Baby bottle feeding timing issues

[Ponocky]

My DS (and first baby) is 17 days old and is exclusively bottle fed. Initially, for around the first week, he would take a full feed and sleep for around 3-4 hours. Then one day I misread his cues and fed him a bottle (soon after already having given him one) when he actually needed a nappy change instead. He threw up both feeds and ever since then it's been a slippery slope.

He hasn't taken a full feed since. He feeds little and often and won't settle inbetween because he's never full. Or he'll take an 1.5 hours to finish his bottle (lots of pausing with it in his mouth and screaming if you take it away because you wrongly assume he's done), sleep for 20 minutes and then wake again at the 2 hour mark wanting another feed.

I've been so patient with him but I'm starting to crack through tiredness and frustration.

The last 24 hours he's barely slept and wants feeding every hour on the hour.

Is there anything I can do?

I think it's quite normal sorry! Be glad it's not twins.
Have you spoken to the health visitor?

I met the health visitor for the first time Wednesday but I think she was pressed for time. She'd ask questions but not really want to discuss my answers, instead just saying everything was fine or normal before moving onto her next question, even if I wanted to discuss things further. That and I was a bit weepy and put all my concerns down to baby blues.

Sorry to say, but it sounds fairly normal. Babies often want to feed little and often, it won't be down to anything you've done or not done. Breastfed babies will cluster feed as you've described to boost the supply of milk, and I suppose formula fed ones will do it too.

Will he sleep if you go out in the pram?

I don't think it's down to anything you have done. It's just a natural thing. Baby doesn't know he's bottle fed so he can may well be following his natural urges to boost your milk supply and cluster feed.

Thanks for saying it's probably not my fault. I've been beating myself up about that, along with everything else!

I did wonder if he was cluster feeding but didn't know if formula fed babies did that. Like you say though, I guess he can't tell the difference.

He does sleep if I put him in his pram and take him for a walk. Im struggling to do that though atm. Ive only managed 3 walks so far but it's because I can't walk too far. I'm recovering from a third degree tear so my stitches mean I'm still shuffling rather than walking and I also can't be too far from a loo...

Have you tried just pushing the pram back and forth in your living room?

I have but it doesn't seem to do much. It stops him whining but it doesn't make him sleep. I think it's the lumps, bumps and vibrations that make him sleep in the pram when walking as car journeys have the same effect. He's also got a rocking stand for his Moses basket but it doesn't make him sleep, which is a shame because he rocks himself when he's in it! Very low effort on my part!