How long to feed on demand?

CoachAP

My LO is 3 weeks old and is starting to not nap after each feeding and staying awake for the 3 hours in between for about 3 of his feedings/day, then will fall asleep for 4 hours after the next 2 feedings.  However, the 4 hours stretches aren't always at night which is obviously preferable.  

So i was wondering if it was too early to start getting him on a schedule so those 4 hour stretches are overnight?  I just am not sure i know how to start or if its even possible.  Cluster feed?  Or give him more at night feedings? Or will he eventually make his own schedule?  TIA!

littlebean4

He'll eventually fall into a schedule but in the meantime you could try loosely following an eat play sleep schedule so his naps may become shorter because he'll wake up when hungry then stay awake after he eats for a little while.  Personally I wouldnt let my LO sleep past 3 hours but I know a lot of people will say never wake a sleeping baby.  However, with that said my LO will not nap loger than 30 mins so I'm still waiting for that 3 hour nap haha.  Let me get this right though, your LO can stay awake for 3 hours between feedings during the day?? That's a long time, my DD usually falls apart at the 2 hour mark and she's 3 and a halfmonths.

MelTwe

I tend to feed DS when he gets up and again before he naps.  Sometimes there's only a 90 minute stretch between the two, so he snacks mostly during the day.  3 hours seems like a long time for a 3 week old to be awake.  DS is 8 weeks and can only go 2 hours tops, but I know every baby is different.  I also nurse until he unlatches himself at bedtime, sometimes it can take 45 minutes or more.  You're also headed into a growth spurt, so don't expect too much until it passes.

doremi29

I still feed DD on demand.  She usually nurses a bunch in the morning when she first wakes up (sorta cluster feeding), then *usually* settles in to a 3 hour schedule until the evening when she cluster feeds again. 

CoachAP

littlebean4:

He'll eventually fall into a schedule but in the meantime you could try loosely following an eat play sleep schedule so his naps may become shorter because he'll wake up when hungry then stay awake after he eats for a little while.  Personally I wouldnt let my LO sleep past 3 hours but I know a lot of people will say never wake a sleeping baby.  However, with that said my LO will not nap loger than 30 mins so I'm still waiting for that 3 hour nap haha.  Let me get this right though, your LO can stay awake for 3 hours between feedings during the day?? That's a long time, my DD usually falls apart at the 2 hour mark and she's 3 and a halfmonths.

Tell me about it - it takes him about 20 mins to eat, and then I'll hold him and if i notice he isn't trying to fall asleep I will play/talk with him for about another 30 mins.   Then will put him in swing/RNP,go for a walk, etc to get him to sleep and he will just lay there and look around.  By this time we are at 2 hours.  He usually starts to get fussy around this time b/c he is obviously tired, but then starts to notice he could probably eat again, so doesn't really fall asleep - more like 10 min cat naps - if lucky- until i pick him up and change/get ready to feed.  

this is all recent - in the past 2 days.  And if he "misses" a nap - i am definitely letting him sleep 4, we both need it at that point!  he has never slept longer then that though.  

JTGochnour

When my LO was 3 weeks I tried to not let her go more then three hours between feeds during the day, and just fed on demand at night. This helped urn around her days and nights as she was eating the majority of her oz. during the day. 

mben1119

At 3 weeks old, you still need to be feeding on demand. We fed DS on demand for pretty much the first year of his life. He knows when he's hungry, I don't. Babies make their own routines when they are ready.

runningyogimama

mabenner1:

At 3 weeks old, you still need to be feeding on demand. We fed DS on demand for pretty much the first year of his life. He knows when he's hungry, I don't. Babies make their own routines when they are ready.

This. Really, ideally, people should eat on demand their whole life: eat when they're hungry, stop when they're full.
Baby will eventually fall into a routine, though, for the most part.

lmilab

I BF both of my babies. Fist one took a long time to eat and sometimes would ask to be fed about every hour even after his growth spurts. So Dr told us to try to stretch it out to at least every 2 hrs.

This 2nd LO initially he would fall asleep as soon as he gets to the breast, so I had to wake him up sometimes with wet sloth on his face to feed. Now at 10 weeks he eats in under 5 minutes. As soon as he pulls out to burb I need to stop feeding him or he'll overeat. He does have a severe acid reflex and if he takes too long to eat I just give him a binky and he is fine. He is still in 95th percentile for his weight and eats every 2-3 hrs. I do not allow him to sleep more then 3 hrs during day, and at night he sleeps anywhere from 3-7 hr stretches. During daytime we have a schedule: He eats, we play a little, then has quite time to himself -observing and then falls asleep.

PS babies and kids LOVE the structure and schedule. One might say only baby can sense his hunger, but gentle training in right direction from the start will go a long way. With my older boy I've learned that structure is important and they can anticipate what's coming, and it's soothing to them.