question about naps/feeds - 16 weeks

[*Becky*]

I think DD is ready to move to more like 3.5 hourly feeding rather than 3. The problem is her naps are not good. Is it very important at this age to not feed earlier. Up until now she has been on a 3 hour routine and often I feed at 2.5 hours just because she would get OT otherwise. She is not a snacker - she drinks minimum 6oz at each feed. What do you think?

[*Becky*]

oh...getting confused here. So it seems 3.5 hour feeding would be better for her as she is not asking for food after 3 hours now. I will only be able to fit in 4 feeds during the day though - does that sound right? Do you just increase the amount they get so give her 8oz rather than 7? Otherwise surely she is dropping a feed which seems a bit early??

[*Becky*]

I meant to say that I am talking about day feeds. She still has a df and sometimes a NF, sometimes not - I am hoping it is phasing out as the last 3/4 nights she has not had one.

[*Kara*]

If she is going to the 3.5 hr EASY, feeds are a bit messy... you end up with a top up before bed

So for ex: 7am, 1030am, 2pm, 530pm, 7pm - BT.  You could either do a small feed at 530 to get her through to BT or do the small feed at BT...

[*Becky*]

is it ok to just do 4 feeds with more ounces?

[Lolly]

If she will take more oz then it's fine. Increase her bottles, there should be a bit left in the bottle so you know she has stopped because she is full and not just because the bottle is empty. If she won't take more at each feed then it is worth doing a split feed around bath/ bedtime so she isn't droping oz in the day and waking for them at night.

Laura

[dizzy]

Should lo be 16 weeks before going to 4 hr feeds? My lo 13 weeks and seems to want to do it already but doesn't alwasy drink enough but isn't doing extra feeds because just drinks less over the day. is this wrong? At the moment he drinks about 160 on feeds although has one during the day where won't drink that much. Should I do split feed aroung bath? Can you explain more about this?

[*Kara*]

Dizzy - Formula babies do sometimes move to a 4 hr EASY sooner than BF babies... are you on the 3 hr now or 3.5 hr??

[*Becky*]

thanks. Our routine is so complicated right now. I am going to try the split feed today and see how it goes.
She has just started STTN from the DF so I don't want to drop any more ounces!

[dizzy]

3.5 hr at moment but really only 6 feeds. Shold I be doing a split one or something?

[*Kara*]

Not necessarily Dizzy... this is what a 3.5 hr EASY looks like generally. 

If she is going to the 3.5 hr EASY, feeds are a bit messy... you end up with a top up before bed.

So for ex: 7am, 1030am, 2pm, 530pm, 7pm - BT.  You could either do a small feed at 530 to get her through to BT or do the small feed at BT...

[petram]

My LO is 18 weeks this wk and from last wk we have been aiming for 3hr 45/4hr easy.

This is what we were doing at 3.5hrs easy
7am, 10.30, 2pm, 5.30, 7.30 top up and 10.30 df

He usually has 6oz and 4/5oz top up at 7.30 making a total of 35oz.

He doesn't have any night feeds.

HTH 

[makka]

i would like to get in on this as im having a similar issue on a 3.5hour easy moving to a 4 hourly feed. so how many naps in between this for eg

7am - 10.30am (1 nap in there)
10.30 to 2pm (2nd nap in there)
2pm to 5.30pm (3rd nap)
5.30pm to 7.30pm (catnap)

so on a 3.5 hour easy is it 3 naps and a catnap? what happens between the 5.30pm feed and 7.30pm feed?

[*Kara*]

This is a typical 3.5 hr EASY:

7am - wake and feed
Nap
10:30am - feed
Nap
2pm - feed
CN
5:30pm - feed
Low key activity time and bath/bed routine
730pm - top up feed and BT.

Some moms switch the last two feeds so that the 530pm is the small feed and the 730pm is the larger one to fill baby before sleeping - depends on your own use of DF.  No DF moms would want to have the big feed just before sleep.

[makka]

so what happens between 5.30pm feed and 7.30pm feed and BT thats 2 hours? is there a CN in there or do we just feed at 5.30pm and keep them up for 2 hours? my lo can only handle 1 hour 40 max after a huge nap, for eg today my lo woke at 6.30am so her next feed is at 5pm and top up at 7pm? but between 5pm and 7pm do i offer her a CN and how long and when?

thanks kirsten