Extending time in between feedings?

[Chloevalentine]

My 12 week old baby eats every 3 -3 1/2 hours and consumes 5 6 oz bottles. He then sleeps through the night from 830 pm until 630-7 am. Every morning he falls asleep in my arms 1 hour after he wakes and then naps for 45 min. But then he is awake for 2 hours until the next feeding 3 hours later. Today he was getting fussy and I went to change his diaper and feed him since it had been 3 hours but I misread his cue he was really tired. I wondering if I had out him down for nap he would've slept about an hour which is his average nap time and the he would have been ready to eat 4 hours later. So I'm wondering if he's ready to eat every 4 hours instead of 3? I just recently increased his formula from 5 1/2 oz to 6 oz.
if I did every 4 hours that would only be 4 bottles and that's not enough food? Curious..how do you ever extend in between without cutting back on formula?
so I struggled to keep him awake during this feeding and had to put him down for a nap afterwards which I know is not following the EASY. But would it be wise to do EASE? Thank you

[Lolly]

I think that rather than extending feeds you need to extend that first A time which will give you a longer nap. Babies move to 4 hour between feeds at around 16 weeks/ 4 months so 3-3.5 hours between feeds at 12 weeks is just right. By 4 months they should be able to do 2 hour A times, so I would work on getting him to nap a bit later and in a cot or crib rather than your arms.

You also don't reduce formula when you extend the time between feeds because you increase the amount you feed at each feed. Is he draining the 6oz bottles? If he is you need to increase them, there should be a bit left in the bottle at the end of a bottle feed so that you know they have stopped because they are full and not just because the bottle is empty.

What do you think?

Laura

[Chloevalentine]

But won't the end up eating less food if it's only 4 7 oz bottles instead of 5 7 oz bottkes? Doesn't make much sense ? Lol

[Lolly]

Sorry - I'm not sure what you mean?

When babies move from a 3 hour to a 4 hour routine they have 1 less bottle but each bottle should be more so they still take in the same formula. If they are having 7oz bottles they would have one at 7,11,3,7 then a dreamfeed between 10pm and 11pm and probably a nightfeed too so that's 35-42oz which is plenty of milk!

If your baby isn't draining 7oz bottles he is taking what he needs, just make sure you follow his cues and feed an extra bottle if he is hungry or wakes at night hungry. If he is draining 7oz bottles they need to be increased to 8 or 9oz. There is a big growth spurt at 16 weeks/ 4 months so you may find he starts waking for a nightfeed for a few nights.

HTH!

Laura

[Chloevalentine]

But I'm not doing a dream feed or night feed now. Just a 730, 11, 2, 5 & 8 feeding. I just increased and offered him 7 oz at each feeding one he only took  6 oz and the others I fed him every 3 hours although I'm sure he might've gone longer in between he ate the 7 oz or just about. But i think he overate because he was straightening his legs and fussing a little and had some gas. So I think ill back of to a few bottles an smaller.