1st time parents prem baby eating

[zach160414]

llo everybody.

1st time parents here (so please be gentle) to our prem son induced at 37 weeks due to pre-eclampsia.

Only a tiny 4lb 2oz baby.

Transitional care unit told us to feed him every 3 hours and leave no longer.

We had already decided we were going to feed on demand rather than schedule, and it just so happened he was generally hungry every 3 hours day and night.

He started drink 30ml (he is bottle fed) of sma in the 4 days he spent in hospital, then as soon as we got him home on the sma powder he started drinking 60ml...still at virtually 3 hour periods.

Occasionally he would wake inbetween for more and we would give him more.

Today he is 6 days old and has missed a feed - he didn't even wake up. We tried to dream feed him but he just refused and chewed the teat taking in no milk. He went nearly 6 hours before waking from his last feed and he just drank 75ml.

So do we now just feed on pure demand or do we still try and wake him.every 3 hours?

He never lost any weight, putting on 2 grams in his first 3 days and putting 46grams on in the next 3 days (weighed today by community midwife)

Thankyou

[HauntedNoddyCar]

I came home from transitional care with their 3 hour schedule drummed into me. I was breastfeeding and it was a total horror. After a week we went to demand led and everyone was happier.

I can't comment on volumes but if he's happy and alert and his usual self then go with demand for a bit. You can always go back to the schedule

[plentyofshoes]

Congratulations on your new baby
I have had two prems. Each time I have kept a record of how much they had over a 24 hour period.
If baby is taking bigger bottles thats a good sign. I was told not to leave it longer than 4 hours though. Sleep is important for them but ds was awful at waking up for his bottle so I would change his nappy which woke him up!
If the weight is going up I would not be concerned.
I demand feed my second and she still fell into a three hour schedule.

[zzzaaaccc1]

Congrats on your baby. I have a prem baby@ 30+5 now 4 weeks corrected ( also 1st time mum) and been home from hospital for around 6 weeks we came home on 3 hour feeds (bottle fed) we also found that he could not wake up to feed to start with we were encouraged to wake him up nappy change, wet wipe over face but he still fell asleep. We decided to go with him and found that he woke up himself around 4 to 5 hours between feeds I don't tend to let him go beyond 5 hours. Over time he has increased what he takes at each feed and is putting on weight and a lot happier. I was so scared to deviate from what the hospital said but it was becoming a strain especially when he wouldn't take the feed.
Good luck I'm sure you will find your own rhythm.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Congratulations. We came home on a four hourly schedule, but I agree with plenty - have a notebook where you keep a record of how much DS is actually consuming each time over a 24 hour period. Offer every 3 hours, and you might notice a pattern where one of his feeds is at a very sleepy time of day, but by adjusting the routine you can get an extra feed in.

Is he cluster feeding in the evening? Or demolishing bigger bottles in the morning? That, for us at least, was a sign that the feeding patterns were getting closer to term baby routines.

[SoonToBeSix]

I would treat your ds as a term baby as 37 weeks is not prem.

[SoonToBeSix]

Sorry posted too soon, I wouldn't wake him for three hourly feeds but don't let him go more than six hours as he is small.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Well if we want to be specific about the definition of 'prem' the WHO says:
"Preterm is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed. There are sub-categories of preterm birth, based on gestational age:

extremely preterm (

[zach160414]

Hi,

Thanks for your comments.

Little man is still feeding virtually every 3 hours on demand.

Occasionally he goes to 4 hours, other times doesnt even last 2 hours.

He is settled on 60ml each feed, and he has put on 9 ounces in his 13 days with us!! :-)

Health visitor said his birth weight makes him at 41ml per feed so he doing very well.
She said even though he is drinking each bottle dry to stick at 60ml for now as he still quite small and increase by only 10ml at a time if he does signs of still being hungry after feed.

He was born on exactly 37 weeks.

[Poppet45]

It probably seems unlikely looking at him now but early and tiny babies are prone to obesity in later life... So I'd follow the hv's advice even if he is hoovering every feed up in sight! They think that a slower weight gain is probably better than the old fashioned method of fattening them up asap so they catch up. And congrats OP!

[nagapie1]

I think 9 ounces in 13 days is really good but not too much. The dietitians watch my son carefully as his weight fell so drastically due to illness and they are very happy with that sort of gain, and they are also concerned about him not putting on too fast.