FF 3 month old unable to go more than 4 hours between feeds at night - normal??

[BotBotticelli]

Ds2 is 3 months old today.

He is still feeding very frequently at night (for a FF baby, I know Some BF babies feed more than this).

He has 7oz bottles at:

7pm
10pm ("dream feed" although he often wakes and cries for it)
2/2.30am - wakes and cries for it
8am
12 noon
4pm

My first baby (also FF) had dropped the middle of the night feed by 10 weeks so I this is all new to me!

It's annoying that he can clearly go for 6 hours without a bottle (he has his 2am feed and then is not bothered until 8am, despite being unsettled and windy from 5am - goes back to sleep if we co-sleep - and then up for the day around 0630).

I would rather he didn't feed at 2am (obvs!) and actually woke up hungry at 6am!

Is there anything I can do to encourage him to change his feed pattern towards this??

The baby isn't having 28oz of milk overnight, and the feeding pattern sounds pretty normal for three month old.

Op says baby wakes for a feed at 10pm so what is she supposed to do with the baby if she doesn't feed them til 11pm?

Conscious - that's utter bollocks. Maybe for a 6 month old, but even then id say it's harsh.

It might help to feed slightly more frequently during the day, so you can get more calories in during waking hours, but yes... This routine us very normal for this age. It's good, actually. My eldest woke every 2 hours, every night, until she was 18 months old.

Do not restrict a 3mo intake, it doesn't work.

Does the OP say the baby leaves any of the bottles?

A three month- old baby who is having his nutrional needs met during the day does not need milk in the middle of the night - it is habit. Obviously, if the baby is only feeding small amounts during the day he will seek his nourishment at night. This is not a problem, though, for FF babies whose 7oz bottles are being properly structured from 7am to 7pm.

When they are a bit older you can do night weaning, and over a few days /couple of weeks reduce one of the might feeds. But if there's only one night feed at 3mo, then I'd consider that incredibly good, and just go with it. In my experience, babies change when they are ready. You get used to their routine, and adjust accordingly

Yeah, conscious. Babies are robots. Fgs.

An 18 month-old feeding two-hourly throughout the night is preposterous. He is not getting his nutritional needs met during the day and/or he is being allowed to seek those night feeds for comfort purposes only.

Many a mother has teetered on the brink of madness feeding every two hours for 18 months. Completely unnecessary.

baby wakes at 2am it is not out of hunger

because you would know what the baby feels?

It is completely normal. A 3 month old is still tiny and needs feeding regularly.

Concious your posts are really upsetting me. Honestly you are like some kind of feeding routine nazi .

I am having a snack right now as I MN. I had supper. And lunch. And breakfast. My nutritional needs were met during the day. But I was still hungry.

This is a tiny baby, not a robot, fgs!

A three month- old baby who is having his nutrional needs met during the day does not need milk in the middle of the night

Babies dont work like adults. They require far more regular refuelling. They dont give a shit whether it is day or night. If they need food then they should be given it. Are you suggesting OP overfeeds her baby during the day to build up a reserve for during the night?

It's common sense. If a baby's nutritional needs are met during the day he does not need 7oz bottles at 7pm, 10pm, 2.30am...the 2/3am feed is the first one to reduce in ounces - baby will give that one up first leaving mum with that glorious 8-hr stretch of sleep

Even if OP wants to cut that feed - *based on what she can see and KNOWS of her baby - how the hell do YOU arrive at 2oz?

On what basis?

So if the baby is to have the 2am feed at some point durin the day are you suggesting OP adds in an extra 7oz feed between two other feeds or tack on an extra ounce to 7 other feeds?

A FF baby does not demand-feed. He is offered bottles of formula at (for example) 7am, 11am, 2.15/2.30pm, 5pm, 6/6.15, 10/10.30pm. If he is not to wake in the night it is a good idea to be shortening his daytime naps at this time, too.

Yes, it was preposterous. It was bloody insane. But he was having 2 hourly feeds during the day as well, so on paper was having 'his calorie needs met' during the day

But guess what, babies are all different. I didn't do it for the fucking fun of it, and she needed feeding. And I'm not one of those hateful people that denies a newborn food just to fit in with a convenient routine.

And a FF baby can absolutely demand feed. As can a BF baby that feeds from a bottle.

God.. You're deluded. Have you actually seen a real life baby?

"
But guess what, babies are all different. I didn't do it for the fucking fun of it, and she needed feeding. And I'm not one of those hateful people that denies a newborn food just to fit in with a convenient routine."

Thank you for a sensible post.

That was to 'Conscious'pilot, btw

So conscious, this 2am feed that you are moving to the day time, are you suggesting giving it in a 7oz feed between two other feeds or tacking and extra ounce onto 7 other feeds?

...the late (dream) feed can be increased to 8oz to encourage a baby to drop the 2am feed.

Of course growth spurts require extra milk but it's a good idea to add those few extra ounces spread amongst the daytime feeds.

OP, there will always be mum's who are passionate rabid in their insistence that demand feeding is the only way. The humane thing to do. This is not the case mercifully! for FF babies. Unlike the breast, you know exactly how much milk a bottle is being dispensed and imbibed by your baby.

Actually demand feeding is exactly what you are supposed to do, whether formula or breast fed.

You can offer more feeds in the day to see if baby will take more, but you can't make them take them and you certainly shouldn't be trying to overfeed a baby during the day in the hope they sleep more at night.

And at three months old many babies need attention in the night not just for nutrition, that's perfectly normal. It's actually more of a sids risk when small babies sleep long stretches at night.

If babies are hungry you feed them. BF or FF it makes no difference. They dont know that theyre FF and should only get hungry according to an adult's routine

Ah, I am enlightened. I will force 200ml of milk into my 3mo who can only take 150ml at a time. Well, thank fuck someone told me that.

Oh bollocks, she's just vomited up the whole feed. What now? Oh knowledgeable one?

Yes... You can increase the feeds to 'encourage' them to not need the night feed. But only a total bastard would restrict a 3mo milk intake.

the late (dream) feed can be increased to 8oz to encourage a baby to drop the 2am feed.

Well you can offer an extra ounce. No guarantee they will take it or keep it down. Also, you seem to be suggesting replacing a 7oz feed with 1oz. how exactly is that meeting his nutrional needs? What about the missing 6oz?