time between feeds

[craftymum]

Jacob is 3 weeks and 5 days old and we still haven't really got a routine going, he seems to take anything from 2-4 ounces every 2-3 hours. Sometimes he drains the bottle but other times he only takes an ounce and then wants more an hour later, we are so tired from being up practically all night with this. My health visitor was out today and he was weighing 10lb - he was 7lb 2.5 and 56 cms at birth so I'm putting the weight and the extra need for food down to the fact that he's a tall baby but my health visitor recommended we only feed him every 3-4 hours and just give him water in between to force him to stretch out his feeds and so that he'll take more at each feed. We tried this tonight and it has been very stressful as he screamed solid for an hour and a half - reducing me to tears also, I just wondered if anyone else had tried this as I feel it's a bit cruel as he's still so young.

 

[dali]

he is still very young, i wouldnt be concerned about s a routine just yet . he will most likely establish one himself soon enough.
as far as what your HV says, personally i wouldnt do it.... if you know he is crying for food then let thim eat, if you arnt sure then try other things first ( nappy etc.. ) or he could be crying for the bottle for the comfort of sucking ( do you use a dummy ?) but i could never not let a hungry baby eat, especially one so young. hang in there

 

[tinkabells]

Try and make him, wait abit for his feed, if his taking only an oz then wants more again an hour later, its hard but making him wait he will drink more of the next bottle and that will get him taking more xxx

 

[lexy604]

Carter is kinda the same very random he came out at 8lbs 3oz weighed in at 7 15 when we left and is now at 8 15 he has gained a lbs in less than two weeks he eats 3oz every 2 hours sometimes 3 sometimes an hour and a half its rediculous

 

[Vici]

I think he's still very young so its very hard to get a routine. I demand fed Imi for about 7 weeks and by that time she'd got herself into a routine

 

[jo_79]

Sam is taking about 5oz on his 4 hourly feeds then wanting another 2ish oz every two hours (does that make sense?) Im just feeding him when he wants it i think he's too young to try and make him wait a bit longer between feeds. We have started making up 5oz bottles and 2oz bottles so we arent wasting a whole bottle when he only wants 2oz.

 

[Baby]

I think he's still really young to be worrying about any sort of routine and certainly too young for you to expect anything like a decent nights sleep. He's asking for what he needs. My DS was the same at that age (he's now 4 months) but our HV said not to give him more than 3oz of water a day. The problem is though, the more he feeds like this, the more he'll get used to it. He isn't necessarily always hungry though, he might be hot, cold, over tired, wet, dirty, uncomfortable... When this happened to us we tried water a few times in the day but than started using a dummy. He soon got the idea and he often just wanted something to suck rather than wanting food all the time. Now he rarely needs to feed more than 4 hourly but you have to be patient and don't expect too much from him so early on. He will settle, I promise. x x

 

[Jkelmum]

lily is 5 months and goes 2~3hrs throughout the day

 

[aimee-lou]

Earl is only 5 days but he's already doing this too lol....he's a bit of a gannet really. I'd heard that babies have regular growth spurts for the first month and it's best to be adapatable so I feed him 3oz a sitting every 3 hours.....if he eats it, great, if not, then fine (he will usually eat at least 2oz of it!) and if he wakes up grizzly we entertain for a max of half an hour with water/dummy but will usually just give him the food but try our best to keep his 3 hour gap. He has already shown signs of growing pains (he was 9lb 6 and 53cm at birth) but he's not been weighed since so I have no idea how we're doing weight wise....tbh my MW has kind of hinted that as long as he's eating regularly he WILL put on weight as he's so chunky and is already eating his quota more or less! At the moment this seems to suit him fine and that's what's important and his 3hr routine is do-able for Me and Daddy.....he's like a metronome, you could seriously set your watch by him. For example tonight - 10.30, 2.30, 5.30! lol - I'm awake now but expecting him to wake in about an hour lol (jinxed it now lol!)

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

he is still very young, i wouldnt be concerned about s a routine just yet . he will most likely establish one himself soon enough.
as far as what your HV says, personally i wouldnt do it.... if you know he is crying for food then let thim eat, if you arnt sure then try other things first ( nappy etc.. ) or he could be crying for the bottle for the comfort of sucking ( do you use a dummy ?) but i could never not let a hungry baby eat, especially one so young. hang in there

I agree.

I would re-iterate that you need to make sure he is actually hungry, and not tired or overstimulated (personally I think these 2 things are more likely to make a newborn cry than a nappy issue.)

 

[Chaos]

I can't believe the HV told you to give water and force him to go longer between feeds. There's a reason he's hungry and waking up every 3 hours and wants food. At 3 weeks a baby should feed on demand and eat what they want as they are going through growth spurts. Filling baby up with water is not going to satisfy the hunger they are feeling and will make them grumpy, and in turn drive you crazy, you might as well just let him have the milk and feel satisfied.

2 to 4 ounces every 3 hours sounds like a good routine for a newborn to me, its exactly what Autumn is doing (she's 4 weeks) and the pediatrician is very happy with that.

I know its hard, lady ... there's times Autumn has reduced me to tears because I feel like she's feeding so frequent .. at night time feeds sometimes she'll only take 1/2 an ounce and pass out and be awake 2 hours later and drain 4 oz. However what I try to remember is nature and her tummy know what she wants to grow and she's so little, she's not doing it out of spite, I just have to adjust to her growths wants at this stage rather than forcing her to adjust to my schedule.



I agree with others about other reasons for the crying, Autumn will sometimes throw a right tantrum after, say 4oz, for no other reason than she's fighting sleep. She'll appear to be hungry, cause she'll root, take the bottle, but then just hold it in her mouth as if its a comfort thing. I'll let her do this and let her hold it for about 30 seconds and then quickly swap it out with a dummy.
Other times its because the light is bothering her and over stimulating her and I have to try and darken the room as much as possible. Most the time tho it's simply because she wants to hold my hand or have my hand against her cheek as she falls asleep.

Babies need to come out talking and tell us whats up!! lol.

 

[sobersadie]

My HV told us to demand feed until at least 6 weeks. We did this with my last 2 babies also and they get themselves into a routine that way (they also both started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks) my DD just now is fed on demand and now only gets up once a night for a feed. Babies know when they are hungry and making them wait for it i think doesnt help anyone and just stresses everyone out.

 

[special_kala]

ooo seems in in the minority here.

my lo is same age as yours and last week we found that she was doing the exact same thing but on advise of my SIL we only started feeding every 3 hours and although the first 12 hours were a bit crap she got used to it very quickly and is now taking 4oz every 3 hours ans seems much more relexed and happy.

before i was just feeding her when she cried but now i know that shes actually hungry and is taking a proper feed everytime. our nights have got much better as she tends to feed at 11, 2,5 and 8 and sleeps inbetween pretty much

 

[craftymum]

can't believe it but since yesterday our wee man seems to have sorted himself out a bit all by himself. He's now feeding every 4 hours at 7, 11, 3 and 7 again and he's taking about 4oz each time - amazing!!

 

[Chaos]

Awesome! Maybe he was just had a bit of colic for the last couple days?