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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

how many bfs a day for a 4-month-old

15 replies

camflower · 20/12/2009 12:27

thought i'd do a straw poll to see what the consensus is . if babies are supposed to be able to go longer between feeds as they get older is that because they are able to extract milk from the breast more efficiently? is it different for every baby or is there a general rule of thumb, such as the 10-12 feeds for newborn?

OP posts:

CoonRapids · 20/12/2009 13:37

It may be because their tummies are bigger so can hold more milk, hence longer between feeds? Feeds may be shorter as they feed more efficiently. I have a 4 mo old who probably feeds around 7/8 times in 24 hours.

Original poster

camflower · 20/12/2009 15:35

i guess i am somewhere in that ballpark. mine likes to have an hour-long feed in the middle of the night!

OP posts:

olivo · 20/12/2009 20:43

hmm, DD si 4mo and probably feeds every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day, but after 6pm feed, has ebm at 10, and feeds again at 6.30a.m. she sometimes wants more late afternoon though. so in total, maybe 7 or 8 as well.

thisisyesterday · 20/12/2009 20:49

ds2 was feeding every hour or so, day and night at that age

ds3, every 2-3 hours

lowrib · 20/12/2009 20:58

Sorry I genuinely can't answer, as I didn't count so I don't know! Instead I trusted that nature has programmed babies to ask for what they need, and I simply fed DS when he asked for it. I found this approach worked really well for us.

ZippysMum · 21/12/2009 01:24

My 13 week old twins are bf on demand and haveabout 9 feeds in 24 hrs. About 2 hourly in the daytime and they go 8pm-1am ish and 2am-5am.

Samantha28 · 21/12/2009 01:31

same as lowrib

newkiwi · 21/12/2009 02:35

Here in NZ they recommend 3 hourly feeds at about 3 months so I was doing (plus or minus an hour!) 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm plus a dream feed at 10.30/11.

By four months they say that babies have bigger stomachs and can cope with longer intervals but get the same amount of milk. I changed when DD started waking at night. So she then did: 7am, 11am, 3pm, 6.30/7pm plus a dream feed which she dropped at about 6 months.

DD has always thrived on a regular interval. I'm not that strict on it but she is predictable within 15 mins either side.

FuckingNinkyNonk · 21/12/2009 03:19

Every couple of hours. The answer to your question is to feed on demand. You'll find that the number of bfs per day depends entirely on the day. It is the only way to ensure that they get what they need.

FWIW however, at 4 months the do the regression to newborn hell thing which is tough, but entirely normal and a good thing, although it doesn't seem like it.

Forcing a routine on them is daft. Do you go regularly 3 hours without a sip of a drink or a snack?

newkiwi · 21/12/2009 04:42

I think all babies are different- and the OP should do what she is comfortable with and what works for her. But the OP did ask what other people did.

I was told babies take 3 hours to digest after a feed. So if they have a good long feed, they should be able to go that long before the next one. I didn't feel like I forced a routine on DD. The transition between 3 and 4 hours was easy - I just increased her interval a little over a week or so. She's a happy wee soul and doesn't cry a lot. If she was crying for food, I'd feed her.

ParanoidAtAllTimes · 21/12/2009 05:12

Definately newborn regression here- at least 2 hourly feeds day and night! Only just back to 3 hourly now ds is 5mo.

FuckingNinkyNonk · 21/12/2009 17:28

newkiwi I wasn't criticising you and it does sound like you and your lo have negotiated something that keeps you both happy. It isn't very usual though and often parents that try it go through hell and back and feel like a failure.

You may have been told that babies take 3 hours to digest food, but I'm afraid it is as bollocks as saying that all babies should be on the 50th percentile. The only way to know, and to really know that your baby is getting what it needs is to feed on demand. If your baby was easy to get into a routine, it is simply down to the fact that they weren't particularly bothered outside of these times, which is as fine as being happy that your baby IS on the 50th percentile iygwim.

To the OP. If you need to book yourself a window of peace occassionally, simply offer a feed before it is demanded. You can usually get away with it.

banbomamma · 21/12/2009 17:40

Hi- my baby doesn't seem to cry for food much (don't get me wrong, she cries, but mainly when she's tired), so I had to go for feeding her at regular intervals to ensure she was getting enough. I have followed the baby whisperer's advice and now she's four months old, go for 4 hourly feeding which seems to work for us.

cassell · 21/12/2009 17:49

at 4mo ds was feeding about 10 times in 24hrs, even now at 8mo he still feeds every couple of hours (except at night) - no nice 4 hourly routine for him!

Original poster

camflower · 21/12/2009 18:10

fuckingninkynonk - the offering feed thing is a good ruse. my ds isn't usually one to turn down a free meal! he is just learning to roll over so his feeds/sleeps are a bit all over the place at the moment

OP posts:

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