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feeding schedule for low birth weight baby

Hala2010Hala2010
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months

LO came out weighing 5 lb at 37 weeks. She is a month old now and weighs 7lb 11oz. The issue is that she has been driving us bonkers by eating two ounces of formula every two hours. She'll have an ounce, and then take anywhere between 20 minutes to one hour to eat the second ounce.... by the time we burp and change her, it's time to feed her again - so we've had no sleep at all for a month. 

Those of you who had low birth weight babies... is this normal? Should I assume that her stomach is only now that of an average newborn, so it will take a week or so more to eat more in one sitting and go longer between feedings? Or can I try to change her feeding behaviour (and if so, how?) She seems to not be able to handle more than one ounce at a time... so not sure how well delaying feeds with the hope that she'll eat more will work.

And a slightly unrelated question - in your experience, did low birth weight delay developmental milestones?  Thanks folks!

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Re: feeding schedule for low birth weight baby

  • nicole0066nicole0066 member

    Our LO was 4 weeks early at 5lb 2oz and came home at 4lb 12oz.  She would not eat big meals in the beginning, we were even measuring her meal sizes in ml fo awhile.  Is your LO BF or FF?  At that age I was BFing, pumping and supplementing so there was no sleep for me at all.  If your LO is bottle fed are they actually eating the entire hour?  

    As for milestones you may have to wait and see.  Our LO didn't really start smiling until 10 weeks actual, 6 adjusted.  She now smiles a ton and has been cooing a lot more.  She has no interest in rolling back to belly, but is close the other way.  That seems about normal for her age.  I just take it day by day and know that she will do things on her own time.  I will say that waiting those extra weeks for smiles was really hard, but now my heart just melts with every grin she gives.

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  • MrsC968MrsC968 member
    My DD was 5lb8oz at 37w. I BF so I can't comment on how much, but she ate every 3 hours (sometimes a little sooner) for the first two weeks. Then we got the go ahead for on demand and she started going a little bit longer at night but about every 2 hours during the day.
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  • iheartnjdevilsiheartnjdevils member
    My LO was born 5.1lbs. His first week, he was eating about an oz but quickly went up to 2 oz before his second week. Last night, we upped him to 3 oz and he's keeping it down. He still likes to eat every 2 hours during the day but sometimes we can get 3 hours in at night. At his 1w3d appt, he was 5.9lbs so he's definitely growing. He's been smiling since week 2 but I know they're not voluntary (not sure if those count?).
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  • Hala2010Hala2010
    imagenicole0066:

     If your LO is bottle fed are they actually eating the entire hour?  

    She's formula fed for the most part. Takes about 10 minutes to eat an ounce but then takes a break for anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour to eat again. So essentially eats an ounce an hour. I am supplementing with pumped breast milk too, so have to pump every 2 hours as well. Oh well. She's perfectly healthy otherwise. Has pretty good head control... is on her way to a social smile etc. I guess I'll just have to put up with no sleep for a while longer.

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  • eav2ceav2c member
    My LO was 5.8 at 37w. He had and still does feed every two hours nearly. I'm a firm believer in feeding on demand vs a schedule. It just so happens his feedings happen frequently like clockwork. Personally, I'd just keep doing what you all are. In due time it will level out to more confortable timings. 
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