I need help with my one month old DD- long

I know I posted last week about DD's feeding schedule- but i'm really at a loss.

She will be one month old tomorrow and this child is ALWAYS hungry. I tried to space out her feedings to 3oz every 3 hours, but I would have to listen to her scream for 45 minutes sometimes. Since I posted last week i've been doing more of an "on demand" sort of thing. She is completely all over the place and I feel like i'm doing something wrong.

For example- last night I tried to implement a little bit of a bedtime routing. I gave her a bath, a little baby massage, dressed her in her PJ's and gave her the bottle while rocking her in the glider. She drank 3oz at about 8:15. I then sang to her, rocked her, sat quietly- no good, she was wide awake. So DH sat with her while he watched football. At 9:30 she started fussing again. We tried the binky, rocking her and playing with her. She was searching for food again. She sucked down another 4oz less than two hours after the first 3oz!

After that she was pretty much up and looking for food every 2 hours last night.

Is it normal for my baby to be this starving?

At the last doctor's appt. he basically made me feel silly telling me I don't have to feed her EVERY time she cries. But she doesn't just cry- she sucks on anything she can get her mouth on- her fingers, my arm, DH's nose and gets mad when nothing comes out of them. She just spits out the binky so it's not that she just wants something to suck on. As soon as she gets the bottle she's calm and happy again.

Another thing-

She doesn't sleep good and for a ldecent stretch of time unless she is sleeping with me in the bed or on the couch. I love snuggling with her but I don't like doing it because i'm so nervous she's gonna fall or get smothered. When she's in the bassinet she wakes up screaming after an hour- sometimes less. Should I let her scream so she gets used to sleeping in there? She hasn't been a fan of the bassinet from the beginning but i'm not sure i'm ready to have her in the crib down the hall.

I just feel so lost with this scheduling/routine/bedtime stuff.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

She is only a month old, feed her when she is hungry and she most likely won't have any sleep patterns just yet.

I remember when my DS was about that age we would never put him down that early, we would get him ready for bed about the time we would go to bed (like 11pm or so) and feed him just before.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Um...this is all very normal for a newborn. She's a month old and isn't really ready to fall into a schedule. Stop trying to peg her into a routine and let it happen naturally because it will. Also, routines change as they grow so what works one week might not work another.

As for eating, trying increasing her feedings by a 1/2 oz to 1 oz. *Typically* a newborn can go in between feedings in relation to how many oz they take in. So if your nb eats 3 oz, about 3 hours later, your nb will need another feeding.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

I think you're trying to get her into a routine. I would feed on demand.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

I have no advice except that she may not really be hungry. Could be something else. She is still so little, so it's hard to establlish any sort of a routine or pattern. Some babies are just fussy. At 1 month old, her feedings should be all over the place. What if for a day you tried feeding her every 2 hrs just to see of that makes a difference with her? How does she nap during the day? If she sleeps well, then she is probably eating enough, she could just be a "fussy at night" baby. DD is EBF, so I am kind of clueless when it comes to formula.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

She's too young for a routine. She will naturally fall into her own schedule and it will begin to become more obvious to you as she does.

Try increasing her formula intake bump her up a 1/2 ounce or even an ounce. I remember at 4 weeks old, my DD was taking 4oz bottles.

ETA: Don't let her scream in the bassient to get used to it. She's too young for that.

Message edited 9/15/2009 9:53:27 AM.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

You described what I am going through with DS right now. He is only a week old though. He is falling asleep during his feedings and no matter what I do I can't wake him up to eat more so I feel like he is eating every 2 - 2 1/2 hours and sometimes getting to that 2 hours mark is a struggle.

He does the same thing...spits out the binky and gets fussy. I have tried letting him cry for a minute or so, tried rocking him, tried doing anything to see if maybe he is just fussy or tired but he does what your DD does...looks for a nipple anywhere he can

I took him to the ped. yesterday and he said try to get him onto a 3 hour feeding routine but I dont know how I could do that without starving him. At this age, you just have to feed on demand and eventually as their stomach grows and they are awake more they will develop their own routine.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

I understand she's a newborn and routines are kind of out of the question. I was doing that more for me so I can start getting into the habit of doing things the same way each day.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

She's only a month old....she won't be on any sort of a sleep pattern or allover schedule for a couple more months. I'd still feed her on demand if she's hungry...she's growing.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Posted by JennyPenny

Posted by shamrock124
As for eating, trying increasing her feedings by a 1/2 oz to 1 oz. *Typically* a newborn can go in between feedings in relation to how many oz they take in. So if your nb eats 3 oz, about 3 hours later, your nb will need another feeding.

That is what I was trying to go by- but it doesn't work for her *most of the time*. Like I said- she drank 7oz within 2 hours last night. Then she was awake 2 hours later and drank anoth 3 oz.

I just don't feel like i'm doing the right thing by feeding her constantly.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Posted by JennyPenny

Posted by shamrock124
As for eating, trying increasing her feedings by a 1/2 oz to 1 oz. *Typically* a newborn can go in between feedings in relation to how many oz they take in. So if your nb eats 3 oz, about 3 hours later, your nb will need another feeding.

That is what I was trying to go by- but it doesn't work for her *most of the time*. Like I said- she drank 7oz within 2 hours last night. Then she was awake 2 hours later and drank anoth 3 oz.

I just don't feel like i'm doing the right thing by feeding her constantly.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Posted by KateDevine

Posted by JennyPenny

Posted by shamrock124
As for eating, trying increasing her feedings by a 1/2 oz to 1 oz. *Typically* a newborn can go in between feedings in relation to how many oz they take in. So if your nb eats 3 oz, about 3 hours later, your nb will need another feeding.

That is what I was trying to go by- but it doesn't work for her *most of the time*. Like I said- she drank 7oz within 2 hours last night. Then she was awake 2 hours later and drank anoth 3 oz.

I just don't feel like i'm doing the right thing by feeding her constantly.

Babies don't overeat, she could be going through a growth spurt too which typically makes them more hungry too

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

My DD is 6 weeks old and does the same thing. She will take 3-4 ounces and then next thing i know she is trying to nurse and lick the poor lion picture on her bouncer!! Then there goes another 3 ounces.
The PED told me that it's fine since she is 6 weeks and a growing baby but i feel your pain, we still have no form of a routine down.

ETA: We have been able to give her the Soothie pacifier and rock her in her bouncer, which usually puts her to sleep or "chest time"--she loves to be rocked to sleep and sleep on y chest.

Message edited 9/15/2009 10:05:40 AM.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Try to remember that for 10 months she was inside you, snuggled and warm, insulated from noises and lights and ate constantly. Being born is a huge change and adjustment and she wants what she had back. I don't know why you don't want to feed on demand if what she wants is to eat. It won't last much longer and eventually, she will naturally fall in to a routine.

ETA: Luckily, you have a perfectly normal newborn and they do outgrow this stage rather quickly.

Message edited 9/15/2009 10:09:58 AM.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Jen - what you typed was EXACTLY how my DS was at about 2-3 weeks old. The good news is they outgrow it!

He started himself on a little schedule (eating every 3-4 hrs, playing, then napping) when he was about 4 weeks.

Try feeding her more in one shot. If she's taking 3 oz then falling asleep/getting milk drunk, change her diaper, touch her face, etc. - see if she'll take more. DS never threw up from "overfeeding". If we didnt wake him to continue eating, he would've eaten every hour, i'm sure. He did the same as your DD - he would suck on hands, arms, CRIB SHEET, whatever he could reach.

In fact, I even posted a question when he was that age asking if it was normal that DS wanted to eat so much and so often!

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

with regard to the feeding..you sound like me about a month ago when DD was 1 month. I was SO worried I was feeding her too much because she ALWAYS seemed hungry. I kept track of how many ozs she was eating and it averaged out to about 28 oz a day. The dr told me that was fine and that she should be fed on demand still at this point. I felt like we were always feeding her though. I will say that now at 2 and a half months she has evened out a bit and seems to be more satisfied with what we give her.
So I hope my experience makes you feel better!

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Did you try giving her more than 3oz at a feeding...like 3.5 or 4? When she finishes that 3 oz, is she finishing it to the last drop, still sucking on the bottle at the end? If yes, I'd try giving her more in one bottle

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Posted by JennyPenny

Posted by MrsRbk

ETA: Don't let her scream in the bassient to get used to it. She's too young for that.

Yeah- I know this. I always tell DH the same thing. I just wanted to double check myself.

Message edited 9/15/2009 10:14:38 AM.

Re: I need help with my one month old DD- long

Jen, you're doing a great job.

i think it's hard for some people to remember that as a new, first-time mommy we are sometimes clueless as to what the "right" thing is to do! you want your baby to be happy and healthy but you don't want to overfeed her and cause more problems. and you're worried that she's not on a schedule yet. totally understandable. the thing is, it doesn't tell you in any of the baby books what the "right" thing is to do since every baby is different!

so we come here for support. and advice. we only want what is best for our little angels. we definitely don't need BTDT moms making us feel bad!

good luck with your little angel i bet she's just going through a growth spurt and she will start going longer stretches of time between feedings soon!