Newborn bottle-fed baby - too much food, too much sleep???

[Pheebe]

Hi All

DS2 is 17 days now and I'm bottle feeding him. He's thriving and putting on weight but I'm not entirely sure whats normal/usual here as I breast-fed DS1. From reading around newborns typically need/take about 16-18 ounces a day, DS2 is taking 20+. Based on advice from a previous post I'm pretty much demand feeding him and last night he took 6 ounces in one feed before he was satisfied! He's also sleeping loads, 20+ hours a day and last night he slept 7 hours straight from 11 to 6 with a brief wake at 4am when he refused a bottle and just wanted a quick cuddle. When he is awake he's very bright and alert but he struggles to stay awake more than an hour at a time, often less than that.

Apologies to all the new mums who are suffering exhaustion but DS1 never slept more than an hour or 2 at a time until he was about 3 months old so I think I paid my dues there!

Is this normal and should I just enjoy it while it lasts ??!!

My DD was like this for about three weeks and then she started waking much more frequently and did not then sleep through the night until she was about 6 months old. Not saying it will be the same for you but make the most of this now and catch up on your sleep in case it does change. I actually posted on another parenting web site about it and it could have been the post that you wrote except that I was breast feeding. She did not sleep during the day for more then 20 minutes at a time until she was about 10 months either. Was tearing my hair out. MAKE THE MOST OF IT...

Sounds normal to me, ds was sleeping through without a night bottle from 14 weeks. I can remember that he used to stay awake for maybe an hour tops in the first few weeks, nap for 45 min at a time etc. It was pretty much, wake, bottle, burp, poo, nappy and nap again.

dd was similar to this until she was about 5 weeks old, i remember dh and my mum etc going back to work having taking time off to help me with the baby only to sit round drinkking cups of tea etc while she slept, THEN SHE WOKE UP!

i would enjoy it while it lasts, as long as he is alert for some of the time and is putting on appropriate amount of wieght then that sounds fine.

Thanks everyone, so long as its normal I'll make the most of it

DD was like this and has never changed, keeping my fingers crossed for you