Switched from 3 to 4 hours and baby going nuts

amother

Pink

Fri, Jun 17 2016, 3:41 pm

amother wrote:

Poor baby.
4 hour breaks for a growing 5 month old who is only breastfeeding is mean.

No need for pity. He isn't eating the same amount as before at each feed. He used to eat for about 10 min every 2-3 hours, now he is eating 25 minutes every four hours. He is getting real meals instead of snacks the whole day. He is a gezuneh baby, in the 75 percentile and crawling already. He is not complaining or rooting between the four hour stretches.

Miri7

Fri, Jun 17 2016, 5:49 pm

I agree with others - Read books and glean ideas from them but do what works for your baby. Each one is different. Learning your baby's cues is very helpful.

And don't get frustrated once you get into a rythym and a growth spurt throws things off for a few days.

MyUsername

Sat, Jun 18 2016, 3:06 pm

OP, just know there is a critical weight that babies need to get to before they can go more than 3 hour stretches (though some babies still want/need to eat more often even if they've reached the weight, and those babies should!). The critical weight is 11 pounds - when they've hit this weight, it means that metabolically they are able to handle more time between feedings.

The reason that 4 months is often the recommended time to increase the wait between feedings is because most babies will hit 11 pounds by 4 months. But, if your baby is under 11 pounds, even if already 5 or 6 or months (or even 11 months, which is when my underweight baby hit 11 pounds), it could be dangerous to stretch out feedings (even if the baby seems to be doing okay with it).

Also, if your baby is already over 11 pounds, you still want to make sure that the baby is eating enough, get him/her weighed every few days to make sure weight gain is staying consistent. If after 2-3 weeks the weight gain is fine, then your baby is doing great on feeding every four hours.

Also, if your baby is having a hard time and if you baby is over 11 pounds already, you can always try 4 hours at night (or even more than 4 hours), if you stick to every 3 hours max during the day.

Good luck!

amother

Pink

Sat, Jun 18 2016, 9:28 pm

MyUsername wrote:

My baby was born 9 pounds and now he is 20. He is in the 75% or something, so not to worry.

the world's best mom

Sun, Jun 19 2016, 12:12 am

amother wrote:

No need for pity.

snip

He is not complaining or rooting between the four hour stretches.

Interesting. In the OP, you wrote:

amother wrote:

BUT, he is SO cranky the entire day long. He seems to be spitting up more, having more tummy issues, and is not sleeping even less than before--maybe a half an hour 5 times a day, always after screaming his head off for almost 1.5 hours straight beforehand.

See any differences between the two?

nylon

Sun, Jun 19 2016, 1:15 am

Unfortunately if he's prone to reflux the only solution for now may be smaller feeds more frequently. I'm sure some babies could handle every 4 hours without a problem--but maybe not this one. However, typically, this type of milder reflux is outgrown on its own.

pause

Sun, Jun 19 2016, 1:21 am

If you are solely breastfeeding, PLEASE don't starve him by nursing him only every 4 hours. Most breastfed babies go MAXIMUM 3 hours from the start of one feed to the start of the next. My babies have done 1.5 hours at some stages.

Breastmilk is easily and quickly digested and babies can get legitimately hungry sooner than we think they should be.

amother

Lime

Sun, Jun 19 2016, 3:12 am

amother wrote:

My baby was born 9 pounds and now he is 20. He is in the 75% or something, so not to worry.

My 3 year old is only 25 pounds! So glad your baby is nice and plump - the doctors made me crazy about feeding her as a baby. I had to wake her every 3 hours at night even if she was asleep, and I was feeding her every 3 hours forever! Of course, my baby was born early and was about half the size of yours when she was born.

Also, I wanted to recommend that now might be a good time to introduce solids - these could help fill in the little bits missing from nursing less. Even just a few spoonfuls. I recommend fatty/protein foods though - fruits and veggies really don't offer nutrition to a nursing baby. Baby oatmeal (mixed with breastmilk or formula if needed) is particularly good, because oats are higher in protein that other grains and are easy on the tummy!

amother

Pink

Sun, Jun 19 2016, 7:38 am

World's best mom--Yes I contradicted myself because things have changed since we started. I have been doing this since about Shavous. The first four days were really hard and then it's been pretty smooth since. I find the right balance for him to be 3 and a half to 3 and three quarters of an hour cycles. He is taking a good 1.5 hour nap in the AM and then three more smaller naps after that. At night he is wakes at 11, 3, and then up for the day at 7. I am happy with how things are going. Thanks for all your advice, I believe this topic is no longer interesting. Wink

amother

Olive

Sun, Jun 19 2016, 9:34 pm

pause wrote:

At almost 5 months, feeding solids is highly discouraged.

depends on who you talk to. My doc said it's preferable to wait until 6 months, but if my baby seemed really interested (from 4 months and onward) to start with rice cereal was fine, but to wait until 6 months to start with the fruits and veg.