4 week old changed overnight-feeding/sleeping!

[Smerlin]

Hi I'm after yet more advice! My 4 week old seems to have changed routine overnight! From 2-4 weeks she was feeding 7-8 times a day (every 2-4 hrs) and taking 90-110ml of expressed breast milk per feed. After each feed she would cry for a while (poss. silent reflux acc to HV) and then sleep for a couple of hours. All this was led by her, not scheduled.

Now she is only taking 40-70ml per feed so we're having to offer food much more often to ensure she gets enough. Her naps are much shorter too- often only an hour so I offer food as soon as she wakes and cries (normally she is rooting/sucking fists too) but I guess because there is a shorter interval between feeds, she isn't taking as much each feed.

The only change is that we started using infant Gaviscon on Sunday so the milk is thicker. She has been like this since Tuesday- has anyone experienced a 4 week old eating less but more often??

Hi smerlin,
My lo changed at about that age too - we went from comfortable 3 hour Feed turnaround to about 90 minutes. He does have longer naps now, probably 3/4 hours long perhaps 3 times in 24 hours. At 6 weeks we're still there, I think the variation is natural x

My advice is to re-post your OP in both the 'sleep' section and the 'breast and bottle feeding' section. Tons of good advice there, I've used both over the past 4 years with my 2DC.

4 weeks is still tiny and she will change a million times over the next weeks, months and years.

From 4 weeks they start being abit more windy/colicky/refluxy. Their digestive systems are getting to grips with more food and most struggle in one way or other. I must add, count on nothing as routine for the 1st 12-16 weeks. It changes so often. Enjoy a lazy December watching loads of Xmas TV on catch up. By 4-6 months you'll see a def routine x

Sorry hun to add, they try to self soothe tummy discomfort by feeding more frequently but taking less each feed. It really is just natures way. It's all pans out in the end x