Bottle fed baby 'snacking' at night

[Cj1981]

DS is 8 weeks old and formula fed (anti reflux formula). He has never been a great feeder and generally speaking I wake him every 3 hours in the day a) to try and 'tank him up' so he'll sleep longer at night and b) because the formula takes time to prepare so it's easier if I know when to prepare it.

During the day he will take 3 or 4oz per feed and until recently this was the same at night (he wakes 3-3.5 hourly). Over the last few nights however he will only take an oz or so before falling asleep and then wakes 2 hours later wanting more food only to fall asleep again an oz later. I try waking him so that he'll take more but it doesn't work.

Consequently, I feel like I'm up all night feeding him, using umpteen bottles and wasting lots of formula. I've tried settling him in other ways but he'll only go back to sleep for 10 mins or so before waking again. I wonder therefore whether he's really hungry and whether I should try just giving him a drink of water so that he builds up an appetite and is more likely to take a full feed next time he wakes - hopefully leading to longer periods between night feeds. Any advice or similar experiences would be much appreciated.

he's only 8 weeks! his pattern will change again in a couple of weeks so I wouldn't do water instead at night just yet personally

I personally wouldn't be giving water at such a young age. Their tummies are tiny and they need milk not water. I think I've read somewhere it can mess with electrolytes too.

Would he be taking in a lot of wind that is filling his tummy up? How is he when he is feeding - like is sucking for ages but not taking a lot of milk? Dd did that and I've moved her up a teat which has helped tremendously. I think she was sucking too hard on the teat, not getting much out but it was tiring her out.

I understand where you are coming from. Dd occasionally has days and nights were she snacks all day and night and it gets frustrating but moving to the 3+ teat has helped (she's 9 weeks). The snacking tends to just be a bit of a blip and she goes back to feeding well after a couple of days.

Babies do not need water until they are six months old and in fact it could be dangerous.

The feeding pattern you're describing in all honesty sounds normal and I would just feed on demand.

As for wastage, maybe buy the small cartons of ready made formula for night time until he starts taking fuller bottles again. Means you can just use small amounts, give some more if needed, without throwing out whole bottles.