Time between feeds

[strawberrycake]

(I ff)

Everyone keeps mentioning that babies should feed every 3/4 hours. Why? GF states that it's because it takes 3 hours to digest milk. My ds doesn't operate this way, he's a snacker of up to 70-90ml at a time, but more frequently. I'm going with the flow (see my previous thread about bottle refusal of the last two weeks!) but he's always done this from birth. It's not that he not hungry either, even his first bottle of the morning at 7am is consumed in two halves an hour apart. He only takes the second half if offered generally though and can do without and drop off without it, though appears after an hour happy to have it.

No one who knows the least bit of info about infant feeding says babies 'should' feed every 3-4 hours.

If anyone says that to you, or you read it, it's a quick guide to their rubbish knowledge about normal baby development, needs and behaviour :)

I would not take seriously anything they said about anything after that!

Have a look at the Unicef Baby Friendly leaflet:

Here is some info from that source:

How often should bottle?fed babies feed?

All babies should be fed ?on?demand? regardless of the milk they are receiving.

Parents should be reassured that the ?guide? section on the tin or packet does not have to be followed without question. The information on the formula tins or cartons often suggests feeding infants higher volumes of milk, less frequently, than is suggested by health professionals or experienced by parents who feed ?on-demand?.

Newborn babies may take quite small volumes to start with, but by the end of the first week of life most babies will ask for approximately 150?200ml per kg per day ? although this will vary from baby to baby ? until they are six months old.

Parents may need to be advised against overfeeding, particularly against giving lots of milk in one feed in the hope that the baby will go longer between feeds.

The baby is more likely to put on too much weight (or to be sick) if he is given more milk than he wants.

Hum I could never understand mum's trying to force large bottle of formula down there babies in order for them to go longer between feeds.

Surly as they have tinny tummy's even bottle fed babies should have smaller feeds more offtern.

Nice to hear. I wondered if there was a real reason. I don't care if he snacks all day, not exactly hard to whip a bottle out for him if it's what he wants, no harder than a cuddle!