I need advice my 5 week old only goes 2 hours between feeds at night.

[mrsbb]

I am wondering if anyone has any advice. My 5 week old bottle fed baby has always been a snacker from day 1 but it seems things are getting worse. He wakes every 2 hours during the night to be fed and is taking up to an hour to take only 2-3oz of milk. Of course, because he doesn't take much he is hungry again 2 hours later. I have tried changing his nappy and wiggling the bottle about/tickling his feet but he just keeps going to sleep whilst feeding and it is a real struggle to get him to take more than 1oz. I have tried to leave him to cry so that he will be more hungry but the crying or should I say screaming doesn't stop so I can't do that to him. Here is what he eats on a typical day.
9.00pm 4oz
10.30pm 2oz
1.15am 2oz
3.00am 3oz
4.15am 2oz
6.15am 1.oz
8.45am 3oz
11.45am 3oz
2.15pm 2oz
4.45pm 4oz
6.45pm 4oz
8.45pm 1oz
Does anyone have any suggestions.

[SpaceCadet]

is the hole in the teat big enough? sometimes if it isnt and the baby has to work hard to feed, they get fed up, go to sleep and of course wake soon after cos they are hungry again

[Frizbe]

That's not too bad a pattern for a small baby, some of them do feed that regularly, however the 2oz followed by a 1oz in the am, could probably have been more if fed later, but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that...
Have you tried sticking your little finger in babys mouth to see if baby just wants comfort, rather than a feed? are you getting babys wind up ok after each feed? as sometimes they try to feed away wind.....

[heavenis]

He takes 31 oz over 24hrs. You should look at the amount he has in 24hrs.

Is he gaining weight etc.

Would you introduce a dummy ? (I don't mean all the time but it may help him to go back off to sleep if he wants a bit of comfort )

[colditz]

He needs to suck, IMO. Breastfed babies can suck without getting the milk, but bottlefed babies need less effort to get the milk. It looks like he is sucking just long enough to go back to sleep. I would suggest a dummy to you - you won't have a problem with nipple confusion. be warned you will have to keep putting it back in for it, but it will help you distinguish whether he is hungry or just sucky, and help him take a little more milk at each feed.

[colditz]

also he is taking a lot of milk, so he may just be grwing fast.

He won't do this forever. in another 5 weeks he will not be doing this, I would put money on it.

[mrsbb]

Thanks for your replies, it is nice to know that it isn't unusual. I have already given him a dummy and tried to give him that instead of a bottle but he doesn't want it. He is on Aptamil 1 and bruin anti colic free flow bottles/teats. I tried medium flow teats but he was gagging on them. I was considering using the hungrier baby formula but don't want to upset his stomach as I have already tried SMA Gold and Omneo Comfort when he was going through a colicky stage. I am reluctant to change his milk again but is it ok to give him the hungrier baby formula just at night and the normal aptamil in the day as it is the same brand? I am also confused as to why he seems able to sleep for 3 hours in the day but the night times are a real struggle. Does anyone have any opinions on that? Many Thanks

[CountTo10]

We tried giving out lo the hungrie aptamil and not only did it not work it aggravated his wind problems. Nubies tend to have a growth spurt round about 5/6 weeks (ours certainly did) so it could be he's building to that and will calm down once its passed. If it doesn't subside after a couple of weeks and you are still worried, I'd spk to your hv if you feel comfortable doing that or look to wean him off one of the night feeds and try and combine it with one of the others if you think you're prepared to do that (means a few unsettled nights)