Problems stretching out feeds

[ladymugg]

Hi there

My little man (16 weeks) is a hungry, hungry boy.  He has been averaging around 3 hours each daytime feed, and sometimes 3.5.  The last couple of weeks I've tried to get him to stretch out to 3.5hrs for every feed, with the eventual goal of getting to 4 hours (hopefully soon), so we can set in place the standard 4 hour EASY. 

My issue is a few things:
- I'm not scared of stretching out - I did it with my now 2 year old girl.  Even if it was 10 minutes per feed at a time, I did it, shushed the hunger cries, distracted, whatever. 
- The dude is so hungry I can usually stretch him to 3.5 for a mid/late morning feed but nothing else. 
- Consistency!!!  I have a 2 year old and sometimes we are out of the house or have something on, and when the baby gets very hungry and isn't due for a feed (eg: he might be at the 2hr 45 minute mark, I'm aiming for 3.5hrs), it is hard when out and about or with other people to just stretch him. 
- Sometimes he seriously cannot wait a second longer than more than 3 hours (sometimes less!).  But then on 50% of occasions he will only take a half bottle.  And then I kick myself for caving in :/

It tends to make his afternoon EASY go off the rails a little bit... his feeds can be anywhere between 2.5-3.5 (sometimes 4 if he has a huge sleep) but I would love some consistency.  The volume he drinks across the day is also quite large.  He isn't usually a "snacker" but in the afternoons sometimes will take smaller bottles more frequently.  Which I know sounds like snacking but I am aware of it and trying to avoid it as much as possible.  Sometimes the E comes up against his S but I never feed to sleep, FYI.

The last few days he will only take a small early morning feed (at around 5/5.30 am), then go back to sleep but then be super hungry again within 2.5-3 hours.  So another feeding at around 8 am.

Sample EASY - it isn't perfect as some days aren't always consistent:

2.30 am E then S
5.30 am E then S
6.30 am wake for the day
8 am E then short A before S
9.30/10 am wake
11 or 11.30 am E (if I can stretch him)
12 pm S
1.30 pm E
2.30 pm S
4 pm E
4.45 pm - 5.30 pm catnap
6.30 pm top off feed before BT
10 pm Dream Feed

Including the night feeding, we are often making up 7-8 bottles a day.  They average 6-8oz (180-240ml). 

Any help on this one is gratefully appreciated. 

[Haribo2012]

Hi there, personally I'd just feed if it's before 3.5 hours, he's still young and could be having a growth spurt.

My ds2 now 6 months is on 4 hour easy but some days he's hungry at 3.5 hours so I just feed then have some A time afterwards.

[creations]

Some LOs just can't stretch out to the 4hrs until closer to 6 months.  Mine was one of them.
Tracy said in the BW books that some LOs (she mentioned low birth weight, prem, BF) will not be able to get to 4hrs.  Mine was not low birth weight, prem or BF but he still couldn't go longer than 3hrs between bottles during the day.  At 6 months he took to solids with much enthusiasm and with those solids feeds between milk he stretch to the 4hrly milks.

[Lolly]

How long does he take to finish the bottle and what size teats are you currently using?

Laura

[ladymugg]

Thanks team!

He is actually a really big boy (20lbs) so I assume like you creations that he is just a hungry boy. 

I have genuinely tried which is why I sought some help as I could not figure out why it wasn't clicking into place nicely!  I will keep trying as much as I can without stressing him out, as I would still love some consistency and those bigger bottles certainly make for some longer naps. 

Plan is to try solids around 4.5-5 months so will see if that helps. 

Haribo2012: I think he is on the longest growth spurt I have ever seen ie: 16 weeks lol.  He is just always like this - super hungry!

[ladymugg]

Hi Laura

He is usually fairly quick when he is draining the whole bottle - would be 5-10 minutes (I don't time it but it isn't very long).  Similar speed if he isn't finishing the whole thing, mind you.   I'm currently using Avent size 3, but have 4s.... he doesn't seem to be struggling to suck with the 3s but then the 4s could still help?!

Just before he just had his first bottle of the day (in terms of all of us being up and about) and it took him about 5 minutes first go... then finished the rest 20 minutes later.  This is the whole "I'm starving but it hasn't been 3 hours since my last night feed" thing... he was desperate, we were trying to get breakfast ready etc and so I just fed him.  He finished it though and is now back in bed.