What do you do if your baby takes a smaller feed than usual?

[HLx]

Do you keep trying with the same bottle for the hour until it has to be thrown away, or do you just leave baby take what he wants and just start a new bottle when he wants?

Reason I ask is because Enzo (12 days old)is a bit all over the place with feeds, usually takes 3.5oz to 4.5oz every 4 hours, but sometimes he tries to go 5 hours between feeds and I'm not sure I'm happy with this at such a young age, but when I wake him for a feed after 4/4.5 hours he just takes 2oz and goes back to sleep.

Should I just let him wake up on demand even if he does sleep 5 hours between feeds sometimes and doing this he will take the higher amount of formula? Or wake him every 4 hours when hes not quite at that starving point and only take a smaller amount of formula?

 

[MissMarpleFan]

I was told we must wake her every 3 hours for feeds at that age, but she didn't eat nearly as much per feed as your baby, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

I do offer a bottle again for the full hour, but I never try to force her to eat it.

How's his weight gain?

 

[HLx]

He was pretty big at birth (8lb 12oz) so far he only been weighed once since birth and he was 6 days old and gained weight (9lb) he never list any birth weight, he gets weighed again tomorrow, and I definitely think hes put so much more on, for the rest of today hes been taking 4oz. Normally I don't wake him he does wake up on his own at 4-5 hours and drinks a lot of milk, if I wake him at 3 hours hes not interested and will take 2oz max. I'm guessing just leave him wake on his own to take the maximum milk he wants? Both my other 2 babies were 4 hourly wakers too and they also woke on their own, however I feel like I'm much more paranoid this time around! Who would have thought being 3rd baby lok

 

[MissMarpleFan]

My baby was much smaller and we did have a big problem at the beginning with loss of birth weight, so the instructions were very specific!

I wouldn’t worry today and just ask them tomorrow what they think.

 

[missielibra]

My son was breastfed but even when I expressed he didn't drink nowhere near that much. For us, I dont know how it works where you are but we had an apt at 2 weeks. And our doctor told us his weight gain was good so we didnt have to do every 3 hours anymore. So we stopped waking him and let him wake up when he was hungry.

Do you have an apt with his doctor soon where you could ask?

 

[HLx]

Thanks both, my midwife will be coming shortly and I'll ask her, he seems to be awake fussy and grizzly from 2am untik 6am when I eventually just get up with him, he then sleeps for most of the morning, he has been waking longer than I thought but today after randomly projectile vomiting for the first time on his 6am feed, he seems to be taking much less milk, 2oz every few hours, so in not sure what's going on other than the fact hes basically force fed himself for the past few days, I always stop when he wants to stop, I never try to keep going with milk if hes had enough. I also think because hes not settling at night, hes spending most of the morning sleeping, and also falling asleep on the bottle, possibly not taking enough as of today, but hes simply just too tired from the bad nights sleep. I'm not sure what I can personally do now other than what I'm already doing.

All this while beating myself up for not trying to breast feed this time around.

 

[Bevziibubble]

Please don't beat yourself up. He's fed and that is what matters.
I hope he gets better sleeps soon so he can be more alert and drink more

 

[HLx]

The midwife has just left and apparently I need to wake him up more and also strip him down to his vest as him being too hot can make him sleep more during the day, well I've done just that and hes still gone off to sleep

 

[Bevziibubble]

LOL he's determined to sleep isn't he! If only they'd sleep like that when they're meant to

 

[AmeliePoulain]

My middle baby was quite sleepy - she is lazy now - and we had to do the stripping off, tickling etc.

did he get weighed today? I was told once they were beyond birthweight and gaining well they can be left to be fed on demand. Within reason obviously and doing all the usual newborn stuff like making sure their soft spot is fine and lots of wet nappies etc.

 

[HLx]

Same as my older two they were lazy babies and still are now! Since we cooled him down he drank his usual just under 4oz thankfully! They didn't weigh him today sadly but she held him and said hes definitely put weight on he feels solid! But I'll have the health visitor weighing him next week, shes got no issues with anything else, was amazed at how heavy and full his nappy was after just 2 hours asleep, so no other issue hes completely fine, it just looks like he wasnt feeding because of being too warm, as now I've lost my pregnancy weight I'm like a block of ice and my heating is on all day lol she also advised me to strip him down when hes feeding so he stays awake and also put him on the next size teet on his bottle as he is taking a lot of milk with such a little hole to try and get through it all, makes sense I suppose!

 

[missielibra]

Im glad you figured out the sleeping and the feeding. It would make sense!

And please, never ever beat yourself up over breastfeeding or not. Fed is best. So whatever you chose IS the right choice

 

[HLx]

Thank you all, I feel like a newbie again my two are a bit older so it's crazy how much you forget what to do! With my older two there is only 2 years between them so I was still in touch with the newborn phase, this time around I'm questioning everything lol! My older two was identical in things they liked and disliked as a newborn, (fine on regular bottles, hated being swaddled...ect) this baby is the opposite!

 

[HLx]

Just to update, Enzo slept all night minus his 4 hourly feed which I forgot to post this morning. It definitely made a difference keeping him cooler in the day and hes more awake so he gets more interaction, he slept perfect last night waking at 3am and 6.45am which was amazing, it's crazy how you get excited for 4 solid hours of sleep

Also got him weighed just now and hes 9lb 7oz at 14 days old, and hes still following his birth weight centile line, so obviously what he has been taking ever bottle has done some good as he is a little chunk!

Hes now draining 4oz bottles today due to being more alert. HALLELUJAH

 

[Bevziibubble]

Yay, that's great news!