Still on 3 hour feeds

[tgm1974]

My son is 18 weeks old now and is still feeding every 3 hours. Two months ago it was every 4 hours then dropped to 3 hours so I decided to put him on hungry baby milk. He has only been taking 5oz bottles and every now and again will take a 6oz ..... I think last night I managed to get him to take 7oz before bed but that was just a one off.

I have also started to wean him on baby rice but we seem to be stuck at 3 hour feeding intervals - anyone else the same.

I dont want to push him to go longer if he is crying for a bottle but I cant force him to take more than he can handle.

[victoriaw]

Hi...I'm having the same issues with my 13 week old. He drinks 6 or 7 oz every 3 to 4 hours but will go no longer... I'm going to keep my eye on this question to see if anyone comes up with any tips for us! Is your LO still waking for feeds in the night?

[tgm1974]

No the good thing is is that I could give him his last bottle at 8pm (bed 9pm-9.30pm) and he wont want feeding til 7-8am the next morning - he does get a bit restless around 4-5am but I normally bring him in with me to sleep - doesnt make any difference as he practically head butts me every 5 mins til he falls back asleep again - repeating his head banging wtithin a few hours. Never screams for feeding though x

[victoriaw]

Lucky you!! I know my LO is 5 weeks younger but I am still up twice in the night and he's drinking at least 4 or 5 oz then. I'm wondering whether to make his bed time later but that might backfire and I'll have a little grump on my hands who wont settle cos he's over tired (is there such thing?!)

[tgm1974]

Whats your routine with him?? Feeding sleep, etc ... took me a little time to get my LO in a routine but works. Might be able to help with the night feeds xx

[victoriaw]

Usually up at 6am ish, feeds every 3 to 4 hours. Has a small amount of baby porridge in the afternoon, bath about 6.30-7.00 then is in bed til midnight or one am. Not a peep out of him until then (which is when I get in my sleep!!) . Then wakes to feed at that time, straight back to sleep til about 3 or 4, feeds, straight back to sleep until 6am when he's wide awake but not looking for food until half 7-8. Overall, he's a content baby, its just the feeding in the night doesn't seem to be showing signs of stopping!!! Thanks!!!

[victoriaw]

sorry, forgot to mention the fed before bed is usually 6-7oz, where as the ones in the night are only 4-5 oz.

[tgm1974]

My lo used to wake at those times but I started to put his dummy in around 3am when he cried - eventually that stopped and I started to get him just waking at 5.30am where he would only settle if I cuddled him - never would want feeding though. We got to a point where I had to wake him at 8am a few time but we seem to have gone back a bit though as he is waking a little earlier now - 4.30 last night! Not sure if it is cos he is out of his room as we are decorating though. Try holding off with the bottle around 4 and rock or stroke him back to sleep. It will work evetually - trust me .

I normally feed him 8am, 11am, 2pm (bit of baby rice), 5pm and 8pm ...... back a bit if he wakes wanting feeding at 7am!

Hope this helps - still learning myself as new first time mum

[victoriaw]

Thank you....all these baby books say give them a 'dream' feed late at night before you go to bed but you can't force them in to eating can you or make them wait! I think they must just naturally fall in to their own patterns (some obviously conform more quickly than others, haha!!) Sometimes you have to tell yourself they're a little person and not a programmed machine. It's bloody hard though when you've only had a small amount of sleep!! I'll try the dummy thing tonight at the 3-4am wake up and let you know tomorrow. My email add is [email protected], let me know how you get on!!

[tgm1974]

Will do - my email [email protected].

You may have to persist with the dummy but you obviously know the difference in cry to a feeding cry. Hope it works. Im back in work in 8 weeks so need my lo to start sleeping through - when he is back in his room is a week or two then maybe I wont wake every time he mumbles xx

[Lily_b]

You could try a faster flow teat along with upping the amount. It got to a stage where even the fast flow teats were too slow for my kids and I used variable flow teats (the ones with crosses instead of holes).

Ask your HV for advice as only taking 5oz and putting baby on hungry baby milk seems a bit premature, my son was downing 15oz per feed before starting hungry baby milk and was weaning a couple of months later. I never knew where he put it all, he's now a skinny 8 year old who eats like a horse with bags of energy to go with it.

[lnknprkbabe]

vary flow teat, try to get your baby to drink from the fast flow first then from the lower stage of it for the last ounce to tire them out, works wonders to get them to sleep, plus they will drink a lot more and hopefully go a little longer between feeds, also i no this sounds stupid but when u have given baby rice give a bottle straight after as when u eat quick your tummy dont have time to realise your full, so they should take more and again and go longer between feeds. good luck