Help I need a schedule for a 13 week old

[Anonymous]

My 13 week old DC wasn't on much of a schedule and I'm trying really hard to get her on one for both of our sanity. The problem is that she takes small feedings, especially in the morning which begets frequent feedings and seems to be a catnapper taking only 45 minute naps 3 or 4x per day. Her nights are better, she goes down between 7p and 8p and sleeps until 1a or 2a and then wakes up between 4a and 5a and then between 7a and 8a.

Any recommendations? Should she be able to go 3 or 4 hours between feedings? She is on the small side, weighing in at 11 pounds.


Thanks

[Anonymous]

at that age, you pretty much have to feed on demand, so sorry, no advise here! It should get better though as she gets older. hang in there!

[Anonymous]

OP here - I forgot to mention that she is ebf

[Anonymous]

that actually isnt a bad schedule shes on ..... you have to go by demand at this age...

[Anonymous]

IMO, she should be fed every 2-3 hours, esp if she is ebf. It will get better in the next few months.

[Anonymous]

This totally varied by child and by what the parent wants. If you want to feed on demand, that is fine, assuming you realize they are hungry and not tired or something else. I have an 8 week old on a schedule which will not alter too much by 10 weeks. It is:

7:00 am - wake and feed
9:15 - 10:00 am - nap
10:15 - feed
12 - 2:00 nap
2:00 - 2:30 feed
maybe a short catnap in the PM
5:30 - bath
6:00 - 6:15 feed
6:45 - in bed for the night
10:30 - feed
3:30 AM - feed
7:00 am, etc

My son is about 12 pounds and this works and has worked for weeks. Sometimes I need to feed him earlier, which I do as necessary, but I find he is rested and gaining 6 - 8 ounces a week. I am exclusively breast feeding. We plan to start to introduce water at the 3:00 am feed over the next week or two to try to get him off of that feed. Flame away people, but this works for us. Everyone needs to do what works for them and their babies but a schedule at this age is absolutely possible. We have a 2.5 year old and I couldn't survive without a schedule given her needs.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This totally varied by child and by what the parent wants. If you want to feed on demand, that is fine, assuming you realize they are hungry and not tired or something else. I have an 8 week old on a schedule which will not alter too much by 10 weeks. It is:

7:00 am - wake and feed
9:15 - 10:00 am - nap
10:15 - feed
12 - 2:00 nap
2:00 - 2:30 feed
maybe a short catnap in the PM
5:30 - bath
6:00 - 6:15 feed
6:45 - in bed for the night
10:30 - feed
3:30 AM - feed
7:00 am, etc

My son is about 12 pounds and this works and has worked for weeks. Sometimes I need to feed him earlier, which I do as necessary, but I find he is rested and gaining 6 - 8 ounces a week. I am exclusively breast feeding. We plan to start to introduce water at the 3:00 am feed over the next week or two to try to get him off of that feed. Flame away people, but this works for us. Everyone needs to do what works for them and their babies but a schedule at this age is absolutely possible. We have a 2.5 year old and I couldn't survive without a schedule given her needs.

Hope this helps!

I would just LOVE to know how giving your DC water at night, when he is 9 weeks old works for you. I have a 9.5 month old who still takes a 5-6 ounce bottle at night (and a 3 year old). Perhaps I should try water as well.

[Anonymous]

the schedule at 13 weeks, is no schedule-sorry!

[Anonymous]

As long as the advice of giving water to infants is being casually bandied about, it's worth mentioning that there are health risks associated with it and that, obviously, it's of no nutritional value to someone whose only job it is to grow. If the 11:30 PP wants to do this, fine, but if it's being suggested for other people, I thought someone should at least point that out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:that actually isnt a bad schedule shes on ..... you have to go by demand at this age...

Ditto.

The only thing to start watching at this point is making sure that no more than 2 hrs goes by without db going down for a nap (the "two hour rule").

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that actually isnt a bad schedule shes on ..... you have to go by demand at this age...

Ditto.

The only thing to start watching at this point is making sure that no more than 2 hrs goes by without db going down for a nap (the "two hour rule").

PP here again. Also, you're getting a good chunk of sleep from her at night - hence her need to cluster feed during the day. You and db are doing great. It seems exhausting simply because it is. But as db continues to develop neurologically, things will get easier. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

Be careful with the water...a baby this young is waking to eat because he/she needs nourishment. Water fills the baby up but doesn't provide the necessary calories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be careful with the water...a baby this young is waking to eat because he/she needs nourishment. Water fills the baby up but doesn't provide the necessary calories.

And the water flushes away electrolytes, and is especially dangerous in breastfed babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This totally varied by child and by what the parent wants. If you want to feed on demand, that is fine, assuming you realize they are hungry and not tired or something else. I have an 8 week old on a schedule which will not alter too much by 10 weeks. It is:

7:00 am - wake and feed
9:15 - 10:00 am - nap
10:15 - feed
12 - 2:00 nap
2:00 - 2:30 feed
maybe a short catnap in the PM
5:30 - bath
6:00 - 6:15 feed
6:45 - in bed for the night
10:30 - feed
3:30 AM - feed
7:00 am, etc

My son is about 12 pounds and this works and has worked for weeks. Sometimes I need to feed him earlier, which I do as necessary, but I find he is rested and gaining 6 - 8 ounces a week. I am exclusively breast feeding. We plan to start to introduce water at the 3:00 am feed over the next week or two to try to get him off of that feed. Flame away people, but this works for us. Everyone needs to do what works for them and their babies but a schedule at this age is absolutely possible. We have a 2.5 year old and I couldn't survive without a schedule given her needs.

Hope this helps!

I would just LOVE to know how giving your DC water at night, when he is 9 weeks old works for you. I have a 9.5 month old who still takes a 5-6 ounce bottle at night (and a 3 year old). Perhaps I should try water as well.

FYI this isn't all that different from a schedule of feeding on demand. It is every two to three hours, which is what babies who are fed on demand are looking for. Now, during the growth spurts, they want to feed more often, so they can up the number of ounces mom makes. Not starting a breastfeeding debate, because this applies to how much formula mom is making too.

As for your giving water, sure that may work for you, but it probably won't work well for your baby. It is also not a very educated decision to make.

[Anonymous]

I have a 12 week old (2nd baby) and this is what I do. It's kind of a combo of schedule and on demand:

Feed the baby when she wakes up, as much as she wants, on both breasts (usually about 15-20 min total). Sit her up for 10 min in the bouncy chair so she doesn't spit up. Try to keep her awake for the next hour or so. Around 1.5 hours from the beginning of the feeding (or when she starts to get fussy), put her down for a nap. Do NOT think this is the signal to feed again, it most likely is not. Hopefully she will sleep for 1.5 hours, but then when she next wakes up, feed her again. This makes it about 3 hours between feedings. Repeat all day. Hopefully she will do one long stretch of about 6-7 hours at night without waking, too.

You have to get to fewer, longer feedings in order for her to get the fat in the milk and sleep better. I also would not do water at ALL this point at all unless your doctor tells you to do this.