Does your 4 month old nap and eat during the day? Pedi said he should be eating every 4 hrs and take 2 naps per day. (He's EBF)
Normally he eats every 2 hrs but I tried to push it to the limit today and the most I got was 3hrs before total melt down. He also takes 3-4 naps per day depending on how well he slept the night before. He still gets up 1x to nurse. Is this unusual? Or is pedi crazy?
Ftr DS is in 75% - 95% for all of his measurements.
Your pedi is on crack. At 4 months, ds was awake for 1-2 hours at a time in between naps (so, like you, 3-4 naps per day) and ate about every 2-3 hours.
Yea nap time is the best time! He seemed adamant about waiting 4 hrs though. His solution to put him off longer was to change his diaper or put him in the bouncer. Uhm yea that will work for 5 mins then it's back to screaming because someone needs the boob. Lol
DD took 3 naps a day till she turned a year old. At 4 months I think she was napping every 3 hours or so and eating 4 five ounce bottles just at daycare.
Tell your pedi he's free to come listen to your screaming kid.
I say "Whatever" to all of that. At that age my 2.5 year old only had 2 naps a day, but she never did like to nap. However, she ate every 2-3 hours consistently all the way to 1.
She's still alive.
I'm surprised your pedi seems so strict on this. Every kid is different. All mine ever says is, "These are the guidelines. Do what works for you."
And pedis have weird hangups about lots of things I swear. I adore mine but his soap box lately is putting kids to bed drowsy but awake. Dude, my kid is 8 weeks old. He can sleep where he lays for now. The man had 5 kids of his own he absolutely has to know it's not always easy or worthwhile.
He's 4 months and waking up once at night to eat? Yeah, keep doing what you're doing. Trying to space out daytime feedings might make him wake up more often at night to make up for the lost ounces during the day. There's only so much babies can eat a time (or how much milk breasts can hold if you're BFing). Four months is awfully young to drop down to 2 naps, too. DS was definitely over 6 months, but I can't remember exactly when.
Yea nap time is the best time! He seemed adamant about waiting 4 hrs though. His solution to put him off longer was to change his diaper or put him in the bouncer. Uhm yea that will work for 5 mins then it's back to screaming because someone needs the boob. Lol
But, I mean, whyyyyy? Breastfed babies are supposed to feed on demand. It's, like, what they do. It teaches them to manage / listen to their own hunger cues.Β
Idk, DS was screaming for 75% of the apt so I didn't have time to really think about what he was saying or question it much until now. I go to a large practice so this is the first time seeing this particular doctor. I don't think I will see him again, if possible. He just said babies at that age should eat every 4 hrs. Before today I was just feeding him every 2 hrs out of habit so I def think he can go a little longer but def not 4 hrs. No way no how lol.
Yeah I can't remember for sure but I feel like my 4 month old took more like 3 naps. We weren't very schedule-y at that age. Sleep when you're tired. Eat when you're hungry. But I remember it kind of ended up being a morning nap, an early afternoon nap, and an early evening nap.
Post by Velar Fricative on Apr 18, 2014 16:21:46 GMT -5
DD was taking random catnaps throughout the day at 4 months. It was a little after that where daycare became magical and got her on a predictable 3-nap schedule. She still doesn't nap like that for is on the weekends though at 6.5 months. :/
Eating was (and is still) every 2 hours when we're together all day and every 3 hours at daycare (she gets some formula there). I guess she's still a snacker when it comes to nursing even though I expected more spaced-out nursing sessions at this point too.
Post by shellbear09 on Apr 18, 2014 17:43:47 GMT -5
I don't know the point of a pedi giving that kind of information. To me its just stupid. I don't know what is wrong with following baby's cues and feeding them when hungry and putting down when tired.
At that age we were feeding every 2-3 hours and definitely 3 naps a day at least. And I was ff so bf babies may be eating even more frequently. I would koko because you know what is best for your baby.
Post by Stingyshark on Apr 18, 2014 18:35:59 GMT -5
DD eats every 2-2.5hrs.. on very rare occasions we make it 3 hrs. She STTN. Her nap schedule is all over the place. She usually takes one good nap about 2hrs after she wakes up, and then it's a crap shoot after that. Sometimes she will take another longish nap, and sometimes she just takes little cat naps every so often. Her only really scheduled nap is the first one - I try to put her down in the afternoon, but she doesn't always cooperate.
ETA: I said she STTN just to say that she doesn't eat every 2-2.5hrs during the night - I wasn't bragging. lol
I dont remember exactly but I will say 4 hrs fora bf baby is a long time..bm digests faster than formula, within about 1.5.hrs.
J ate at least every 2-3 hrs during the day the entire first year.
He took several 45.min naps a day at that age
Yeah, he seemed to think that if he went longer between feedings he would just eat more during that feeding so he could go longer without eating. In the past I've been super concerned about feeding him at the 2 hr mark (since he's been sleeping so well), that I wasn't really paying attention to his cues, just if the clock hit 2 hr mark he went on the boob. Today I tried to look more for cues and he seemed to want to eat every 2.5 - 3 hrs and would eat for a longer period of time at each feeding (10 mins v. 5 mins). But 3 hrs was the MAX. He would not go 4 hours. Oh and the pedi also said I could try feeding him 7-8oz of BM at bedtime if we had to go out (we are going to a wedding tomorrow night and ILs are doing bedtime). Well we did a trial run tonight and he just barely finished 5oz (it had been 3 hrs since his last meal). Sooo...basically I am ignoring the pedi. Also, even if I didn't put him down for a nap, he will still just fall asleep. He didn't seem adamant about the 2 naps, just that should be the goal, but whatevs, my kid likes to sleep.
Tell your pedi he's free to come listen to your screaming kid.
I say "Whatever" to all of that. At that age my 2.5 year old only had 2 naps a day, but she never did like to nap. However, she ate every 2-3 hours consistently all the way to 1.
She's still alive.
I'm surprised your pedi seems so strict on this. Every kid is different. All mine ever says is, "These are the guidelines. Do what works for you."
And pedis have weird hangups about lots of things I swear. I adore mine but his soap box lately is putting kids to bed drowsy but awake. Dude, my kid is 8 weeks old. He can sleep where he lays for now. The man had 5 kids of his own he absolutely has to know it's not always easy or worthwhile.
All this (well, she can go a longer time between feedings). Even the drowsy but awake. My pedi wants me to do full on CIO with 30 minute checks. Hell to the N O
I was under the impression the earliest you could do CIO was 6 months when they had object permanence....how old is your baby?
I dont remember exactly but I will say 4 hrs fora bf baby is ia long time..bm digests faster than formula, within about 1.5.hrs.
J ate at least every 2-3 hrs during the day the entire first year.
He took several 45.min naps a day at that age
Yeah, he seemed to think that if he went longer between feedings he would just eat more during that feeding so he could go longer without eating. In the past I've been super concerned about feeding him at the 2 hr mark (since he's been sleeping so well), that I wasn't really paying attention to his cues, just if the clock hit 2 hr mark he went on the boob. Today I tried to look more for cues and he seemed to want to eat every 2.5 - 3 hrs and would eat for a longer period of time at each feeding (10 mins v. 5 mins). But 3 hrs was the MAX. He would not go 4 hours. Oh and the pedi also said I could try feeding him 7-8oz of BM at bedtime if we had to go out (we are going to a wedding tomorrow night and ILs are doing bedtime). Well we did a trial run tonight and he just barely finished 5oz (it had been 3 hrs since his last meal). Sooo...basically I am ignoring the pedi. Also, even if I didn't put him down for a nap, he will still just fall asleep. He didn't seem adamant about the 2 naps, just that should be the goal, but whatevs, my kid likes to sleep.
Oh I forgot to add when I told him I feed him 7x a day his first reaction was "oh you must not sleep" I told him yep I do, I get up 1x at night and feed him every 2 hrs during the day. He seemed surprised lol. Today he ate 6x as opposed to 7x. Hopefully tonight goes okay. He freaked out when I held him after DH gave him his bottle (he was fussing in his crib and DH was in the bathroom).
At four months, DD was eating at least every two hours around the clock (her sleep went to shit at three months). What your pedi is saying is the same advice my MIL got with H way back when, and her BFF told her to feed her screaming baby despite what the clock said.
I know and this is why I BF - it soothes him immediately! Why would I want to hear him cry more?
At 4 months AJ was eating every 3 hours at the most and napped 2-3x/day. Some days it was longer naps, some days it was catnaps but if he wasn't at the sitter's he was napping on me. He didn't start napping 1-2x/day (depending on what time he gets up for the day) and in his crib until he was 5 monthsish.
My 4 month old is on her third super long nap today. This is a bit unusual but she usually takes 2 - 3 naps per day, usually a combo of a short and long nap. She usually eats every 2 hours when she is awake, every 3 hours at night. Today it's been 2 - 3 hours in the daytime. However, during her most wakeful period from 4:20 - 5:50 pm today, she downed 6 ounces over the course of an hour (3 oz at 4:30, 3 oz at 5:30). (We EP.)
Basically she has no pattern, no schedule, and will absolutely scream at the top of her lungs when she is hungry. So no to feeding her every 4 hours, impossible.
She is at the bottom of the curves but still, 4 hours? LOL
My 4 month old is on her third super long nap today. This is a bit unusual but she usually takes 2 - 3 naps per day, usually a combo of a short and long nap. She usually eats every 2 hours when she is awake, every 3 hours at night. Today it's been 2 - 3 hours in the daytime. However, during her most wakeful period from 4:20 - 5:50 pm today, she downed 6 ounces over the course of an hour (3 oz at 4:30, 3 oz at 5:30). (We EP.)
Basically she has no pattern, no schedule, and will absolutely scream at the top of her lungs when she is hungry. So no to feeding her every 4 hours, impossible.
She is at the bottom of the curves but still, 4 hours? LOL
I know, I wish DH was there to calm DS while I was talking to the doctor b/c I couldn't really have a discussion with him since we got interrupted every minute by DS screaming (he needed a nap lol). But his next well check up is with a diff. doctor...but I will be more adamant about him seeing this female doctor (who I initially interviewed) in the future - she never even brought up how often I feed him, just that I was doing a good job since he was gaining well.
DD is EFF, but she eats every 3-4 hours and sleeps every 2-3 hours. She usually takes 3 naps during the day at school, and cat naps when I get her home every evening (and then goes to bed between 6-7).
βLife is not orderly. No matter how we try to make it so, right in the middle of it lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.β - Natalie Goldberg
DD took 3 naps a day till she turned a year old. At 4 months I think she was napping every 3 hours or so and eating 4 five ounce bottles just at daycare.
20 oz at daycare? Wow!
And nursing morning & before bed, she was a very healthy baby!
Post by AlpineSlide on Apr 18, 2014 20:45:34 GMT -5
Like many other in the thread, my DS eats (ebf) every 2-3 hours and takes 3 naps per day. He's up a lot in the night recently, but only nurses twice MOTN.
Post by pierogigirl on Apr 19, 2014 7:50:03 GMT -5
My kids ate every 2 hours when they were awake until they were pretty old - definitely older than 4 months. I don't remember the nap situation at that age.
At that age, ODS ate about 5 times per day and took 2-3 naps. YDS was on 2-3 naps, and he ate 6 times per day. And, my rule with feeding has always been if they are hungry, feed them which for ODS and YDS meant every 2-4 hours. The 4 hours thing is old fashioned, silly advice.
What the huh? I don't think my daughter went 4 hours without nursing until 18 months (except at night). My 3 month old sometimes nurses every hour. He STTN, so during the day he can have what he wants. I think I would ignore the advice. I would also never ever CIO with a 4 month old.