Dropped a feeding - nervous about nutrition!

We had been waking our boys up for a 3am feed up until this weekend, but were able to extend it until somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30am by letting them sleep. We still feed them every 3 - 3 1/2 hours during the day but are down to 6 feedings in total in a day. They are almost 11 weeks. I guess they'll tell us if they're hungry but I'm just nervous about dropping a feed that they'll get enough milk. I know they're at the age they can sleep longer at night, so it's nice to let them. Just looking for some reassurance I guess... or advice if 6 doesn't seem enough! Thanks!

 

DD went to 5 feeds at 4 weeks adjusted age and DS was at 6 feeds. She sttn and he had 1 night feed. They set this schedule themselves. She would eat a little more than him at each feeding. So it all evened out at the end.

 

I can't remember when we dropped feedings, but I think it was around that age that we were at a 4am feeding as our only nighttime feeding, with 6 total feedings. So I think 6 feedings is fine at that age - you will probably see a drop to 5 feedings pretty soon, actually - I think that happened for us around 4 months. Are you formula feeding? If so, do you know how many ounces total they are getting a day? They will probably make up for what they skipped during the day, or with formula, you can be more deliberate and offer them more during the day to cover what they are skipping at night. If they are hungry, they will eat it, or if they don't need it, they won't.

 

This always worried me to and it always turned out fine. They will let you know if they are hungry. If their weight gain is good, I'd say you're fine.

 

I am breastfeeding. At the feeding around 4:30am they get pumped breast milk from what I pumped the night before (I get up and pump for the next night, by DH gives them my milk to give me a nursing break). I know they get about 5 oz. each then, but other than that I have no idea. They are long nurses, still at about 30 minutes each session. Hope that gets shorter soon!

 

This always worried me to and it always turned out fine. They will let you know if they are hungry. If their weight gain is good, I'd say you're fine.

 

I was unable to BF so we did bottle feeds. The boys were 5 weeks early and barely over 5lbs when we brought them home. We had to feed them every 4 hours on the nose even if that meant waking them up. I want to say it took about 2 months before we dropped on of the night feeds and they started STTN consistently around the end of the 2nd month. While they were awake it was still every 4 hours and if, when they finished their bottle, they wanted more I would give them more.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Like the other ladies said, as long as they are still gaining and not loosing there's really no need to panic.

 

We dropped to six feedings a day around that time also. Sometimes DS would take another bottle during the night, for a total of seven, but he was smaller than his DS and was playing catch up. But most days from about 10 weeks on, it was six bottles a day. They will definitely let you know if they are still hungry.