just some advice

[Missy85]

Hi Everyone!

So this is my first post in here as i was breastfeeding for 2 weeks before deciding to switch to formula. I need advice please as i just dont know if what im doing is right or if someone can just give me tips..

Zack is 3 weeks old now (was 3 weeks friday just gone) and i switched to formula when he was 2 weeks. I was under the impression i fed him every 4 hours without fail... He has a dummy so sometimes it is just comfort but i have noticed that sometimes he will go the 4 hours and would probably last longer without a feed if allowed to, but on occasion and especially at night where his last bottle is 8pm he is then seeming to be hungry again at 9:30pm. He has 4 oz bottles but currently only usually takes 3 oz.

This morning he had a feed at 8am and at 9:30 again he was showing signs of hunger i.e rooting, not wanting dummy etc so i made a bottle to see what he would do and he took just over an oz...

Im rambling, but i just would like to know if you think i should switch to every 3 hours? we are putting a routine in place at night where its bath, massage and then feed at 8.

I dont know, i just feel bad if he is hungry inbetween feeds as i want him to be able to settle but on the other hand dont want to go to fully on demand as eventually we will want a routine...


any advice?

thanks
x

 

[whiby]

I've never heard of having to feed every 4 hours without fail, Midwives told us just don't leave him go more than 6 hours without feeding, otherwise demand feed. 4 hours is quite a long time for a 3 week old so I would give it to him when you think he is hungry even if that is before 4 hours, and if he seems happy without a feed leave him a bit longer. Ethan varies between wanting food after 2.5 hours and 5 hours! x

 

[princess_bump]

i would say, at his age, feed on demand. this is what we did with maddi, and if she wanted more after an hour or so i would def give it too her. hope this helps

 

[Missy85]

thank you! its hard not to feel lost in all these decisions etc

 

[Arcanegirl]

I found at that age Alex wouldnt go to bed properly till 10pm and he would eat alot to fill up for the night. He was BF then but i dont think its much different for the evenings.

 

[Missy85]

I think what i am going to do is keep the 4 hourly routine i.e 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm then through the night on demand if he wants unless it gets to 6 hours, so if he hasnt fed by 2am since feed at 8pm then i will feed. also if he is hungry in between these times i will feed him but keep the 4 hourly ones in place so its like he is having a snack...

does this sound ok? does it even make sense lol

 

[whiby]

sounds reasonable. My HV told me once they get to a month or so old and have established good weight gain you can give cooled boiled water in between feeds. i'm sure there are hundreds of different opinions on cooled boiled water too, but maybe if you just want to keep him going a little bit longer until the 4 hours is up you could try an oz or so of water?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

at that age every 2-3 hours is appropriate. Ruby used to take an extra bottle in the evening, she was 'tanking up' for the night. Now she takes more in each bottle she doesn't want the extra bottle. We'll go to feeding every 4 hours when Ruby is 4 months.

 

[Samemka]

Emma is the same, except she'll only go 3 hours between feeds as a max and she'll sometimes want more in between. It's like her tummy isn't big enough to take enough milk to fill her up at one time, so she'll polish off a bottle over an hour or so, rather than straight away - she needs her breaks, lol.

 

[Missy85]

definatley know what you mean about him needing to take breaks hehe

Ive started to be more flexible with the feeding as he will find a routine, the only thing im trying to keep in place in bath, massage, bottle, cuddles and bed

just got to go with the flow i guess