advice on feeding routine

[issywoo]

my ds is 10 weeks old and is on the 75th centile for weight which is odd as he doesn't seem to drink that much in a day. he is on a 3 hourly routine and roughly feeds at 4am, 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 11.30pm (dh wakes him. he generally only takes 4-5 oz except at the 4pm when he takes nearer 7oz. naturally i am keen for him to kick the 4am habit but because he doesn't seem to drink loads during the day it seems unlikely he go a long stretch in the night - should i move him to a 4 hourly routine or forget routines altogether? he tends to have ebm at the 7pm feed.

Issywoo,

Do you actually wake him up at 4:00am for the feed or is he waking himself up? I think with my dd (who is now 8 months old) I got into the habit of pre-empting her 4:00 feed just because she was making snuffly noises in her moses basket and I didn't want it to explode into full blown crying and wake up DH. It was only when I went to stay with my sister for a week (without dh) that I no longer cared about the noises, managed to ignore her myself and then all of a sudden she extended her sleep to 5am on the second night, 6am on the third and then 630, etc. and we didn't look back.

IME he'll just drop the 4am naturally when he's ready. My ds started sleeping through at 11 weeks of his own accord and his routine was v. similar to this. We did however always try and get as much in him as poss at the 11pm feed, tickle him to keep awake, etc.

Hi Issywoo - you've the same dilema as me!

DD is 12 wks now and is still feeding whenever - usually 2/3 hourly, sometimes four if we're lucky and taking anywhere btween 4-6oz. Will have between 25-35oz per day.

Told my h/v on Mon that was concerned she was still drinking so frequently and she said dont worry just feed as and when. Yet my friend who has a 3 week old baby was advised by her h/v that her baby should be fed every 4 hours! So I think it depends who u speak to!

DD feed times are almost identical to yours except she doesnt have 11.30pm feed - she sleeps from 7pm and doesnt wake for feed till between 4 and 6am.

IME I wouldnt worry about routines at this time - hes still very young. As long as hes gaining weight hes doing well.

As for dropping 4am feed- I would just try and offer him less in the night so its not worth him waking up for. Hopefully one day he wont bother!I know getting up in the night is a pain, but it doesnt last forever. DD been sleeping through since 9 weeks now. It just kind of happens all of a sudden. But thats not written in stone - she still wakes sometimes. hth

issywoo i never folowed the routine if he was hungry i fed him and he didnt start sleeping through the night until he started on solids at 15 weeks i was told in the hospital not to d four hour routines because some children found it hard to break the night time feed because they were doing it out of habit (god and thats true)if he's takeing four to five oz feeds i wouldnt worry to much mine was taking 2 to 3 oz at a push

thanks for all your messages. last night we didn't wake him at 11.30 but he woke at 12.30 anyway and took 6oz but still woke at 4.20am and took 6oz but at 7.30 am only wanted 4oz. today we moved him onto a 4 hourly routine and tried to keep him up more so he went to bed exhausted at 7.30pm having taken only 3oz! i think we're making a real hash of this.
i just don't understand why when he is such a big boy he doesn't actually eat that much in a 24 hr period. i thought they were meant to have 2.5oz times their weight and he's over 14lbs!
his sister used to guzzle milk like there was no tomorrow and she slept thru at 11 weeks.........
tomorrow we are going to move him into a cot and see if that helps.......

Issywoo ... I think that dropping the 11.30 feed is why your DS still woke at 12.30 ...
I think your original routine sounded good and your DS will drop the 4am feed of his own accord ... 10 weeks is still quite young to expect him to sleep through.
My DD is a big baby and I always think that she doesn't have enough but she obviously does as she sleeps well usually (she is breastfed so it is impossible to tell how much she has had).
I persevered and then at 11 weeks she dropped the 4am of her own accord ... I was expecting her to keep it going for longer. The fact that she is in her own room next door to ours helps as I don't hear every murmur and think she is hungry.
I think you should keep going with your original routine and trust your DS to drop that feed on his own ...

Having problems with breastfeeding. 3rd child so should know about such things!! H is 11 weeks and fine feeding it is my breast that are very sore - the bit around the nipple has red almost blister like abrasions and where the nipple joins the breast has split - OW!!! no other symptons, done the cream for thrush thing and also AB's no improvement! Would love to continue Breast feeding. Can anyone help suggest ways forawrd.

sorry - must have pressed the wrong button - new to mumsnet will try shout for help via the 'new conversation' button!

To issywoo,
Im the same.Mine is a big baby and gaining half pound a wk but only takes 26-30ounces a day.MMM! Did u read that in GF's book about 2 1/2 per 1b of body weight? Me 2. I dont get it.It just confirms that every baby is so different. How many bowel movements does urs have a day. Mines only once.Maybe that has a little to do with it.Who knows.
I feed 4 hourly.Only just started.3mths old.Trying hard to get a routine.Keeps waking between 4&6 really hungry!!! I will feed him but then he does not want even an ounce @ 7 so that mucks up the day.Each day I try so hard,offering water even well diluted apple juice when he wakes but he is not stupid, he wants milk!!! If I do not give milk he will not settle so then it mucks up his naps in the day. OOOH I just cant get it right!!! Soz,almost had enough!!!