baby on 4 hr schedule but wont take full feeds - help!!

[emmyheats]

hi all
please please help with advice and wisdom! my son is 13 wks old and weighs 14.4 lb. he will go 4 hrs between feeds but will take anywhere from 3 to 6 oz on bottles and wakes in night for a feed. no matter wot I do I cant get him to take a good 5 or 6 oz on each feed. its usually as the day goes on he'll take more. as he wont take more on each bottle im not suprised he wakes for a feed in night. hes always been able to go a goid 3 or 4 hrs between feeds. even if he onlybtakes 3 oz he'll still go 4 hrs til next feed.i could feed him earlier but it doesn't usually mean he'll take more. what can I do to get him to take more in day and drop the night feed? I would have thought he's waking out of habit in night but as it's always 4 hrs after his dream feed I don't think it is and he always takes a good 4-5 oz. Ive tried stringing it out as hes dream fed at 11, stirs at 330 and after putti g dummy in, etc a few times he always wants feeding at bout 4-430. if I then wake him at 7/ 730 for a feed he will only take 4 oz!! help!!
Cheers
em

[Lolly]

Hi and welcome!

I'm afraid that 13 weeks is actually a bit young to go all night without a feed - most babies don't stop needing that feed until they are on solids. Some babies do naturally stop waking for the feed by themselves, but it's quite normal not to. Sleeping through is as much routine and development as getting enough calories in.

I would definitely try the faster flow teat (from your other post!) and in the night I always found it easier just to feed and get them back to sleep ASAP. Babies don't always take the same amount every feed, what's your EASY like at the moment? Does he have any digestive issues like reflux?

Laura

[emmyheats]

thank you for advice, really helpful! yes it is easier to get on and feed and I have been doing that but
with his feed in night, when he wakes at 7 for first deed of day he only takes 2-3 oz! we r doing the 4 hr easy routine so he feeds at 7,11,3,7 and dream feed at 11. but he'll wake between 3-4 am for a feed. it might b habitual but then.he always takes a good 5 oz on that feed so I no hes hungry.  However feeding at that time means hes not hungry for the 7 am one! should I b reducing the anount he takes on night feed? or should I try and stretch night feed out longer? should I still b trying to feed him at 7 am or should I b abandoning the routine and feeding him later so its dead on 4 hrs after the jight feed? trouble with that is though that pushes the dream feed back? confused! !
em

[Kellywicks]

Hi this is my first post and I welcome any advice. My LO is 9 weeks +4, and was following the EASY 4hour routine until she had her injections.  She's great in the day and goes every 4hours and has a good 6-7ounce. I give her a 'hungry baby' feed at 7pm, then bath and happily goes to sleep by 8pm. I give her another 'hungry baby' dream feed at 11, but then she wakes between 2.30-3am but only takes 2-3ounce and won't take anymore, so we're back up again 2hours later for another 2-3ounce, which then means she's not that hungry for her 7am feed so only takes 2ounce. Is it just a matter of preserving in the hope that she drops it soon or can I try something? Please help I'm so sleep deprived. 

[Carolina Parra]

My Dougther is 18 wks old and se has the sabe problem, she doesnt want to drink all her bottle, she is in a 4 hour routine since she was 12 wks but 2 weeks ago she refuse to drink 6 oz per bottle, I really dont know what to do.  She only wake up once at night and drink 5 oz.

[emmyheats]

hi all
have to say thank you for all your replies.  I certainly think a lot to fo with it is age related and that lo is more interested in surroundings.  plus we changed teats to faster ones and also discovered that he woukd finush his bottlebif thecmilk was warmer.  so I make bottles fresh and leave to cool in a special avent bag that is insulated andvkeeps the bottle good for 4 hrs. then once I feed him, if he won't take the last 3-4 oz I can still warm it up as uts mot been heated yet. itscpsidvoff as hecwill take hus full bottle if I do this.  worth a shot? x