Feeding 3 Week Old and Bottles

Kim,

WOW! The ignorance of conventional physicians never ceases to amaze. Babies have tiny tummies. They need to eat frequently. New bottles or feeding strategies won't change mother nature! Babies are meant to eat frequently. Do not try to schedule this too much. You will place baby at risk. Follow baby's growth spurts and slow downs, in their natural rhythm. Your baby is in a growth spurt - let him grow for goodness sakes!!

Good resources for ACCURATE information about this and other breastfeeding issues:
www.mothering.com
www.llli.org

Read up yourself by getting the facts.

Also consider getting a new doctor. Formula may keep baby quiet longer. But this is not because formula is "more satisfying" or "more filling". It is because formula is a sludge, compared to breastmilk, and is not easily digestible, like breastmilk is. It will slowly move through the baby's digestive tract as baby struggles to digest it. Breastmilk moves through effortlessly, which is good for baby's nutrient absorptioin and long term health. Ever have a really heavy meal that seems to stay in your system making you feel full and giving you indigestion for hours later???? It's the same thing for baby with formula. This is not a criticism of formula feeding mothers - just a statement of fact. Many women cannot nurse for a variety of valid reasons. Formula is better than no food at all, Breastmilk is always better than formula! Any doctor that does not properly educate you about this should be reprimanded by the Board.

You also place your milk supply at risk by doing this, especially at 3 weeks!! You milk supply is not established until 6 weeks or so. BOTH you AND baby need to nurse frequently. Brestfeeding is a relationship - it takes two. A lactation consultant would tell you this as well.

Woman to woman, friend to friend, mother to sister, sister to sister, mom to mom, is the only way the collosal ignorance of the medical profession will ever be addressed. Keep talking to any women you can find who have breastfed -they know more than the pediatricians!!!!!

Good luck!

At just 3 weeks eating every couple of hours is very normal. All baby's are different. As for the bottles I used the Playtex Nurser with the drop in liners. My son would not accept anything else. I guess he didn't like the nipple on the others. I liked the playtex because I could tell that all the air was out and cleaning was a breeze, you just have to wash the nipples. I would wash first with a bottle brush then put them in the dishwasher in a nipple holder thing I got from the Wal-Mart. With a new little one anything to save time is always a plus. If you find that your baby gets upset with gas from the formula you can put a drop or two of the infant's Mylicon in the bottle. You can actully see the air bubbles disapear. If the only reason you are formula feeding is to try and get him to sleep longer I night, I would just continue BF at night.

I had someone give me a book called Baby Wise when my second son was born. It was a lifesaver!! My first son woke to eat every two hours for the first 3 or 4 months and then still every 3 or 4 hours until he was almost a year old. This is no fun! I put myself and my second son on the Baby Wise schedule when he was three or four weeks old and he was pulling eight hour stretches at night at 8 weeks!! The book walks you through a routine whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding. It may be out of print now, but I have seen it at Half Price Books. I would highly recommend this book to all moms!! I even put my then 2 year old on the routine (more age-appropriate of course) and he began sleeping through the night for the first time as well.

So many medical "experts" say this, but I don't think it's true. Breastfeeding is enough. It may be affecting your milk production during the day (unless you're pumping throughout the night)which will effect how much he gets throughout the day. My son was sleeping 6 hours by 6 weeks, 8 hours by 3 months and 12 hours later, I think it was, solely on breast milk. "On demand" isn't what I did at about this age. I did the Babywise routine starting at about 2 weeks. It REALLY helps with sleeping. I would say read a breastfeeding book (La Leche League ones are great) and Babywise. Switching back and forth, in my opinion, is not good for the baby or for your breasts (soreness, etc) and milk production. Good luck!

Your baby's tummy obviously has some stretching to do. Just keep going as you are and he'll get there. He just eats "like a bird" right now, but will get better with time. Be glad you don't have the opposite problem. My son often overate and then he'd lose it all over the place (not fun).

We used Dr. Brown's bottles and loved them (tried others first, but he always had the bad-gas-in-the-evening problem, so we switched to DB's). We washed them in the dishwasher.

I would say that if it's not working keeping his tummy full with the formula, then go to solely breastfeeding (it is best for him- give him as much breastmilk as possible- he will benefit so much more from it). Is he sleeping in your room in a bassinet or something? I would just grab him out of the bassinet, nurse him and put him back in it afterwards (if you can wake up when he's done). That way your night is not as disrupted as having to get out of bed everytime you feed him. Just a thought.

I'm an old mom. Breastfeeding baby at 3 weeks is growing and making your body make more milk for him. He is getting ready for a growth spurt in the next week or so. Mine used to nurse and when you felt she had enough she would want more and nurse and up it would come all over. We would get her cleaned up and she would nurse again and be happy. This happened in the first six weeks and then it settled out.

As far as bottles go, I used Evenflo glass. You can wash them good in hot water with a brush and to sterilize put them in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes and then take them out to try.

If you use a dishwasher it would be best to put all of baby things in it and wash them separately at that age but then that would mean you would need a lot of bottles and things. Not a good idea with a 3 week old.

If you were a mom that only fed bottles you could make up a day's worth of bottles and put them in the fridge and when it was close to time to feed, pull a bottle out and let it warm up on the counter so the chill would be off of it. Of set it in a pan that had water previously heated and off of the heat.

Congrats on the new baby. It is an adventure with no operating manual. Remember when baby is sleeping you should be sleeping so that you can rest and make milk. Drink lots of liquids and take your vitamins. Enjoy and good luck. The other S.

Formula is a common misconception that it can make your baby sleep longer, as is adding cereal to the bottle. Every baby is different, it might seems like it makes a baby sleep longer, but babies go through growth spurts too, which makes them want to eat more often. Hang in there, you're still getting the hang of one another, before you know it, he'll be a little more consistent.
As for bottles, I used Dr. Browns and Playtex Vent-aire. I cleaned the bottles by hand w/ the bottle brush.

Also, since you are breastfeeding, is there a reason he gets formula at night? Is it only because the Dr. said it would fill him up? If you want to continue to BF, then you need to nurse him with every feeding to get your milk supply really going.
I supplemented w/ formula for 1 week because my daughter had jaundice, but her ped recommended that I BF her first and then give her 1/2-1 oz of formula.

Good luck!

Hi Kim R,
Your son may be going through what is known as a "growth spurt". I experienced this with my first son and he seemed to want to nurse all the time. It seemed like every four weeks he would act this way. Just hang in there and as long as he is gaining weight like he should, eventually the growth spurts will taper off. In the meantime, if you are a SAHM try to schedule your naps when the baby sleeps to get a little extra rest. With most of my children I used the playtex nursers because all I had to really serilize was the nipples and the rings and the plastic bags you just toss. They are also great for storing breastmilk. Hope this helps and hang in there!

Discover Yarncoture at www.yarncoture.etsy.com

I agree with what others have said. This sounds completely normal. I remember those first several weeks, and I felt like ALL I did was feed my son! It does get better, but for the first while, that is most of what you do. I agree that if the formula is not helping, then just do breastmilk. It will get your supply up, and over time, your son will become more proficient and will nurse faster. You can also pump after feedings, so that your husband can give him a bottle while you get some sleep. And I don't think that the problem is that formula is not filling him up -I think it is just that they digest so fast that he is hungry again. And if he is hungry, then he needs to eat.
I used the Ventaire bottles for the first 10 months or so, but then switched to the Playtex ones with liners. They are a lot easier, since all we really have to wash is the nipple. I use a brush to clean the nipples, and then I'll throw everything in the dishwasher whenever I am about to run it.
Congratulations on your new little boy. All of this gets easier, I promise you, and it goes by SO fast. My son turned 1 on Saturday, and I can't believe it has already been a year since I had him. Good luck to you!

Good morning,
I am not sure why your doc told you formula would fill them up more, because it really does not. I know from experience, i have a 2 month old and we tried breastfeeding and it did nto work so she went on formula after 12 days... she did not sleep longer at all. My baby woke up every 2 hours until she was at least a month old or so... then i promise it does get better.
Regarding bottles, I like the playtex nurser with the drop ins.. i hate to clean bottles so this was my solution. also it helps reduce colic and gassiness. the only downfall is you have to buy the drop ins but i think it is worth it. i do have a few vent air bottles that i like and i clean them with hot hot water and a bottle brush.
i am not sure if any of these things helped you out, but just relax and enjoy the baby!

I would go back and breast feed him at night. He might be looking for you and not the food.

I primarily nursed but had to pump (do to working outside the home) and some minor supplement with formula here and there and I like the playtex nursers the best with both of my kids! I liked them because they were easy to clean and to me, they seemed like the closest thing to the breast other then really expensive brands that were much more difficult to find. They also had "room to grow" with different nipples, bag types and other options and the breast milk storage bags fit in them for feeding (no liquid transfer)!!
As for formula, I did my research and loved the Good Start because it was the closest to breast milk. However, it is a bit more expensive than others but since it was supplemental and my babies showed no sesitivity to it, I could justify the extra cost per can when I was saving a fortune by nursing!

Best of luck and 2 hours is normal, formula or breast: most doctors say every 2-4 hours for the first 6 weeks is what to expect!

You just have to feed a 3 week old whenever he is hungry even if it is every 2 hours. As he gets older, he will not need to be fed as often, but he sounds pretty normal to me. He is used to eating every 2 hours during the day, so he continues that at night, too. I use Avent bottles and have liked them. When my kids were as young as yours, I washed by hand because they used so many, but as they got older, I put them in the dishwasher. I have a plastic basket that is designed to hold nipples and rings. Congratulations on your new baby!

I recomend the avent bottles.Alot of people reccomend the dr browns but I just didnt want to wash all of the parts.Avent is a great bottle to wash my bottles i had a bottle brush I would only use the bottles brush to wash my sons bottles and later his bowls.I didnt put them in the dishwasher cause i didnt like the thought of the dishwashing detergent but that is just me.I also boiled my bottles once a week to make sure they were sterile.i was pretty parinoid when my son was new.ok I still am!LOL!Also if you by a bottle brush i found that the kind with a big brush on one end and a small brush on the other end for the nipples worked the best cause the small end would go right up in the nipple.good luck.The feedings will slow down soon.I dont know if it is an option for you but I started cosleeping with my son when he was a newborn that way i could do the side laying position and feed him durung the middle of the night with out completly waking up.I got a lot more sleep that way.I was scared at first of sqishinh im or something but you will be suprised that you are very aware of where you baby is at all times.Even if you arent comfy trying cosleeping.Try the side laying positon so you can lay down while he eats.You just lay yourbaby down on the bed and lay on you side to let him nurse.My son sleeps in his own room now and we had no problems moving him in there.

The best way for him to sleep longer a little bit of rice in the bottle for a bed time feeding will leave him full for a longer time. For bottle cleaning its been a while for me my son is 8 but I boiled the nipples and used the bottle brush. Not really sure what brands are out there. But good luck try the rice also mixed with the breastmilk it healhtier.

When my baby was this age she was the same way. Our Dr. said basically thats just the way it is. & actually if the baby went longer than 3 1/2 to 4 hours wake her or stop her from what she was doing b/c she had to eat. They are growing so rapidly they HAVE to eat every 2-3 hours, when they are that young they really need to eat every 2. Breastmilk does digest easier than formula. So "they say" it tends to stay with them a little longer but I don't believe that. I have read alot of research that says formula or (cereal when they are older) does not make them sleep longer! Also I recommend the Dr. Brown BPA free or Born Free bottles they worked great for us!I clean the bottles w/ a reg. bottle brush and special brush for the Born Free bottles I wash in warm soapy water then rinse & put in a Medela Quick Steam bag to sterilize. It makes it very easy.

It is my understanding that formula and breastmilk will fill the baby the same. I dont have any words of wisdom about how to make him go longer, sorry. I was there recently and it is hard but hopefully it wont be long before he starts stretching it out.
Bottle wise we like the playtex drop-ins with the wide base nipple. If you are going to breast and bottle feed the wide base is more like your nipple and will make going back and forth easier. We like the drop-ins because they are super easy to clean and you can recycle the liners. So many of the other bottles have several parts and are difficult to clean, then you have to put them back together...I dont have time for that!
Hope this was helpful. Remember, it will get better soon!

Kim,

First I would like to say - you have received some great advice! I hesitated to write because you have received so much good information...

I have a 13 month old and I still remember how those first 6 weeks go. I am also shocked that your doctor recommended formula at night - it makes no difference. As far as rice cereal in the bottle, I never tried it because it just didn't seem to make sense to me. However, my friends who have tried it say that it makes no difference. Your milk supply at this stage is very important and it is very easy to lose. My daughter also ate every two hours and it was exhausting, but it really built up my supply and I was able to nurse for 6 months, which was my personal goal.

The cosleeping (mentioned below) is what got me through. She and I slept in the guest room. I put her in a bassinet close by. When she woke to eat, I put her in bed with me and would go back to sleep. You won't roll over him. You will be able to rest, but you will still be aware that he is there at the same time. If you can, I suggest you try to cosleep when you nurse him in the day, too. Take any opportunity you have to get naps - even if they are together. He does not need to be on a schedule right now... he is too young.

As far as the Baby Wise comments go, I think the book is worth checking out and you can make the decision for yourself. However, for me, it was not worth it. I would caution you strongly before using the concepts in it on such a little guy. I did a lot of research on it and also talked to my pediatrician about it. I could not bear the crying. He told me that the first 3 - 4 months are "baby bootcamp" and that some babies happen to fall into schedules early, but that a schedule is nearly impossible until they are 3 - 4 months old. Once I got that mindset, my husband and I pushed through and we made it. I think the concepts in Baby Wise are good ones, but I do not think they apply to a 3 week old. I don't even know if they apply until they are at least 4 - 6 months old. However, you are the mom, and every baby is different, so it is up to you.

The two books I found the most helpful on understanding newborns and sleep in general were The Happiest Baby on the Block and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

If it helps you to know, my daughter started sleeping through the night without a swaddle or pacifier by 6 months old. We dropped the swaddle at 4 months. At that time, she would sleep until her paci fell out, we'd go in to replace it, but that got old, so we dropped that, too. She is a great sleeper now because she's a bigger baby!

Though you are exhasuted, just remember that he is a small, brand new person. All he knows is being with you 24 hours a day and had never felt hunger pangs until he was born. You are both learning a lot, but you're in it together! Hang in there, just keep it up with the breastfeeding, and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Best of luck and enjoy your new little man.

Unfortunatly I think alot of sleeping has to do with your baby and its feeding schedule. My daughter (now 2 1/2) was up every 2 hours to eat! My son (6 months) ate every 4 hours and slept for 4-5 hours during the night. Both of them were brest milk/formula fed. Out of despiration I gave my daughter rice cereal- no change in sleeping, my son I skipped it all together and he slept 4-5 hours. Just be patient and in a few weeks the sleeping patterns will even out. As for bottles I love the Platex Drop In's and Avent. Someone told me get the Dr. Browns for my son since he spit up alot, well after $30.00 bucks later and alot of cleaning, I am back to Avent. Good luck!!

There has been a recent court ruling about bottles with BPA causing all kinds of cancer, diabetes and early puberty so I would stick to PBA free bottles like born free. Here is a list of BPA free bottles:
http://safemama.com/2007/11/22/bpa-free-bottle-and-sippy-...

I used Avent bottles first then after lots of reflux switched to Dr. Browns which happen to BOTH have lovely toxins in them. I did use the dishwasher for the actual plastic bottle and rim but washed the nipples by hand.

Good luck!