Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

DS is 2.5 months old and eats about 4-5 oz. every 3 hours, I try to offer him more formula per feeding but he refuses. One of his feedings is usually at around 6:30PM, he consistently takes 4 or 5 oz, lately at about 8:15 he starts going bonkers. Screaming and screaming, at first I thought he had gas, then maybe he was tired, etc. I didnt think he could possibly be hungry bc he had eaten 2 hours earlier but the other day I said this kid sounds like he is starving, I give him a bottle, he takes 3 ounces and passes out until morning. Tonight he starts doing the same thing, I give him a bottle, he takes 2.5 ounces and falls asleep. (Im not worried that he takes only a little bit bc he eats great during the day is is gaining weight/growing like a champ)

He doesn't do this at any other time of the day, he is like clockwork, cries exactly every 3 hours for his bottle but at night it's sooner. Am I doing something wrong? Is it maybe just his time to go to sleep and he wants a little bit of formula to knock him out? I don't get it.

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that it's time for him to sleep and he just wants a little formula to knock him out.
My DD is 2.5 months old too. She eats 6oz every 4 hours consistently throughout the day, but in the evenings she cluster feeds (eats more like every 2-3 hours) before bedtime.
How many ounces is your DS taking throughout the entire day? Does he sleep through the night?

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

My DS is almost 5 months and he does the same time. Even though DS is not BF from the breast (I EP) he is still cluster feeding in order to sleep for a longer period of time.

Most people associate cluster feeding with BF babies but FF babies also go through cluster feedings.

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

He takes anywhere from 24-28oz per day and yes he has been sleeping through the night for about 3 weeks now!

I never heard of cluster feeding but that's exactly what it sounds like he is doing.

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

It's just evening cluster feedings. Totally normal.

In the mornings, DD goes 4 to 5 hours between bottles. It gets closer and closer together as the day goes on until her last two feedings are just 2 hours apart, sometimes just an hour and a half.

Then she goes 10 to 11 hours until her next feeding in the morning.

I wouldn't worry about it. He knows what he's doing.

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

Cluster feedings also freaked me out! I was like why is this kid eatting so often. But I kept reminding myself that babies know how much they need to eat and how often. So I follow his lead and feed when he is hungry.

DS is not on any fixed schedule but his feedings are approximently organized by his own accord. I am happy with our arrangement.

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

Nope both my sons did the cluster feeding at night.
DS#1 (100% formula fed) Slept through the night early -7 weeks- and would fill up late in the day. He would take up to 38oz in a day. Basically filling his gas tank to make it 10 hours over night.

DS#2 does the same from 5ish on.
For example tonight he took 5oz BM at 5:15. then 3oz Formula at 6:15
Then at 8:15 he took another 5 of formula.

He isnt sleeping through the night yet but he has started giving me really good stretches now with the cluster feeding (he is 9 weeks old)

As long as they are not uncomfortable or spitting up tons from the quantity they are eating...I say go with it, they know what their bodies want!

Message edited 6/23/2011 10:09:32 PM.

Re: Feeding infant at night....Help/Suggestions needed

My son who is the same age has randomly been doing the same thing. During the day he takes anywhere from 5 1/2 to 5 3/4 oz of formula every 3.5 to 4 hours. Then at night he would start freaking out only 2 hours after feeding....so we'd give him formula and he'd go to sleep for 7 hours straight. He didn't do it tonight but had for the past few nights. I just took it that he was probably having a growth spurt and needed to feed. Either way you're doing everything right and it's just that he's growing like a weed! lol