Finishing a bottle

[peachesandpippin]

I've just started formula feeding my baby and he won't finish a bottle every time making his feed times shorter. When he was breast fed he would go 4 hours. Is it because I've changed his routine or that we need to be more persistent with his bottle? He takes it fine by the way we have no issues with him having a bottle it's just like he's full and doesn't want more but it doesn't last him long enough.

How old is he and how much is he drinking?

Are you winding him half way through?

@Vicky1989x he's 8 weeks old and has a 6oz bottle, he usually drinks between 4/5oz but this weeks he's cried and had 7oz a couple of times. I'd just like to be in more of a routine so we can go to classes and to see people.

He isn’t supposed to finish a bottle. He is suppose to stop when he has had enough. If he did finish a bottle then you should offer more.

4 hours is a very long time to go between a feed at that age.

4 hours is a long time between feeds. 2½- 3 hours between feeds is perfectly normal for that age group. And if you need to go out take an empty bottle and a small carton of formula with you. 8 week old babies don't really have a routine so you'll just have to play it by ear.

You need to adapt to him not the other way round. Four hours is too long his tummy isn't that big!

When you BF you don’t know how much they are taking, it’s the same with FF. They’ll take what they need but should feed on demand. If they drain bottles consistently, up it an oz.. they should never finish a bottle.

I always feed on demand I was just wondering if he was supposed to finish a bottle as none of my family have ever bottle fed so it's all new to us.
My health visitor and breastfeeding lady said it's normal to go 4 hours from 6 weeks which is right for my baby.
I don't force food on him or make him wait to be fed.
It was more the fact he sometimes has 3oz sometimes 5oz. I was just seeing if it was normal for him to do it and I wasn't starving him.

My 2 were 4 months old before they went 4 hours between feeds. Yes it's normal for them to take different amounts in each bottle too

Feeding on demand means they feed when they want and have as much as they want.

@Duracellbunnywannabe I'm well aware of what feeding on demand means! I was just asking for some friendly advice as I'm a new mum and new to bottle feeding and wanted to know if babies should finish a bottle which clearly they shouldn't. I'm happy to feed my baby every hour if that's what he wants, I was making sure I'm feeding my baby correctly as the last thing I want is for him to be hungry or over fed.

I think you are taking this the wrong way. Obviously there is no tone over text and it’s hard work being a new Mum so this is understandable. But neither I or others have written anything opinion based or judgement. We have just answered the question you have asked.

Look at how much he has over the course of the day rather than fretting over the individual bottles.

If he finishes a bottle you should offer some more but otherwise it's not important that he finishes 6oz every time he drinks.

I'm not getting why he needs to be in a feeding routine for classes and visiting though? Nearly every class I went to with DD someone stopped to feed their baby, and just make sure you take a sterilised bottle and some formula (the little ready made bottles are perfect for this).

@stackhead I don't need him in a routine I was just worried I was under or over feeding but it's really helped reading that it's normal for him to eat smaller amounts throughout the day. I think I've just been comparing it all to mum friends that have the 'Instagram' life.