Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

can a 6wk old BF baby do 4 hourly feeding routine???

37 replies

Tigerlily1 · 22/12/2009 21:04

I have a book which i am advised that if i follow this routine my baby will be able to sleep through the night at 6wks and be in a 4 hourly feeding pattern. My ds is 5wks old and i have been bf on demand and he probably goes a couple of hours between feeds but sometimes he wants more. how can a bf baby get into a routine without some degree of being left to cry? my other ds is nearly 3 and i bf him on demand but it's harder with two, can't nap when they nap etc.
has anyone got their 6wk old bf baby into a routine? i would be very interested in all your mn wisdom!! thanks.

OP posts:

PurpleCrazyHorse · 23/12/2009 10:53

I got given BabyWise and it just made me cry As a first time mum with no clue we didn't know what to do with DD and she ended up overtired and unable to feed due to her crying so much. I've never been so low.

We feed on demand although I do keep an eye on the clock as if she sounds hungry not long after a feed DD is usually tired instead. At 4 months, she only goes 2-2.5hrs between feeds and sometimes sleeps 7hrs at night (7pm-2am).

She's now a bouncing baby, with a BF chubbiness to her and we're all much happier. Ditch the book!

LeoniedElf · 23/12/2009 11:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Tryharder · 23/12/2009 11:08

When I see threads about books like this, I get really sad for all the babies that have been subjected to horrific feeding schedules and stupid routines whereby they are left to cry it out in cots.

My mum used to come out with things like "are you feeding that baby again - babies should be fed every four hours" and "why are you feeding him - he's not screaming". We eventually had a barny and she knows better than to say anything now on the subject of infant feeding.

FWIW I have been in work for 4 hours and have already had 2 cups of coffee, a glass of water, a cheese and onion pasty, a a very large cookie and 4 quality street.... And yet a baby is supposed to exist for that long on a few ounces of milk.

Original poster

Tigerlily1 · 23/12/2009 11:13

thanks everyone and purple, consider it ditched!

tiktok -you seem to be the oracle on bf from what i've seen on other threads so i would love to hear more from you. do u think i should just bf on demand then, day and night? also, i think ds may be about to go into a growth spurt - he'll be 6wks on sunday. any advice on dealing with growth spurts and how long do they last?

OP posts:

LeoniedElf · 23/12/2009 11:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

WoTmania · 23/12/2009 12:46

6 wk growth spurt . My advice would be to stock up on snacks, buy a tome of a book and prepare yourself for a day or three in bed/on the sofa.
But you'll get through it. I personally found it a good excuse to go to bed at 7.30 and read for hours

tiktok · 23/12/2009 12:59

Babies vary in the intensity and frequency with which they need to feed - I think there is very little research that shows this happens at predictable 'growth spurt' times. They just need to feed not simply to grow, but to comfort, to connect, to experience closeness and love and to satisfy immediate needs for food and drink.

None of these very human needs can be scheduled or time tabled...any more than you can or should put a time table kisses, hugs, cuddles, conversation or any other human or social interaction with people you care about.

I think 'demand feeding' is a horrible expression...think of 'responsive feeding' instead

Babies wants and the same as their needs - this is not the case for toddlers, always, but it is for babies

tiktok · 23/12/2009 13:00

last sentence: wants and = wants are

shonaspurtle · 23/12/2009 13:16

I think the every four hours thing was the end of bf for many mothers in the 70s and probably where all those "I didn't have enough milk", "My milk was too watery", "My milk wasn't rich enough" stories come from.

For what it's worth, my mother bf both my brother and me four-hourly and we were ok, but then from what she's told me she shared the over-supply problem that I had and so was able to sustain this artificial extending of feeds.

And of course we were weaned pretty early.

lucky1979 · 23/12/2009 13:32

My 7 week old DD has about 3 hours between feeds (sometimes a bit more, sometimes only 2 but in general I think its about 3) and she goes about 6 hours between feeds at night, although she amazed me last night going from 9PM to 5:30AM so might be going for a bit longer now were getting her reflux under control and she can keep more down.

I can't imagine her going for 4 hours though, or not feeding her when shes hungry!

Tryharder · 23/12/2009 14:16

You are indeed lucky by name and lucky by nature. When DS2 was 7 weeks old, he went about 3 minutes between feeds.

missjackson · 23/12/2009 15:36

tiktok that's lovely, responsive feeding rather than demand. I will remember that one, thanks .

tryharder I agree, I feel too for all the babies left to cry or left hungry for another 20 minutes or so (must feel like forever to a baby who has no concept of time - or a watch) until the next official feeding time.

You know, I was just thinking this morning, how sick I am of having to explain my approach to bringing up my baby as 'attachment parenting' - I might start adding - 'it's basically the way that 99.99% of babies around the world and throughout time got brought up until some weird Victorians came up with some ridiculous ideas about routines'.

Sorry for rant.... Congratulations tigerlily on your newborn - sounds like you are doing a great job, so hope you enjoy this precious time

Flip

1 2