will my 8 week old ever stop feeding every 2-3 hours at night?

[andzippytoo]

My DS is 8 weeks old and still demanding to be fed every 2 to 3 hours during the day and night. Everything i've read suggests that by now he should be going longer between feeds and starting to sleep for longer periods at night. Apart from concerns that he's overeating (he takes 4-5 oz each feed), i'm also knackered - I've been reluctantly forced to start bottle-feeding (problems with tongue-tie which i won't bore you with here) so spend my whole night sterilising bottles and preparing feeds.
Am i right to wait for him to develop his own sleep/feed routine or does anyone have any suggestions for how i can get him to sleep for longer between feeds at night? Failing that, any coping strategies?!

Sorry for the long post, but would really appreciate any advice.

Sorry - I don't know anything abotu bottle feding - but it wouldn't be at all unusual for a baby as little asthis to still be feeding every 2-3 hours - so presumably it's the same for bottle fed ones?

Can't you prepare feeds in advance? [ignorant emoticon] Or if you are still bf at all, can you bf at night so you don't have to get up?

Sorry - this doesn't sound at all helpful.....

Have been continuing to breastfeed once or twice a day for the last week but avoid it at night as it's such a struggle - DS can't latch on properly and i usually end up crying or screaming (and him too actually). My milk supply is also statrting to dry up (something i'm finding very upsetting) so he's struggling to get enough and i usually end up having to top him up with formula anyway.
All the leaflets etc say you shouldn't make feeds up in advance but not sure if tht is one of those things that most people ignore for their own sanity - playing it safe at the moment.

Why can't you have his tongue tie sorted out? they can do it at the Docs surgery.
8 weeks old is so tiny.
You could get your milk supply back on track in no time.
If you don't want to stop breastfeeding then don't or you might regret it for a long time which is no good for either of you.

You're meant to be totally knackered when you've got a tiny baby. It means you'll take your time with things and get lots of rest.

Love to you xxxx

He has actually had the tongue-tie sorted out- but because in the interim i had been expressing and feeding him from the bottle, he never had time to learn how to breastfeed properly and now won't do anything but nipple feed. Also, bleeding nipples, thrush and mastitis meant bf was miserable for me and HV advised DS would be better off being bottle-fed with a happy mum than have me in the state i was in. Trouble is i never wanted to bottle feed and have not totally made my peace with it......am suffering from terrible guilt.
This is all a bit off the track of my original post - but you're right Sylviebea, being able to bf would make demand feeding a lot easier and i might get more sleep!

If you really want to, it's definitely not too late to get tongue tie sorted and BF back on track, but I can understand if you've had enough of the whole thing.

The guidelines are not to make up feeds in advance, but some people do.

Can you at least sterilise all your bottles in the evening and put the formula powder in the bottle? We do this for DS's one bottle feed in the night. If you want to be sensible and make up the feed with boiling water you can keep a measuring jug by the kettle by your bed. You can then either measure a couple of oz of boiling water and top up with cold, or do the full amount with boiling and dash to the bathroom to run bottle under a tap.
Or can you splash out on the odd carton for night feeds, so at least one feed can be done quickly and you can get back to bed?

Also, is he having a sensible amount of milk during the day?

I sterilise bottles in a microwave steriliser and bring it up to my bedroom, along with a portable bottle warmer and several cartons of ready made formula. I have it all laid out on my bedside table before I go to bed (and put all nappy stuff beside my bed, too). Makes the whole thing less brutal.
8 weeks is very young and I rwally dont believe anything you do or don't do at this stage makes a difference - my DS went 3-4 hours a night between feeds....DD only wakes once per night. Both fed the same amounts.

p.s. I had a similarly grim experience of bf-ing. Dont beat yourself up about it.

Thanks MrsMattie, I might try getting a bottle warmer - not sure we can afford to keep buying the ready made formula cartons long-term though. Going down to the kitchen every couple of hours is the most rutal bit so might try to work out a way of having everything upstairs ready.
How old was your DS when he started to go longer and did it just happen naturally?

Sorry 'Hopefully' , just noticed your question; yes, he's having 4 or 5oz every 3 hours during the day. I've tried giving him a bit more during the day to see if that makes him go longer at night but he won't take it.

Sorry but this feeding pattern at that age is v. v. normal (loads of closely-spaced growth spurts) so I'm not sure what you've been reading. You can try to get him to take more by offering little-and-often, to mimic cluster feeding, especially in the evenings. Don't worry about over-eating at this age, either!

I had the sterilised bottle upstairs, already with pre-measured, pre-boiled water. When required I then tipped in the pre-measured powder dispenser. Shake and feed.

They were always given it room temperature as it saved many problems both in the nighttime and out and about.

this is a powder dispenser if you haven't already come across one.

And to answer your OP, yes your baby will stop feeding every 2-3 hours at night.

It just feels like a lifetime while you're in the middle of it. As he grows so does his stomach and he can take more on board. It will end eventually I promise you.

WHEN? mine is 25 weeks and even 3 hours is a rarity!

I'd think I'd won the lottery if DS went 2-3 hours between feeds at night! We usually have one 3 hr stretch then it's every hour til 5ish when he might go for another couple of hours, sheesh.

If wanting stuff at bedside i use a flask of boiled water, a powder 3 section dispenser bottle nappies etc... Then only need to make n stik in jug to cool which is usually cool by time nappy changed....
My boy is 14lb 7oz n still takin bottle every 3hrs and sometimes 2.5 hrs which is really hard, and tiring. Especially as i need to keep him sitting upright for 30mins due to bad reflux.... So can be no sooner down that hes back up.....
Wasnt this hard with 1st baby....
Hopefully ur wee one gets better....

I didn't sterilise bottles, except at the very beginning. Realistically, people who breast feed don't have sterilized nipples...
I did wash the bottles thoroughly to make sure there was no old formula rotting anywhere, that would be the real issue with bottles. I also never prepared feeds ahead of time because bacteries multiply very quickly in formula.
Every 3 hours is still normal and if he's feeding a lot he may be growing very quickly. But he should transition soon to longer nights (mine slept through at 10wk but every baby is different).

Has anyone come across a portable bottle warmer?