1 month old...still eating every 2 hours! :(

SweetT94 · July 2012

Anyone else trying to break this cycle? My pedi suggested trying to hold her off 15 minutes more each feeding, but it just doesnt work. I have tried waking her up during the day to feed and she just doesnt want it. She only sleeps for long stretches on someones chest, then and only then can i stretch her feeding to 3-4 hours.

She eats about 2-3 ounces every 2 hours instead of 4 every 3-4 hours.

Suggestions?

jennyann28 · July 2012

I suggest you feed your child when she is hungry. And FWIW, my 10 week old eats about every 2 hours, it's no big deal.

ttimmerman · July 2012

Do you mean she eats every 2 hours all day and all night? I wouldn't worry about trying to stretch it during the day at that age...my little guy still eats every 2-3 hours during the day. We got longer stretches at night by keeping the lights dim, no noise or music or TV, and just trying to rock him or hold him instead of immediately feeding him when he woke up. He sleeps about 7 hours straight now, so I guess it worked!

ETA: After reading the other replies, I feel like I should clarify that we only tried to stretch things with LO at night if he wasn't too distressed when he awakened and we could easily calm him down by rocking or holding him. If he woke up wailing or obviously hungry, of course we would feed him.

Luvmy2sons · July 2012

jennyann28:
I suggest you feed your child when she is hungry. And FWIW, my 10 week old eats about every 2 hours, it's no big deal.

Ditto this exactly. I don't get much done, but I feed DD on demand.

acbfreire · July 2012

My LO is doing the same, I feed her on demand.

superherostocker · July 2012

They usually eat every 2 hours until they start on solids at 4-6 months. Then they go to every 3-4 hours. I just feed on demand, they know when they are hungry and when they need to eat.

JennyJensing · July 2012

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I disagree with PP's. Children don't "usually" eat every 2 hours until 6 months old. That is cray cray. I BF my DD every 3 hours during the day (earlier if she asks for it, but she usually doesn't) and strictly on demand at night. She usually wakes 1-3 times at night. She is a healthy 12lb 3oz.

I do agree with PP though, I wouldn't focus on spreading out day time feedings until your LO spaces out and/or eliminates night time feedings. I'm sure it seems like you'll never get anything done with LO eating every 2 hours, but just remember that this won't last forever! GL!

JennyJensing · July 2012

SweetT94:
My pedi suggested trying to hold her off 15 minutes more each feeding, but it just doesnt work. I have tried waking her up during the day to feed and she just doesnt want it. She only sleeps for long stretches on someones chest, then and only then can i stretch her feeding to 3-4 hours.

She eats about 2-3 ounces every 2 hours instead of 4 every 3-4 hours.

Suggestions?

Just curious--why doesn't stretching feedings out 15 minutes work? If she's screaming, is there not some sort of distraction you could provide? 15 mins goes by quickly around my house--maybe a diaper or outfit change?

cstw · July 2012

I would feed on demand during the day and pump after a few feedings. Then I would supplement a nursing w a bottle of BM after the evening feedings to see if that helps stretch her night sleep out.

If you already know how many oz she takes, I assume you are pumping or doing formula so I would just try to encourage an extra oz at the later feedings and see if that helps stretch those evening feedings out.

wheelsonthebus · July 2012

jennyann28:
I suggest you feed your child when she is hungry. And FWIW, my 10 week old eats about every 2 hours, it's no big deal.

This. Every baby and every mom is different. Some babies can never go more than two hours during the day. My son was one of those babies. He nursed every two hours for a LONG time. I want to say over a year old. We weaned at 2 years old and I swear he would still be nursing every 2 hours if I allowed it to go on. haha

My DD nurses a little less, but usually every 2 hours. During growth spurts she nurses every 30 mins at times. It's what she needs.

erbear · July 2012

She sounds...normal. My kiddos ate every two hours for about 3-4 months. You get used to it!

nicole0066 · July 2012

My 10 week old eats about every 2 hours during the day and about every 3 at night.

lindy27 · July 2012

I ditto the comments about not trying to stretch them out during the day and just trying that at night. My LO will calm down when I put her on the changing station for a diaper change even if she is hungry she'll lay there for maybe 10-15 minutes if I wanted her to. Maybe your LO has something similar you could try at night to try to get nighttime feedings up to at least 3-4 hours.

I don't think a LO eating every 2 hours during the night and day is necessarily normal or I guess common past a few months...

ktpaladino · July 2012

Normal. My 3 month old still eats every 1-2 hours, and it was only 45 minutes between feedings during his growth spurts. Breast milk is digested VERY quickly and newborn's stomachs are only the size of a marble. Try cluster feeding in the evenings to stretch out your night time feedings, but keep feeding that growing LO as often as they are hungry! Be patient and eventually they will need to eat less often and remember that every baby is different as to when this happens. Just take your cues from LO!

mkflower3000 · July 2012

I would definitely feed on demand still. DD does the same thing and she's 6 weeks old. At this age they're still in survival mode - their main jobs are eating and gaining weight, so sounds like your DD knows what she needs

GL!

Nancs · November 2012

I totally agree my first one was formula fed and ate e 3 hr by 2 mo she slept 6 hr at night. My second is 6 mo and bf she eats every 2 hrs around the clock except for her 4 hr long stretch at night. I work full time so I know your exhaustion but I think is perfectly normal.

Vegasbb · November 2012

I EBF and my 1 month old feeds every 2 hours (sometimes 3 hours at night if I'm lucky!). I feel like I'm freaking feeding him all the time - very annoying. That being said, I have to feed him when he's hungry and hope this stops soon!

1 month old...still eating every 2 hours! :(

Re: 1 month old...still eating every 2 hours! :(

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