Eating

How long will they eat every 3 hours? I know all babies are different, just wondering an approximate time. I wish I could remember this from my DD!!

 

I cant really help you bc we're pretty much at the same point with our twins but mine typically go 4 and sometimes stretch it a little longer, I just had to start them on rice cereal and that is supposed to help them sleep longer.... I didn't notice that at all yesterday, lol

 

Hmmmm...I can't even remember. Does that help you?!? Lol! At least you know a) it's not forever and b) it's not so bad if you eventually forget all about it! :laughing:

I do want to say I believe probably until 2-3 months old, and then as we increased the intake at each feeding.

 

Hate to say it, mine at every 3 hrs until they were over a year old. Once we started solids feeding, it was bottle, solid, bottle, solid, bottle, solid...etc.

Once they start sleeping overnight it gets easier, but honestly, mine never went more than 3 hrs during the day. Even when they started taking 7-8 oz bottles it's still every 3 hrs. I believe they got down to 5 bottles a day, but every 3 hrs that's 15 hrs right there, and then they slept overnight

Here's the reason. Their stomach's are only so big. So you can only cram so much food in there. So however long it takes them to digest that food, and then realize they are hungry again, that's when they are going to want to eat You can't force them to go longer by adding in solids, you can still only get so much food in there at a time.

That *might* help them sleep longer, but no guarantee's. Did you start them on it for reflux? 6 wks is pretty early to start them on straight rice cereal, is it in their bottles you mean? It might actually upset their tummy and cause some gas so it can actually disrupt sleep too But it depends on the baby Just don't hold your breath on it helping them actually sleep longer

 

We are still feeding every 3 hours in a way and we've been on solids since 5.5 months! Even when they had slow growth periods, we kept to the schedule with just less milk at some feeds and ,more at growth spurts. I guess the only respite is when they started sleeping through the night at around 12-14 weeks.

Are you tandem feeding? This will help you not feel as if all you're doing all day is feeding. It really is achievable whether you're breast or bottle feeding. I breastfed one and bottle fed the other, both at the same time and at 6 months bottle fed both together.

 

I do tandem bottle feed, they both get hungry at the same time. I was just trying to find out so I can gauge them and their schedule......

Thanks everyone!

 

Its mixed with their nutramigen. My baby girl has severe reflux and its been a time, anyway with some other things going on my pedi recommended 1tsp of it in formula .... Its helping with the reflux but I laugh when everyone says it helps them sleep through the night bc they did their 6 oz feedings and slept for 4 hours like clockwork ...lol

 

i didn't remember either but i charted everything for the first 6 months, so i looked back.. I highly recommend charting it makes is it so easy to see patterns. I made a lot of really helpful decisions based on what i could look back and observe.

[don't know if you are bottle or breastfeeding.. this probably won't help if you are breastfeeding. My LOs only got breast milk in the first half of the day and some pumped milk in the last part of the day. (I never made a full supply)]

Here is my experience:
My two were 6 weeks early. So the hospital started us on a strict every 3 hour schedule. In the beginning they did not wake up or indicate they were hungry. we had to wake them up. As soon as they started telling us they were hungry I let them determine night feeding however during the day i just kept the same 3 hour clock schedule unless one had a light feeding and were hungry early.

Typical Schedule for us:
-ONE MONTH - every 3 hours like clock work except night (sometimes at night they would push to 4 hours)
-TWO MONTHS - every 3 hours during the day / typical night 10pm, 3am, 6am
-THIRD & FOURTH MONTH - every 3 hours during the day / typical night 6:30pm, 3am, 8am
-FIFTH MONTH - every 3 hours during the day (could sometimes push one feeding to 4 hours) / typical night they slept from 6pm to 6am normally without waking

I did not put them on a 4 hour schedule during the day until they were 7 months old. However, looking back at my notes i think they could have done it as early as 6 months. At this time the amount they would take at each feeding started varying greatly. morning they would drink 7oz, then during the day sometimes 7oz and sometimes 3oz.

Hope this helps.
Sleep has a lot less to do with feeding than it does with learning about the biological rhythm for each age.

Also, I agree with the PP tandem feeding is the way to go! Not easy at first but eventually it will make things so much better (save time & keep them on the same schedule)

 

Thanks!

 

Hang in there girl! Your further along than me! My boys are a little over three weeks and one is an eater! He eats 4 oz every three hrs like clock work. The other will eat the same amount but he usually sleeps for about 5 hrs atleast once a night. I am so tired!! Lol