How often do you feed?

[bluehorse]

Hello ladies,

Grace is 18 weeks now and I've almost completely stopped breastfeeding. I've been trying to work on a 3 hourly feeding routine but was wondering whether I've been doing it right Generally Grace has a bottle 30 mins after waking up (say, 6.30), then another at about 9.30. Sometimes she'll have a long nap from 11.00 to 2ish so I'll feed her again about 2.00. Her last bottle has to be at 6.30 coz she's shattered by then and ready for bed. So I'll fit in another feed about 4.30. But then she's going only 2 hours between feeds- is that too much? She doesn't feed during the night so it's basically 5 feeds a day plus a little breastmilk first thing. Is this right?? Lots of people have said to me she should go 4 hours between feeds. I'm so confused!

 

[indieknits]

I think breastfed babies do tend to feed more often than FF. I breastfed Emma until she was 3 months and then gradually switched to formula. She used to only last 2.5 - 3 hours when BF, and then gradually stretched to 4 hourly feeds by the time she was 5 months.She now feeds at 7ish, 10:30ish, 2:30ish, 6:30ish, then a dreamfeed at 10ish. Then she'll wake up anywhere between 3-5am for a feed. I try to feed her at around 7am regardless of what time she wakes up in the night so that we keep to the same routine during the day.

I think basically all babies are different!

 

[Mynx]

Even at over 6 months old, Evie will sometimes want a bottle 3 hours after her last one. I'd say it varies from baby to baby, and also from day to day.
As indeknits says, BF babies tend to feed more than FF.
Evie's been FF since she was 2 weeks old and I've always demand fed. She'll mostly go 4 hours between feeds but sometimes she wants one sooner, so I give it. She only started going 4 hours between feeds over the last month or so, before then it was 3 to 3 and a half hours

 

[Nic1107]

All babies are different hun, and even the same baby is different from time to time. Carmen was going a few hours between feeds, but now she's taking small amounts every couple of hours again because she's been fussy lately. She'll let you know if she's having too much, babies generally won't overeat so she'll just refuse the bottle!