Question on formula feeding: 9 wk old feeding every 3 hours round the clock, how to get him to go every 4 hours?

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

I have a 9 week old ds who we are feeding SMA gold, the tub says he should be having 6 bottles containing 5oz a day for his weight/age, which works out at every 4 hours, but he's having 8 bottles a day every 3 hours, and can't seem to take more than about 4 oz usually. He will take 5oz eventually but often brings an ounce back up, which suggests he only wants/needs 4oz.

So should I be using the hungrier baby milk to make him go 4 hours?

He's also still breastfeeding on and off throughout the day for comfort/to get to sleep/when he's peckish/when I'm engorged. I don't want to overfeed him, he has put on a LOT of weight in the past fortnight which on one hand is great because he lost a lot of weight in the beginning and now has caught up (I think he's about 11lb which I know is fine for his age) but I don't want him to get overweight because of my ignorance on formula feeding.

So should I just be led by him and continue feeding 3 hourly round the clock? or should I try SMA white or another hungry baby formula, and hope his feeds space out a bit? Thanks!

Be led by him and feed him when he is hungry - regardless of bottle or boob. He is still teeny TBH.

Babies donlt read the tins ! tbh if he is happy takign less , mroe foten go with it , he will space out as his tummy grows and you'll find him draining the bottle. Hungrier baby milk isn't the solution as he'll probably just take less overall.

3 hourly feeding is normal really. My ds never went to 4 hourly feeding until he was 4 months old although by then he was sleeping a little longer at night.

he won't get overweight - babies just sick up what they've overfed

agree with others - be led by him

As others have said - 3 hourly feeds totally normal at this age.

Don't try and stretch him out yet - he'll let you know when he's ready to go longer.

Forget what it says on the tin - he'll take what he needs.

Hi banana. Ds is hungry every 2-3 hours during the day. He normally has about 4oz but a couple of times a day he takes 6oz. If I try to get him to take more he just brings it back up again. I had considered giving him hungry baby but I've decided to continue to feed on demand. It can be a bit of a pain when I want to go out cos by the time I've fed him, had breakfast, washed and got his sister ready he wants more but I think it's better to let them tell you when they're hungry.

Feeding on demand is the way to go - even if it can seem inconvenient at times.

If you try and live your life by what it says on the tin you are doomed!!! My lo used to have feeds every two hours in the morning, then a gap of five hours, then he changed again...I just followed his lead, quickly enough they settle in to their own little pattern but just forget the clock if you can. The one thing you will find is that just as you think you have it sussed they change again.

Thanks folks! (hi gill!)

I will perservere with demand feeding him then, it makes sense. It wasn't so much that it's an inconvenience during the day, but after 9 weeks of very little sleep (me and everyone who's ever had a baby, I know!!!) it'd be nice if his feeds started to space out a bit since I never get a chance to recoup any sleep and the tiredness is making me clumsy and forgetful. This week I have managed to spill three hot drinks and pour a bowl of scalding hot porridge straight from the microwave all over myself, resulting in some nasty burns.

I'm becoming a liability, I'm so scared that next time I'll end up spilling a drink on ds, or slipping on the stairs with him or something. The thought makes me nauseous!

Sorry, no advice except to reiterate what the others said, but wanted to sympathise. lack of sleep is dreadful. Re the spilling you should invest in a thermal mug with a lid - great for drinking while holding the baby and means your tea stays hot! DH and i both have berghaus mugs for this very reason!