Transitioning from "on demand" to scheduled feeds?

[tasha41]

Hi girls.. I'm interested in switching Elyse from feeding "on demand" to putting her on a bit of a schedule. If I feed her on demand, I find she almost always wastes formula (even at 9 weeks she doesn't take the full 4oz, she'll do about 3 max at once, except for her 2nd feed of the day where she wants the whole thing).

Has anyone done this?

I'm thinking maybe writing down time & quantity of her feeds for a few days and seeing if there's some sort of pattern to it or if it's just random?? She has a rough napping schedule.. it's been upset a bit (as well as her eating) by her 2 month shots though...

Any advice/thoughts would be nice!

 

[mommyof3co]

If you notice that she only wants 3oz except the one bottle I would just make the 3oz instead of 4 so you don't waste then if she happens to want more you can make 1 more oz for her. I really agree with on demand, not scheduled, just because it changes so much over the next few months from growth spurts, to starting solids, that it's hard to stick to a schedule because obviously you don't want her to go hungry just trying to stick to a schedule you know? I really would just follow what she wants, but maybe make less so you don't have to waste it

 

[candeur]

I think we were on a schedule by about 2 months, can't remember very well though... I tried to give her a bottle every 2 hrs, and if she hadn't cried by the 2 hrs I'd push it a bit longer and see if she can stretch to 3, eventually she was on a bottle every 3hrs... Took a bit of time though, but when she was feeding every 2/3hrs her feeds went up so she was having 5oz approx per bottle at that age.

 

[melissa22]

ive just started my little one on a schedule as his feeding was taking almost 2 hours, HV advised me to do this he's now going 4 hours inbetween his feed and has also gone up to 6oz, he has his bottle plays for about half hour then has a nap for an hour, wakes and plays again and then i give him an ounce of water which makes him go that hour longer he takes another nap then wakes for a feed, ive been doing this for 2 days now and its sooooo much better x