Schedule - Elk River, MN

Is there some medical reason why? If not, I would just keep doing what you are doing. She will change it on her own when she is ready. Good luck!

I'm having the exact same problem so I'm waiting to see responses too. It's like how to do you MAKE a baby eat more, or MAKE them wait? I don't like this. My baby grazes like a cow all day snacking. She is 3.5 mos and just eats 4oz. at a time.

Four months old?? Schedule?? Feed your daughter when she is hungry! Get a new doctor!!!

Ignore your doctor. If your daughter is eating every three hours, it is because her stomach only holds enough food to keep her full for 3 hours. After that 3 hours, she is hungry, so feed her. She knows when she is full. She knows when she is hungry. Why train a baby to overeat?

I agree with everyone else. I would just feed my baby when he was hungry, not by the clock. He's 17 months old now and is happy and healthy and has good eating habits. I don't understand why your doctor would want that.

That sounds rediculous!

You can't force a baby to eat more and if you somehow do manage to do that, you risk the fact of your baby LOSING learning how to take cues from their own body and will more than likely be overwieght!!! I've seen many articles saying that babies are built with their own system that tells them when they are hungry or full and that you should NEVER force feed a baby.

We have 2 kids (ages 3 1/2 and 19 months) and they were NEVER on a schedule as babies. Of course now we eat 3 meals and have 1 or 2 snacks a day but once a child is 1, it's a little different.

If you have any other concerns or problems with this doctor, I suggest you find a different one. Unless there is a medical reason for this command, I would ignore it. We also had to switch docs when our 1st was young. He was ignorant and wouldn't listen to anything we had to say. Now we LOVE where we go!

Babies are masters of eating when they are hungry and stopping when they are full. Their stomachs are the size of a golf ball and are very efficient at digestion. Why would your doctor want to change this? The only thing you will accomplish is getting your baby to overeat, because she will learn she will have to wait a long time until the next feeding. Think about how you feel when you get hungry and make yourself wait too long. Every get a headache or feel crappy because your blood sugar got too low? This isn't healthy or helpful. Keep in mind that doctors receive little or no training in nutrition during their medical studies. I would change doctors and feed your daughter as she is hungry. Her body can't tell time, only that her body needs nourishment when it is low.
Read anything by Dr Sears or go to his Web site Askdrsears.com
Good luck and let us know what happened!
J.

It really doesn't make sense to put a 4 month-old on an eating schedule. What research does your baby's doctor provide to you as a basis for needing to put your baby on an eating schedule (where does the doctor get 4 hours)? I do not recall reading any science-based research on the subject, and I don't know if there is any. A baby is not going to overeat (as so MANY adults in America do); a baby eats only when he/she needs to eat and it is not always for hunger, which is fine, because a baby cannot communicate like an adult can. I would want a darn good reason from my baby's doctor for using a feeding schedule. It sounds like right now the system you are using with your baby is working just fine. Why try to fix it if it is working fine?

Does your doctor have a reason behind this? Is there a concern about weight or something? If not, then I would not even worry about it. When it comes to eating as an infant, we just let our son determine when he wanted to eat. I think 3 hours sounds perfect for your daughter's age. It will gradually lengthen, especially when she starts eating solids successfully. It all just sort of falls into place as they get older. Normal babies will not overeat, so if they are hungry, they are hungry. And their bellies can only hold so much due to size.

I'm kind of wondering the Dr. thinks she should be eating every 4 hours. My daughter is 9 months old and still eats about every three hours (sleeping 12 hours a night). Believe me, if you limit her food intake during the day, she will wake more often at night to eat. If there's no medical reason for her to space her feedings, I'd just feed her when she's hungry.

OK.
heres the thing about babies. they DO NOT SCHEDULE FEED WELL.
this is an unhealthy thing to try to do. i know your doctor is supposed to know best, but scheduling babies on feeding schedules not only does not work, but when it seems to, it is actually harming your baby.

heres why. babies have TINY TINY tummies. about the size of their fists! obviously, you cant fit much in there. unfortunatly, infants TRIPLE their weight and DOUBLE their height (roughly) in the first year!!! that means that any and all food they eat is VITAL to their health and development!
if you start telling your baby that she needs to ignore her hunger signals, and only feed by the clock, you are going to set her up for a lifetime of eating not when shes hungry, but cuz the clock tells her to. we should eat when hungry, especially little babies and children who are growing SO MUCH!! any other kind of eating sets your child up for unnecessary weight gain, and subsequent health issues that go along with it, not to mention the horror of being an overweight child in a pressure filled society.... do you really want your child to go through all of that? perhaps you have an idea of how it feels? i dont konw.

point is, get a different doctor. i dont know who your doctor is, but perhaps get a couple different opinions. try a younger doctor who has a lot of RECENT training and experience. schedule feeding is "popular" with a lot of doctors, but its terribly harmful for our kids.

listen to your daughter and ONLY your daughter with regards to when to feed her. when she gets closer to 5-6 months old, you can start solids which sometimes helps her stay fuller longer, sometimes it doesnt. its no guarantee that she will sleep better with a full stomach once solids are in the picture because heavy digestion interrupts sleep, so be careful of that.

just trust your parenting and your daughters needs. she will not need to eat every 3 hrs forever. she will get on a "normal eating pattern" though im telling you that its normal for it to take a year, or more, before its consistent. you just need to feed her when shes hungry. shes NOT trying to manipulate you, when shes hungry feed her when shes full, stop. anything else creates unhealthy food attitudes.
www.askdrsears.com might help you.

also, ill have you know that im a rather healthy person, not perfectly fit or anything, but healthy, and so is my husband and son. we eat when we are hungry, and we stop at the first sign of fullness. because i do in home child care, im home all day, and i eat a snack or something around every 2.5-3 hrs depending on what kind of food i ate. obviously things like fruits and veggies, which have fiber (that absorbs water) makes you feel full longer. point is, if me, and adult, needs something every 3 hrs, theres nothign wrong with your baby needing food that often too. :D

Hello, congratulations on your baby girl! We always fed our babies whenever they were hungry. She's only 4 months old and it seems very normal for her to NEED to eat every 3 hours - did your ped. give you a reason why they want you to put her on a 4 hour schedule? Every baby is different...maybe you could talk w/a different doctor or ask yours for more clarification. Also, she's YOUR baby, so I would go with your gut - you ARE her mommy! take care - good luck!

Why on earth would your doctor care how often your daughter is eating?! I fed my kids whenever they wanted to be fed and it worked out great. (They were both big fat babies who became lean toddlers.)

I've never heard of medical advice of this kind. I'd keep doing what you're doing.

That sounds silly to me. My older 2 boys were formula fed and never had an eating schedule. We fed them when they were hungry and they are fine. Our youngest is 3 months old and breasfed and also eats on demand, which is every 2-3 hours. Is there a reason her doctor wants her on a schedule? If she's telling you she wants to eat 3 hours after her last feeding why would you make her wait for an hour to eat? Do you wait an hour to eat after start feeling hungry? I guess my only suggestion is to feed her when she's hungry. You know your baby best, not your doctor, and if she's hungry every 3 hours feed her.

Did he have a reason behind this? It sounds ridiculous to me. I mean, at 4mos old, my breastfed boys were eating every 2-3hrs and Iwould have laughed at anyone who told me to stretch them between feeding times. BAbies know when they are hungry, when and how much they need to eat.

If he had no reason for it... then I would continue to feed your baby on demand.... she's only 4mos old after all.

Well, I personally wouldn't mess with a good thing. She is on a good schedule. Eating every 3 hours is really good. I don't know what purpose it would serve pushing her to every 4 hours. She is telling you what SHE needs. Just go with that. If the doctor asks, tell him she's doing great at eating every 4 hours. If it's not broke, don't fix it.

The best schedule for your baby is on demand feeding...which is not set in stone. You need to do what works best for you and your baby...period.

Why bother? She sounds as if she has already adjusted to a three hour schedule just fine! There is nothing saying a baby needs to be on a 4 hour schedule. In fact many good books will tell you three hours is ideal! Feed her an a routine that is right for her and works for you. Sounds like the three hour is perfect. She will take longer(or not) and eat more when she is ready. If people constantly force un-natural eating habits on children it messes up there internal eating intuition with fullness and metabolism. Do what you're doing and leave it alone! Docotrs are NOT always right!

My son is 9 months and still eats only 4 ounces every 2 or 3 hours (in conjunction with table food). I think 3 hours is just fine and I've never heard of putting a baby on an eating schedule. We have always fed on demand and the doc said it's just fine. Just do what feels comfortable for you and your DD!

I'm wondering why your doctor wants her on a four hour schedule. It is usually best to go by baby's hunger cues. Baby knows when she is hungry and full and forcing her to eat more or waiting can undermine her ability to regulate her hunger. I think it is usual for 4 month olds to eat every 3 hours. My daughter didn't go to four hours until she was 8 months old. Maybe you should see another doctor for a second oppinion.

I understand the frustration with this. We had to do this with our son as well. What we ended up doing was to increase it by 15 minutes a day and then also increased the amount that was in the bottle. It is an adjustment and she will yell and cry but it is only 15 minutes and in the end it will be worth it.

Why does your dr want her on a 4 hr sched? I'd just follow her lead. She knows when she's hungry and full!

Your daughter should be ready so start rice cereal now. That may help to stretch her. Double check with your doc to make sure they are okay with that. Otherwise, you could gradually stretch her feedings by 15 minute increments. She will cry at first, but her body will adjust. Good luck!

I have three kids (the youngest is 10 months) and they've all been on their own schedules as infants. They know how often they want to eat and how much (all breastfed but essentially the same situation). If your baby wants to eat every 3 hours, especially at such a young age, let her.

If your pediatrician has a really good reason or if you just really want to adjust her schedule, you might want to check out "Babywise." It's geared more toward sleep, but it's about creating a schedule for your baby. I've always been more inclined to let infants create their own, and I think that creates happier babies and parents, but it's a resource to consider.

my son sounds a lot like this...he has longer stretches between his bottles now that we are giving him baby food and pureed food.