Anyone used 10.2.6 feeding schedule?

[rosyedith]

Hello, my baby is 10 weeks old on Saturday & I wanted to get him into a little routine. My MIL suggested feeding at 10, 2 and 6 continuously & eventually he would drop the 2am feed. He normally has 5oz every 3-4 hours at the moment but Ive changes to size 2 teats with bigger bottles & hoping he will take 6oz every 4 hours. Has anyone tried this with success ? TIA

OP you have had some mixed views on feeding schedules. As mentioned I have done it with my 3 kids (just really started it with the baby in the last 10 days). It’s personal choice but maybe just keep an eye of how much your baby is feeding during the day before deciding. Also if they are an under weight or low percentile baby or have reflux it’s not a great idea to do it. My baby turned 9 weeks yesterday and generally takes 6 ounces at 6.00 am, 9.30 am, 12.30pm, 4 pm and 7pm so feeds well during the day (he often has an extra 4 ounce bottle in the evening too). He has slept through a couple of nights from 11 to 6.30 am in the last week.

At 10 weeks DD was doing this routine. I would make a 6oz bottle for each feed, and she would drink until she was full (occasionally 6oz, usually more like 4) I was also using a size 2 teat from about 3 months as she was getting frustrated with the slower flow. My aim was to get as many calories into her during the day as possible!

She slept from 10pm-6am from 9 weeks old and is still a champion sleeper now aged 2.

I should say though she was a big ish (9lb4) baby so no worries about weight gain etc.

I think it really depends on the child. Feeding every 4 hours was really the old advice, followed by my parents, but dropped by the time I had mine (my DC are now grown), and I fed on demand.
My first DC was very very demanding, and I could not have followed this schedule.
However, my second DC was much more placid, and naturally fell into the 4 hour routine. I always thought the person who wrote the 4 hour feeding book, must have had a child like my second one, and would not have spent 2 hours listening to a hungry child screaming for food (like my first)

I fed on demand and baby slept through from 6 weeks.

Some babies sleep, others don’t.

@milveycrohn my eldest is 19 & feeding on demand wasn't the advice given then.

By the time DS came along 8 years later feeding on demand was the advice for breastfed babies but not for bottle fed.

I must've been lucky though as all 3 of mine were exactly the same as babies & slept through the night in their own rooms from 8 weeks.

OP, I did 10-2-6 from birth with my DS and it worked brilliantly. Caveat - he was a big baby so took nearly 4oz per feed right from the word go.

At 10 weeks, you can definitely go to that routine and you may be able to drop the 2am feed pretty soon - DS slept through regularly from 12 weeks, dropping that feed himself.

@daisydoooo yea what makes you such an expert!!! Are you a Dr or someone trained in midwifery!?

@daisydoooo I'm not sure anyone mentioned force feeding apart from you? My son is now 8 weeks and drinks sometimes nearly 7oz I don't force feed him and he's not overweight he's perfectly healthy so what would you suggest people starved them because they should only drink the basic recommended amount? Every baby is different

Just responsive feeding, that's all the NHS recommends at such a young age.

My 6m still only has 6oz every 3hrs in the day. Will go 7-7 without though!!

Responsive feeding is very different from "feeding at every squeak and at every wake up". Feeding responsively actually means knowing and anticipating your baby's hungry cues.

It is a known fact that babies develop very rapidly, especially during the first 3 months of life. The life of a 10 day old baby is centered around food. For a 10 week old baby it is no longer the case. They are actively trying to make sense of the new and unfamiliar world surrounding them. When they wake up during the night, they often simply look for help to get back to sleep. They are not necessarily hungry. I know feeding to sleep is quick and easy but I found investing some time and efforts in early weeks of life and helping DD learnt to settle independently was 100% worth it in the medium and long run. DD figured out that feeding and sleeping are unrelated and learnt to love and enjoy both of those activities at different times of the day.

Looks like several PPs on this thread share the same experience.

@daisydoooo what an odd comment. My DD wasn’t force fed, there was 6oz in the bottle if she wanted it. It was often discarded.

When I breastfed DD she was fed on demand, but when I moved to FF it worked much better all round to be on a routine. I knew if she had just had 4oz of milk that if she was upset it was unlikely be hunger, so would try and settle her another way before offering more milk.

She was a much happier little baby once we were in a more predictable routine, and slept much better too.

Im amazed at the babies that go 4 hours without crying for more inbetween. I never go 4 hours without a drink!

@daisydoooo what makes you think I force feed him? He was 9lb born he's a big boy and will happily take 6oz but if he doesn't take the whole bottle I don't force it down him are you mad 😂😂😂

My four week old takes 6oz feeds.... I’m certainly not force feeding the little guy!
I would like such a routine but we’re very much on demand... (regularly 6oz too!) so be interesting for your updates to see how it works for your op.

DS fell into that routine naturally around 3 months, but wasn’t taking more than 4 oz until he was around 4-5 months. He’s always had a tiny appetite (he’s 11 years old now, still tall and skinny and largely not interested in food).

The thing I dont understand about having a set routine is what do you do if they decide they are hungry at 9 instead of 10? Do you feed them or make them wait?

Mine were hungry/thirsty every 2 hours in the day time, sometimes 3 for the first few months. It would be cruel to make them wait.

@Thesearmsofmine I'm not going to be in a strict routine. If he's hungry before I'll feed him of corse. Today for example I've fed him 4.30am, 9, 1 and will feed again at 5. The reason I find this useful is because he was feeding every 2-3 hours but only taking 2-3 ounces so I find now if I give him more milk he doesn't need it as often. I've found it so much easier with going out I only need to take 1 bottle/4hrs x

At 10 weeks old I’d see if she settled quickly with a dummy or cuddle, if not would assume she was hungry and feed her.

The thing I dont understand about having a set routine is what do you do if they decide they are hungry at 9 instead of 10?

During the day I watched DD cues and if I could see that she was genuinely hungry, of course, I fed her. I tried to avoid letting her fall asleep at the bottle, burped her after every 2-3oz and always gave her an option to have some more milk if she wanted. Once DD started taking 5-6oz at a time, I knew she could generally go for 4 hours between feeds. If she began to fuss in-between (e.g. 2 hours after the feed) there were usually other reasons (e.g. she was overtired and needed a nap).

During the night if DD woke up earlier than 3-3.5 hours since her previous feed, I always tried to settle her by shushing and patting first. Initially it took time but as DD got older, it got easier and easier. If she didn't fall asleep within a reasonable period of time, I assumed she was hungry and fed her. I always gave DD proper feeds and burped her well before putting her back to sleep (so she was awake or semi-awake). I also monitored how hungry DD was in the morning. When she stopped gulping her morning bottles, I figured I could start stretching night time feeds further. As I mentioned, DD dropped her 3am feed between 8 and 10 weeks and started consistently "sleeping through" (7pm to 7am with an 11pm dream feed) from 12 weeks.

I fed my babies when they were hungry.
At 10 weeks old just go with the flow. Their needs for sleep and food change quite regularly when they are small.
Would you really not feed your hungry baby just because it wasn't the right time according to a schedule?

I never go 4 hours without a drink!

It is a matter of habit. I easily drink 2-2.5L of water a day but I do it with main meals. Ages ago I used to keep a glass of water on my bedside table and occasionally sip it during the night but it was an annoying habit that was really disrupting my sleep patterns. I stopped doing it and I have been sleeping much better ever since.