How long do I keep feeding my baby every 3 hours?

Question

He is 6 weeks old and when we were discharged from the hospital, the doctors said to make sure he eats every three hours and to wake him up if he doesn't wake up to feed. How long do I do this?

Answer 1

you should still feed him as often as he needs to, i wouldnt wake him up through the night to eat though. i never did this with my son and he started sleeping right through the night at 8 weeks.

Answer 2

The child will tell you when he is hungry and when he is not getting enough. So as the weeks go on he will want an increase informula and will not need to eat every 3 hours.

your child is old enough now that if he will sleep threw the night you will not have to wake him every 3 hours to eat!

Answer 3

by now he should know when he's hungry he's over a month old use your own good judgement

Answer 4

Mine did this exact thing for 4 months. he was premature and needed the hydration and nutrition. It really depends on how much he is eating at each feeding. I had to feed mine every hour because he would only take 2 oz at feedings. The baby will let you know what to do. Just listen to him. Believe me he knows how much he wants. Good Luck.

Answer 5

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/...

"My newborn wants to sleep all the time! Should I wake him to nurse?"

Yes, if he doesn't wake on his own. Many newborns are very sleepy in the early days or weeks and may not exhibit hunger cues as often as they actually need to eat. Newborns should be nursed anytime they cue hunger, but at least every 2 hours during the day and at least once during the night. Once your baby has established a good weight gain pattern (at least 4 ounces per week, for babies under 4 months), you can stop waking baby to nurse and let him set his own pattern.

"My baby just started sleeping longer at night. Do I need to wake him to nurse?"

If your baby is younger than 4 weeks, then it is a good idea to wake baby at least every 4-5 hours at night to nurse if he does not wake on his own. If your child is older than 4 weeks, you can allow baby to sleep as long as he wants at night as long as he is peeing, pooping, and gaining weight within normal parameters.  

Answer 6

I woke my baby up every 2 hours until she was 4 weeks and started almost sleeping through the whole night then I went to were i fed her every 4 hours or whenever she was hungry. But defiantly ask your baby's dr what the schedule should be for your baby at their age.

Answer 7

At 6 wks you feed still on demand so if he is still hungry every 3 hrs you still feed him every 3 hrs.  My boys were every 2-3 hrs at that point.  He shouldn't go longer than 4 hrs.  Waking him up though only needs to happen if he isn't eating enough while awake.  Going for a longer stretch at night will be ok if he is gaining weight and staying hydrated but I would ask the pediatrician to be sure he is ok to wait that long.  Some babies sleep more and don't wake-up often enough to eat.