3 week old always ravenous

[Ahorsecalledseptember]

My 3 week old baby is fed with expressed breast milk and formula. He has one 90 ml expressed breast milk feed followed by 90 ml formula and so on.

Everything I’ve read indicates he should be able to go 3-4 hours between feeds. But after two he is rooting frantically and after two and a half crying.

Obviously I feed him but it is a bit exhausting. I’ve tried offering him a bit more but he doesn’t take it or is sick.

It’s normal

Totally normal unfortunately! It's a shock to the system. Mine has only just started going 3-4 hours at five months sorry. He used to manage an hour or two at the most.

I've learnt that a lot of baby feeding and sleep information online is rubbish!

Thanks, I was starting to wonder if I’d given birth to a baby elephant disguised as a baby human! So I should be looking at 2-3 hours rather than 3-4? This is where just breastfeeding is easier as I know you can’t over feed a breastfed baby but it isn’t as clear cut for formula and not clear at all when they have both!

My baby is 4 weeks and I feed him when he's hungry, so that could be two hours or 4 hours when I wake him at that point if he's been asleep during the day. It always averages out to 7/8 feeds a day but never the same amount of time between feeds.

Sorry he's combi fed as well, he's on full formula but has it supplemented while breastfeeding.

Mine were fed every two hours at that age, plus a period if an actual 2 hour long feeding sesh in the evening, cluster feeding.

Totally normal, it does get better at some point

Thanks, I was prepared for the endless feeds for breastfeeding, it’s just when he’s rooting around and it feels like he’s literally just been fed! I’ve probably tried too hard to keep him on a schedule, should relax and go with what he wants a bit more.

I think 3 hours would be lucky at that age. I'd aim for every 2 hours minimum tbh. You might need baby to feed as often as they want for a while to build your supply first.

Sometimes during growth spurts they just want to feed all day! Literally 12-14+ hours

Oh and mine headbuttsroots constantly still, even after a feed. I think nursing is like a cuddle to them so baby might just want the comfort. Either that or they can smell the milk!

He isn’t breastfed tomato

Sorry, mine is combi fed but missed the expressing part- very sleep deprived! Maybe a dummy would help?

Babieslike small frequent feeds. If you are worried that his in take is too muchyou could di smaller bottles mire frequently.

Normal. 3-4 hours would be unusual except perhaps a longer stretch at night