Help! Transition between a 3 hr feeding schedule to 4 hrs

[jheeren]

My little girl is 4 months old. She just started going 4 hrs between feedings. But not every feeding. She seems to be very fussy and her naps are all over the place. We had a pretty good schedule, now I'm not sure how to get her back on one. She was also eating just over 6 oz. now she is taking over 8!! And this all happened within a matter or 3 days. Any suggestions?

[cristeen]

Growth spurt and sleep regression. Very common at 4 mos. You're not liable to get your schedule back, you may have to work on a new schedule. And the increase in eating will probably drop off in a couple days.

But 3 hours is a long time for a baby to go without eating anyway, 4 is really long. My 8 mo eats every 2 hours round the clock unless he's sleeping (which might be a 3 hour stretch). I'd try to get her to eat more often, even if she isn't asking for it... those cues change over time, and my guy doesn't really ask anymore, he just gets fussy until I offer him food - and he's old enough to crawl over and pick up the bottle on his own.

HTH

[Just1More]

Yeah, I agree that 4 hours for a bf baby is a long time, even if it seems like what they want. All 3 of mine have needed to nurse every other hour until they were about a year. I would try offering it more frequently, and try getting her to sleep before she seems tired.

[octobermom]

is your LO on breast or formula? I'm gussing formula since you said oz but then again you could be pumping... How long is she sleeping at night? if shes averaging 6-8oz every 4 hours and weighs somewhere around say 15lbs (I'd think thats average for 4 months??) then that is a pretty normal amount. SHe could aslo be going through a growth spurt..

[LadyCatherine185]

Echoing PP's-- 4 months is a common growth spurt, as well as sleep regression time. The things with babies is-- once they fall into a routine, it often changes. The best thing to do is follow your babies cues for hunger and sleep, rather than trying to set a schedule. 3 hours is a long time for a baby to go between feedings at that age. My DS didn't begin a predictable "schedule" for his day until around a year old. He didn't start going 3-4 hours between feedings until.. well.. he STILL eats (food, and nurses a couple times a day) more than every 3-4 hours at 21 months.

[St. Margaret]

Baby routines are ALWAYS changing. Follow your baby, not the clock. *I* don't go 4 hours between snacking, heck! A baby is growing its body and brain so much... poor thing is probably hungry!

[jabeen]

Just to say...my 3 month old is on an every 3 hour schedule (sometimes every 2 hours but often 3), and my neighbors 5 month old eats every 3-4 hours, both EBF, so it doesn't seem like too long to me...

[Asparagus78]

This is just my opinion, but just the notion of a "schedule" with a 4 m/o seems, well, I'm not sure what the right word is, wrong? I've never been able to confidently rely on a clock to tell me what my baby needs/wants. Some days, I can go 3-4 hours between nursings, some days we nurse every hour around the clock. Baby decides. Just my two cents!

[karika]

I agree with pp... schedules are good for trains, not for living beings. A mother that is EBF and baby is going 3-4 hrs btw feedings will have supply issues and an early weaner, both of which are counterproductive to EBF. If you sit around with no shirt or bra on, holding the baby, the baby will latch on far more often. I also agree it sounds like the OP is using formula for which I have no advice. Try to relactate so you don't have to deal with schedules anymore is all I got...

[Ellien C]

Yeah - I'm not sure this is something you can control. She's letting you know how HER digestion needs to work and how much SHE needs to eat. Hang in there!