A few feeding questions

sam19

How often does your LO eat and how many ounces at a sitting? 

I know I ask this all the time but I just can't seem to get Natalie on a schedule and I think it would do us both some good if she was on one.

Natalie usually eats four ounces. Sometimes she will take six and sometimes she will eat 2. She is not on an Eat, Sleep, Play schedule. She usually isn't ready for a bottle when she wakes up from her nap. At night she eats like every 3 hours and during the day she goes 4 or 5 hours. I would really like to change this. During the day she eats like 18 - 20 ounces and then eats about 12 at night.

I think my big problem is that when she gets really upset and nothing else works to calm her down I give her a bottle even when she isn't really that hungry. I try everything first but she still calms down when she gets the bottle but only eats like 2 ounces. I think she has decided that bottle = comfort so she just comfort eats. Any advice on how to get her out of this habit?

howa0155

Hmmm. DS eats 6 oz (ish) every three or so hours and nothing at night.  I would really try to up the daytime feedings, if she will do it.

As for the comfort feedings, if you don't believe she is hungry, I'd stop or reduce the amount you are giving her.  It is hard though to seperate hunger from comfort sometimes - DS does this on the hard days for sure.

GL!

MrsF2007

I have a few suggestions:

1. If you want her on an eat, awake sleep schedule (I couldn't really tell if you do), go to babywhispererforums.com or read the Baby Whisperer. It'll help you out a bit in that area.

2. Could you try feeding her before you go to sleep but while she is still sleeping? The whole tank her up concept?

3. Have you tried just giving her a pacifier when she wakes in the night? Not to say she isn't hungry... but it might help her learn that wake doesn't always equal feed. She might just be looking to suck for comfort. 

Soap1

I agree with upping the daytime feedings.

DS eats 4-5 ounces at a time, and usually eats approximately 6:15am, 9;30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:45pm, and 7pm.  28-30 ounces per day of breastmilk.

I feed him on a schedule.  He sort of started putting himself on one, so I have reinforced it.  He very rarely displays hunger cues at any other time.