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Infant feeding

Demand feeding (ff) & how to tell if hungry in their sleep

4 replies

u32ng · 25/03/2013 14:24

So my DS 7wks old & we have been demand feeding. Unfortunately he doesn't give v.obvious hunger cues at all & often is crying by the time we get to him with the bottle.

I hate this & want to get to him before the crying happens.

However I find it really difficult when he's sleeping. Almost always he'll want a feed as soon as he wakes but although I might see him give sucking motions in his sleep, I've no idea when he'll wake up so don't know when to have his bottle warmed & ready! I could wake him but am loathe to do this as I think it's a bit mean, and also he's not a great napper so when he's finally asleep I want him to get the rest.

Just wondering how other people deal with this?

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noblegiraffe · 25/03/2013 16:12

You don't have to make the bottle up the minute before he drinks it do you? I think they're ok to make up and leave for a bit.

Even if you're demand feeding, you should have roughly some pattern to feeds, my 8 week old feeds roughly every two hours (bfed), so I'm watching out for it.

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u32ng · 26/03/2013 04:20

Oh god yes, feeds are ALWAYS made in advance!

Yeah he feeds about every 2hrs as well but still get caught out by him wanting fed before then...

I think I will need a day of just watching him from an hr after his feed to see what his cue is as I never see any obvious cue so maybe his is quite subtle??

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noblegiraffe · 26/03/2013 07:26

Oh I see! Would he take a bottle that wasn't precisely warmed up? Even room temperature or cold straight from the fridge?

Sticking tongue in and out, twisting mouth to the side, making an O with the mouth, fist chewing and rooting are the usual signs here.

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u32ng · 26/03/2013 21:34

Yes he's not fussy haha! Have often cut short bottle warming just to stop him crying. I just prefer not to feed him really cold milk as I don't think it can be nice for their digestion.

Going to really observe him tomorrow!

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