Yet another STTN topic

My two are 19 weeks adjusted and they still wake up every 3-4 hrs a night to eat. They act ravenous! I have to assume that they just aren't able to last longer, or is it just a habit to wake up? They've been on this same 3-4 hrs sleep then eat mode for at least a month - before that it was every 2-3 hrs.

 

Since they are so young (and were preemies) I'm going to say they are hungry. My boys woke up to eat ever 4-5 hrs at night until they were 7 months. At that point the pedi told me they were getting enough oz during the day that drinking at night had become habit. I had also noticed they were drinking significantly less during the night.

 

If they are eating when they wake up then they are probably hungry. If they were to just wake up and then want to play and not be interested in eating then I would think that is out of habit.

 

How are they eating during the day?? My DD stopped eating in the night around 3 months and I found she ate much better during the day than my DS. Recently, I stopped feeding my DS in the night and now he is eating much better during the day. Also, when they wake in the morning, neither baby is crying to eat.

 

I would try to get all their calories into them during the day (first morning feeding at approx. 7 or whatever time you start until late evening feeding around 10 or 11) feeding them strictly every 3 hours during the day and then see what happens to their nighttime feedings. Our girls would eat at night if we fed them, but we realized that they were waking up at the exact time each night (give or take 20 minutes) and so when we gave them a paci or patted their backs to get them back to sleep after a week or so they just slept through those feedings. We knew that they were getting their full 24 hours worth of formula during their daytime feedings so we were confident that they didn't need to eat.

19 weeks is plenty old enough to STTN or at least close to it. Plus, they can handle eating more throughout the day. Have you started solids with them at all? That also has helped the girls sleep deeper at night when they have cereal and veggies at dinnertime.

 

I am going to say they are hungry too. If they are still taking a bottle pretty well, I would continue to feed them.

 

I agree with pp's, as long as they seem hungry, I would keep feeding them.