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Post-natal clubs

Join our Postnatal Clubs forum to find parenting advice for newborns.

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Original poster

Bottle feeding a newborn

14 replies

bobble53 · 17/12/2019 22:38

I planned to bf my new baby but 6 days in and I’ve thrown in the towel - baby was losing too much weight and it was leaving me feeling miserable. We have put him on a bottle but just wondering what to do during the night. Last night we woke him for a feed - is this necessary or do we wait until he wakes for one? My midwife told me to wake him to feed when I was bf but wondered if same applies to bottle feeding. Thank you.

OP posts:

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Lantern19 · 17/12/2019 22:40

It does apply to begin with, yes. 3 hourly ideally. When he's consistently feeding and gaining weight you can stop doing this. Congratulations!

Landlubber2019 · 17/12/2019 22:40

Yes the same applies to bottle feeding

Mads123 · 17/12/2019 22:41

If hes losing weight I'd wake him, otherwise if he gaining and producing plenty wet and dirty nappies I wouldn't wake him.

CourtneyB123 · 17/12/2019 22:42

I would wake him for a feed, but I stupidly used to set an alarm for every two hours but my lo used to cry before then anyway. Congratulations!

Aquilla · 17/12/2019 22:45

Once he starts gaining don't wake him for a feed. Good luck!

june2007 · 17/12/2019 22:46

If you wanted to BF could you combine feed.Start with bf then offer the bottle? But yes you may need to wake baby for a bottle especaially a underweight or prem baby .

lifeisgoodagain · 17/12/2019 22:47

I never woke mine but I demand fed my babies (breastfeeding) most babies loose weight at first, it's normal.

goingtoneedabiggercar · 17/12/2019 22:49

Exactly the same happened here, until he was about 2/3 weeks we woke him every 3 hours. After that the health visitor was happy that he'd gained weight well and he was eating well during the day so told us to leave him to wake us at night. He goes up to 4 hours some nights, best sleep I've had since I fell pregnant.

goingtoneedabiggercar · 17/12/2019 22:50

Also DS lost lots of weight so I only BF him for a week. I was too afraid to try again. He's 4 weeks and thriving.

Topseyt · 17/12/2019 22:54

I never woke any of mine at night for a feed, not even when newborns. I just gave night feeds if and when they woke up for them spontaneously.

I often did wake them up to feed them during the day though. Then late at night (say around 11pm) I would give them a last bottle feed, put them down and see just how long they slept for. I had no issues with that.

Expressedways · 17/12/2019 22:54

Overnight I would wake him 4 hours after his last feed for the first month (presuming he doesn’t wake on his own before then) then I would stop and only feed if he wakes, presuming weight gain is on track and he’s at least 10lbs.

WeakandWobbly · 17/12/2019 22:58

My DS was losing weight and he was found to have a tongue-tie which was stopping him from latching properly (very painful for me). The midwife noticed when I got him home and he had the tie cut at 9 days old. **Then he started to gain weight. Let them check him.

Original poster

bobble53 · 18/12/2019 20:36

Thanks everybody. He was weighed today and has now only lost 4% body weight at one week old, as opposed to the 10.1% previously. So happy with our choice to bottle feed and will take advice on board to wake him up until he is gaining more weight!

OP posts:

agteacht · 19/12/2019 01:37

Hey @bobble53 we meet again :) so glad your little boy is now doing okay, I'm in a similar situation, have just posted about it looking for help on this board if you take a look x

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