any advice for a grazing baby?

[laulea82]

My little boy is 16 weeks old. He's 50/50 expressed breast milk and formula. He takes 45+ oz over 24 hours so plenty. Plus he has 2-3 breast feeds today. He's gaining weight well and is healthy bar bad eczema.

The problem is he snacks all day and night! He goes 1.5-2hrs during the day and 3 at night. He feeds 9-12 times a day taking 2-4oz each feed.

I have friends who whose babies eat 5-6 bottles of 7-8oz. Is this just the way my boy is or is there any strategies I can try?
Any tips gratefully received.

[HandbagFan]

Not much help here - my 10wk old DS takes 4/5ozs at a time every three hours - but it sounds like yours is having A LOT of milk!

I thought 32ozs was about the maximum for babies up to 6m old?

This link backs it up - www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Amount-and-Schedule-of-Formula-Feedings.aspx

Not being critical or suggesting your baby should be fed less, just genuinely amazed st how much your baby is eating a day!

[laulea82]

Thanks. Yes it is a lot! Health visitor said its fine. He's following the same centile from birth isn't over or under weight. He's always been a hungry baby! A hungry baby with a tiny tummy!

[lalath]

My 11-week-old is the same, although she's ebf. But she feeds about 17 times in a 24 hour period - and I keep reading that they typically feed 8-12 times!

She goes 3-4 hours at night, but during the day will go 45 minutes - 2hours (and 2 hours is rare).

Hoping she'll grow out of it soon . . .

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

DD2 was formula fed, and fed 2 hourly day and night until 6 months, 3-4 oz at a time. Could never get her to take a bit more and space it out, she just eventually did it herself when she refused all milk before Xmas

I think it's actually pretty common and HV prefer babies to be fed on demand than on a schedule, and I agree.

Keep doing what you are doing, he'll soon let you know when he's ready for a change

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

As for the amount of feed, my HV told me if your baby was 9lb at birth, that's 36oz a day that they need, 4x their weight. No idea if this is right or not.

When I breastfed DD1 I never knew how much she was taking, so it was a bit different FF as you can see it, you worry about it!

[MigGril]

He's not snacking, he's showing a normal feeding pattern for a breatfed baby. I'd say well done you've managed to reposns feed with a bottle. Most breatfed babies won't take more then 4oz at a time if given a bottle. Hence them feeding 10-12 times in 24 hours.

This is really good for your baby, your doing a great job hear well done.

[Suzietwo]

If it isn't bothering you then let it happen

If it is (and it would me) then extend the time between his feeds, let him grizzle etc and aim for 4 hourly feeds. As to how you do that, well, it's not very fashionable but leaving them to cry works, as does distracting them with a change of environment. Celebrate small 10 min extensions and don't be over anbitious.

[laulea82]

Thank you everyone. It is just a case of my convenience and I sound selfish. I'm just painfully tired and it's starting to get me down. I am feeding on demand because until a few weeks ago he was breast fed and that's how I breastfed. I don't mind if he wants to during the day but sleep longer than three hours at night.
He's too young to leave crying or let him go hungry. Think I will try distracting and get longer so he will take more. Might be a slow process.

[Suzietwo]

Good luck! It's the Tiny decisions you make which will help. Finishing a cup of tea or going for a wee before you feed. Getting supper in the oven and turning him watch you. Change the music to something unexpected for 5 mins. All helps

[Junosmum]

Sounds normal to me! I understand what you mean though! My DS goes 1.5 -3 hours between feeds day and night. He's exclusively breastfed and a bottle refuser and I feel very trapped at times.

[laulea82]

Thank you all
Suzietwo that's great advice. If at each feed he waits an extra five minutes eventually he will go longer and eat more I guess.

[Newlywed56]

Mine fed (bf) every 90 minutes for the first 5 months.... It nearly killed me lol

[CaptainWarbeck]

Normal I think, although hard for you. And if he's going through a growth spurt he'll drink more, it's not as easy as calculating one single amount for every day.