Formula feeding 7 week old - routines

[Tryingno1]

I have a 7 week old I am exclusively formula feeding. He’s having 120 mls (4 oz) every 3 hours.

I don’t understand how people do routines? He will sometimes do 3, sometimes 4 sometimes 3.5. Therefore by end of day his bed time may be 6,7,8 and wake up time the same. I am feeding on demand basically.

Do other people who have routines just give the bottle to the baby at set times even if baby is asleep / Not asked for it? I want to start a routine so wake up time and bed time is the same etc.

Also when he will he go 4 hours ?!

[dementedpixie]

Mine didn't go to 4 hours until after about 4 months.

[Merida83]

I have a 10 week old, exclusively formula fed. We have no routine. I've tried and she's said no chance😂

She doesn't have/take the same amount each feed. Can be anything from 60mls to 160 mls. And she often splits her feeding in 2 parts. So we just feed on demand.
And so sadly cannot get any set bedtime routine going. Most she sleeps over night is 3 hours straight.

[BeanSprout79]

I have found my people!! My ds is nearly 11 weeks and is the same. One day is never the same. I'm feeding on demand as been told that he's too young yet for a routine. He does like pp and sometimes takes 60mls and sometimes 120mls and even breaks up the feeds having some straight away and some a bit later on. It's very hard work especially as he is VERY fussy when eating, hv seems to think he may be lactose intolerant so speaking to doc today to hopefully get something sorted.
The only routine my hv suggested was to do a bath/change, story and feed and then down for bed (put in Moses basket and turn the lights down). He seems to respond to that but still only lets me have 3 hours between feeds!!

[Tryingno1]

This is reassuring! On mumsnet all u read is my lo eats at
X
Y
Z

I’m like how do u do it?!

And some of friends r saying theirs went 4-5 hours now!

We have had a 4 hour stint twice but never again!

[Merida83]

It's nice to know we are not alone xx

[FartnissEverbeans]

I thought the same thing about people on Mumsnet who post their babies' feeding times. I don't get it!

DS is almost 14mo now - he was exclusively formula fed and he never went to a four hour routine. I fed him roughly every three hours til we started dropping bottles (although the illusion of a routine goes out the window every time he has a growth spurt, and when they start eating solids it becomes mildly chaotic) but in the early weeks it was on demand. I found offering formula quite often during the day meant that he would sleep really well at night.

[FartnissEverbeans]

Also, DS wasn't a big baby and is still below the 50th centile for weight (he's tall though), so it's not like he was eating loads and loads by having three hourly feeds.

[BertieBotts]

Three hours is pretty good going! :) If you think about it, milk is everything to them - meal, drink, snack, comforter. I don't know many adults who would happily go four hours (in the day) without so much as a cup of tea.

[Tryingno1]

Fartniss when you dropped a bottle was ur lo having more in the day? So bigger bottles? I can’t imagine it ever happening for us! He did do one 4 hour stretch last night but also one 2.5 and one 3.

[Urglewurgle]

I could actually cry (with relief) reading this thread! DD is 12 weeks and grazes. She's 'supposed' to have 5Oz but like PP will have 1Oz here and there. She'll have 3Oz at most and still wakes at least every 4 hours. We generally get a big stretch first then it's maybe every 2 hours and she'll have 1oz each time.

People always ask if 'she's due a feed' and and I know about 8 other babies born about the same time and see all these posts saying 'I slept through the night' photos and just worry I'm doing something wrong.