7oz each feed. He started to do this too (stop after 3oz then 10mins later want the rest) so I just stopped giving the bottle back to him. Cruel but he soon learnt to eat again as at his next bottle (he was screaming after 2 hours - I had distracted him in every single way I could up to then) he ate a full 5oz, I then stretched him out to a full 3 hours before his next bottle and hey presto! He now eats every 3 hours in the morning, then from about 2pm it's every 2.5hours until his bedtime bottle at 7ish (he then sleeps for a minimum of 6 hours at night before he wants a feed so he definitely in a proper day/night routine)

 

[purpledahlia]

yeah i think its maybe too much too soon id stretch it out. Maybe shes giving herself wind and stops because she needs winded??

 

[minnieb]

Yeah, I agree with purpledahlia. My LO (5 weeks tomorrow) was starting to do exactly what u are describing but found that when she stopped drinking, if I burped her she would then go on to finish her bottle. Might be worth a shot but could also be because she's not hungry enough yet? Good luck!