Feeding on a schedule (sort of)

[Anon987654]

I know this is HIGHLY controversial but... My mum did it for all of her kids, my sister did for one of hers... Anyone who does this still and if so why?

After a multitude of feeding issues and poor weight gain as a one off I fed 4 hourly today and it's the most my LO has consumed ever.

We are awaiting a dietician appointment but this is the only thing I haven't tried. I think she's been so confused and not settled into any kind of routine, hunger cues have become non existant I had to do something.

I'm not going to do a strict schedule but roughly stick to something and OBVIOUSLY FEED MORE INBETWEEN IF SHE INDICATES SHE WANTS IT.

But really interested to gear if anyone sort of does the same?

If she isn’t distressed between feeds I don’t see that it’s a problem.

My LO got into the 4 hour routine himself and we stuck to it from there.
How old is she?
How long between does she normally go?

A feeding schedule was literally the only way I could get my DD to have her milk. DS was a little better but he still preferred the structure. Both of mine were total routine babies for everything (and even now at 7&3!), and if it works then it works.

If she's not upset then go for it!

She's almost 3 months. No I wouldn't make her wait for a feed if she wanted one.
Problem is I've got into a right confusion with how long she goes between feeds, it's so mixed up. I've always offered milk immediately after a nap and these are relatively consistent but she's been taking 30 mls here and there sometimes more like 60, occasionally 90 but she's been refusing the bottle in between feeds recently, hence dietician involvement for that and other things. Today every four hours she's taken a full feed of 120ml, should be 150 but I'll try upping it tomorrow.

Tbh my LO at 3 months got into the 4 hourly routine.
I would try again tomorrow if she's taking the bigger feeds.
Write down the times when she has one so you don't forget, easily done I know, my notes section was full of bottle times 😂

@Purple21
Thanks, don't feel so much of a bad mum now... Overall if she's eating more it's obviously better!

Not a bad mum at all!!
Good luck for tomorrow and hope she has another good day of feeding, I bet your over the moon with how much she has had. Well done

Mine were 3-4 hourly at that age
More consistently 4 hourly after 4 months

I think people get a bit about feeding schedules if parents are refusing to feed their babies in between ‘scheduled’ feeds, so denying a baby feeds. But you’re doing the opposite of that, you’re doing every four hours as a minimum, and then more if she needs it. It sounds like you’re doing a great job, it must be really hard if you can’t get her to take much milk.

I bf my babies on schedule after about 8 weeks, I do offer Breast if it’s clear they want it but it’s rare they do. Baby has regular feeds, regular naps and I’ve found it makes for a content baby and easier to problem solve if baby is unhappy. Do a routine and be prepared that the odd day baby will have different ideas....but in general they will fall into routine!