Hi ladies,

DS is just over 4 weeks old and we don't follow any routine, I feed him if he's hungry, he sleeps when he's tired and play's when he's awake (unless this is in the eraly hours of the morning!) However, DS has got himself in to a pattern where he generally wants feeding every 3 hours, unless we are out in the car/pram and he's asleep as he then goes a little longer but no longer than 4 hours in the daytime. During the day, ie from 7am ish until 10pm ish he will have between 4 and 5oz per feed and has also been known to have 6oz on a couple of occassions later in the evening although this is not a regular occurance.

We tend to do his last feed (between 9pm and 11pm) in the bedroom with only the lamp on so he knows that it is bed time and he goes down in his crib. We then demand feed him during the night when he wakes, however he will never have anything more than 3oz in a feed as he is just too tired to take his bottle. We usually change his nappy half way through the night feed so that we can wind him as it's real struggle to do this when he's sleepy and he may then take a little more of his bottle, but sometimes he is spark out and we don't get anywhere.

Last night he had his usual 5oz around 9pm and so we put him to bed afterwards. He woke a midnight and had 1oz then was spark out. He woke again at 3am and had 2oz, then woke at 6am and had 3oz and 9am where he went to his usual 4/5oz. He also woke between his 3am and 6am feed for cuddles/reassurance.

Obviously he's tiny and so I fully expect him to wake throughout the night but my poor little man is shattered during these feeds which can't be good for him. He is already on the next teat size as the first was too slow for him, but I'm reluctant to put it up again as he's fine during the day feeds. He does have a dummy when he is tired so in hindsight wonder if he woke for that at midnight rather than his bottle seeing as he only took 1oz.

Does anyone have any ideas how to make the night feeds a little easier for him (and me) so that he can have a good feed rather than little bits.

Sorry just realised how long this post, but hopefully it makes some sense.

xxx

Hi hun, Daniel is now 9 weeks and has anything from 6oz to 8oz during the day. He has a last feed between 8pm and 9pm then wakes for another feed between 2am and 3am, then up about 7am to 9am. Have you tried increasing his daytime feeds so he's fuller and may go longer on a night? I know you say you feed on demand but what is the 'minimum' time you make him wait for a feed? I always say anything after 3 hours is fine for Daniel but no more than 4 hours, that way he's more likely to take more each feed, therefore going longer. It might also be worth try hungry baby, we put Daniel on that and it's brilliant, he was always hungry but is now happy to go longer between feeds. Also I tried the other night when Daniel woke just putting his dummy back in and soothing him, he went back to sleep and had no night feed, went from 7:30pm to 7am, two nights in a row! He's only been having one night feed since about two weeks cos he stocks up during the day, so might be worth a try.

Hth

xxx

Thanks hun, I don't leave a minimum time between feeds and the minimum he's ever done himself is 2 1/2hrs I think. I was giving him his bottle as soon as he started grumbling but now I try and leave it a little bit longer so that I know he is definitly hungry, I just don't like to make him cry so don't last very long!

xxx

It is very hard hearing them crying for prolonged periods, and I occassionally just walk round with Daniel singing to him just to try stretching the time out so he will take more at the next feed. It doesn't always work but even another 10 minutes means he's likely to take a bit more. He always manages the 3 hours but not the 4 hours, often getting hungry after 3 and a half, but he is happy to be walked round for a bit to drag the time out. Maybe trying to get him to go longer during the day so he takes more might result on him getting his fill during the day andvwaking less during the night so in turn taking more at the night feeds, iyswim.

Xxx

It is very hard hearing them crying for prolonged periods, and I occassionally just walk round with Daniel singing to him just to try stretching the time out so he will take more at the next feed. It doesn't always work but even another 10 minutes means he's likely to take a bit more. He always manages the 3 hours but not the 4 hours, often getting hungry after 3 and a half, but he is happy to be walked round for a bit to drag the time out. Maybe trying to get him to go longer during the day so he takes more might result on him getting his fill during the day andvwaking less during the night so in turn taking more at the night feeds, iyswim.

Xxx