8 week old formula feeding every 3 hours

[hrp2020]

Anyone else's formula fed babe still feeding every 3 hours at this stage? The midwives and HV's said it should probably be 4 hours between feeds but we are no way near that. She still wakes every few hours at night too. We have maybe had 3 nights when she has done longer stints at night but they haven't been repeated. She also wakes and sometimes only has a small feed (e.g. 40ml). Struggling to get into any pattern or routine with her as her night feedings are just such random times. We have a consistent bedtime routine which is always done at the same time (+/- 15mins). She is also a terrible napper snd only doing 30 min naps and so is definitely not sleeping enough (at day or night)

4 hours is based on a study into te feeding pattern of baby birds. Every 2 to 3 hours is more realistic in my experience.

8 weeks old is still very young. My HV put it like this: milk is everything to a baby - food, drink, comfort. Sometimes we want a little drink but not a full meal. That’s what a baby is doing when they just want a little bit. It’s the amount they have over 24 hours that matters.

I remember reading ‘What to expect’ with my first and tying myself up in knots because he wasn’t eating and sleeping the amount the book said. Babies are little people, just like us. We don’t all share the same food and sleep needs as each other, the book makes it seem like we do.

I could have written this @hrp2020! Although we're a couple of weeks behind you and looking to start a proper bedtime routine over the next couple of days.
I look forward to seeing any replies of older babies to see how long this might last - I was under the impression that as formula is heavier they sleep for longer but that's not the case for mine!

Mine is formula fed and 10 weeks - no routine. She takes lots about every three hours. But sleeps through the night so I assume it's what she needs. I obsessed over this for ages and asked HV and GP and other friends who are doctors - feed the baby what it wants. It's very hard to overfeed a baby - they will spit it up.

This isn’t meant contentiously, but do you wait four hours between drinks?

Four hours without anything to eat or drink is a long time, even for an adult.

My DD was feeding every 3 hours until 6 months! She started doing a 5 hour stint at the beginning of the night around 14 weeks.

My philosophy has always been to feed as much as possible during the day so that most, if not all, of the needed calories are consumed then and are therefore not needed overnight. Try to push feeds to be less frequent seems counterproductive to me!

My 6 month old still feeds every 3 hours! She sleeps 12 hours at night though, so swings and roundabouts!

Perfectly normal!

My 18 week old twins are formula fed and feed every 2.5 hours on average in the day, 3.5 hours at night. Every baby is different- I am sure some go for 4 hours, but none I have met!

2-3 hours is totally normal. Just keep feeding on demand.

I have 3 children and only one of them fed every four hours from a few weeks old. The other two went 1.5 - 3 hours at most.

Mine feeds more in an evening and night but has a good sleep during the day. My eldest was the opposite.

Thank you everyone. Nice to hear that it's normal. We do feed her every 3 hours (sometimes sooner if she wants it or if she is due a nap when I know she will be hungry). The last few nights she has been able to go a bit longer in her first stretch of sleep which is amazing. Long may it last!