Does Anyone Else's Baby Eat Every 3 Hours?

Elizabeth - posted on 01/07/2009

Seems like all of us are the same here. My son is 4 and 1/2 months now, and he still eats every 2 or 3 hours, but sleeps from about 10 at night when I go to bed, until around 8 when I wake up. He just had his check up and he is 16 pounds.

Traci - posted on 01/07/2009

My 4 month old eats every 3 hours, and sometimes even starts to whine at 2 1/2, and he sleeps from 10:00pm-6:00am.  He is 16 pounds.

Jen - posted on 01/07/2009

better to feed more during the day and be able to go all night!!! i think you're still on the right track. if you're breastfeeding, this is totally normal anyway. many children i know didn't move to a 4-hour feeding schedule until they started on some solids at 6 months. no worries!

Katie - posted on 01/06/2009

My son was born at 9 pounds, 15 ounces.  He is now 17 1/2 pounds.  During the morning or early afternoon he eats 6 ounces every 3 or 4 hours.  At night he eats about every 2 or 3 hours.  He also sleeps from about 9:30pm until about 8:30am.

Kasandra - posted on 01/06/2009

Girl, my son is 5 months old today, and he eats only 3-4 oz every 2-3 hrs. I have started him on baby food and he loves it but it hasn't changed the number of bottles he drinks. He does not sleep at night, at all!

Vee - posted on 01/06/2009

Sheesh, my kid grazes, too. I wish she were on a schedule of any sort! Even tbed time varies within a 1 hour range!

Emily - posted on 01/06/2009

Talk with your ped before putting cereal in a bottle. I asked about doing this and mine told me that it makes the milk thick and harder to swallow and the baby can choke on it.

Mariah - posted on 01/06/2009

My little Carson does the same thing. I just asked my doctor about it and he said to just let him cry for 15-20 or distract him. I hate to let him cry for that long so I distract him as much as I can. The doctor said that said sooner or later he'll learn to wait a bit longer to eat. It also really helps putting rice cereal into his bottle with the formula or breast milk. Just make sure the nipple has a big enough hole so he can get it out. Hope this helps.

...Mariah Janisch

Kelli - posted on 01/06/2009

My 5 month old is same...maybe even worse...2-3 hours during the day. One feeding in the middle of the night. So you're not alone!

Antje - posted on 01/06/2009

Hey Christy, my son eats every three hours sometimes more sometimes less...often at night as well. He is 5 month now. My pediatrician said it was OK. Good for the baby tiring for the mom...

Amy - posted on 01/06/2009

my little boy wants feeding every 2 1/2 hours and thats during the night to it is not nice i no i give my little boy as many bottles as he wants during the day to fill him my health visitor has always told me ther is no set amount or set time for a childs eating habbits because every child is different try this in a morning give him about 4 spoons of either rusk or baby rice and do the same about 2 hours before he goes bed never give it him just before he goes to bed because it will lie on his stomach all night and he will have belly ache in the morning i tried this and it worked but ifyou do try it always offer him cool boiled water after because it can dry there mouth

Angela - posted on 01/05/2009

My baby also is still eating every 3 hours or so. I've tried extending her to 4 hours or so but usually she is hungry sooner and I'm back at the 3 hr mark. I've just let go of it since she's a happy baby and her weight is within normal range.  I'm getting mostly a full night of sleep as well, so why mess with it!

Tiffany - posted on 01/05/2009

My daughter eats every 3-4hours. first feeding is cereal/fruit then bottle then veggie/fruit then bottle, bottle, veggie/fruit and bedtime (9 hours)

Karen - posted on 01/05/2009

Yep - and sometimes only 2 1/2 hours during the day. Our nurse practitioner said that one of the many signs that our baby might be ready for solids is when a breastfeeding session doesn't even hold her for 2 hours . . . so maybe your are heading to that point.

Abigail - posted on 01/04/2009

My daughter (born aug 8th) feeds every 2/3 hours depending on how long she slept the night before. She has five bottles of between 5 and 8 ozs and fruit at lunch and veg at dinner. As Karen mentioned like her son, mine daughter was doing well and it works for us.

KAREN - posted on 01/04/2009

hiya this is karen,my baby is 4months old,has bottle every 3 hours.is now probably 15 pounds.i have now weaned him, he has breakfast and a dinner and is more settled.

Brie - posted on 01/04/2009

My daughter is 5 months old and still eats every 3 hours. Our pediatrician said there is nothing wrong with that.

Stephanie - posted on 01/01/2009

my son turned 4 months old on dec 28th. He is eating 8 oz every 4-5 hrs. he has been this way since 3 months old. at 2 months he was eating 6 oz every 4-5 hrs. He is a little piggy. but in november when we were in he weighed 12lbs 7oz. If they are breast fed they tend to eat a little more often. Some formula fed babies are the same way. If they are formula fed i'd try seeing if they would take a little more at the feedings, try like 1 ounce more and see if that helps him go longer inbetween feedings.

Heather - posted on 01/01/2009

My August 19th baby still eats ever 2-3 hours round the clock too. He just had a doctor's appointment yesterday and weighed in at 12 lbs 14 oz.

Michelle - posted on 12/31/2008

my daughter feeds every two hours through the day and about every three hours at night

Gina - posted on 12/26/2008

yer i do now 4 the 1st few months people wer sayin how small he was but now they say he is massive he puts on 7/8 ozs a week and eats between 49oz and 56oz a day

Ashley - posted on 12/22/2008

My daughter will be 4 months on christmas eve, she eats about every 4 hours usually but recently she wakes up during the night hungry, she has been sleeping through the night since she was about 6 weeks old! She was 12 pounds at her last doctor visit at her 2 month check up. Do you run into people saying your baby is chunky? Everyone says mine is and it makes me so upset! Every baby grows differently and if the baby is hungry, Im gonna feed her. She eats almost 32 ounces a day. lol

Gina - posted on 12/22/2008

yer william feds the same sum time dont make it 2 3 hour and he is almost 17ld

Gina - posted on 12/22/2008

yer my son eats evey 2and half to evey 3 hour pending on wot mood he is in lol and he was 4 months on the 13th dec i get him weight evey 3 weeks and he puts on roughtly 8 pounds a weeks like your baby i ad him weight last wek and he was 16lds 6 oz so ther must just eat because they are hungry

Ashley - posted on 12/21/2008

ya my son does the same thing. he doesnt have a set schedule but eats about every three hours when awake. at night he will sleep about 6 hours then the every 3 hours starts there. 15 pounds is a good size mine last week was 17.

Kylee - posted on 12/21/2008

My ones a grazer too. Every hour or so. And wakes once or twice during the night. She sleeps with us tho making night feds easier for me.

Nicki - posted on 12/21/2008

oh gosh!!! i feel the same way. thank you. Jayden eats like every3 hours on the mark. i felt like i was maybe reading his cry wrong but eats when i offer him the boob (of course what guy wouldn't) and he too is a pudge. and i am lucky and sleeps thru the night. i heard they will eat that much until solids

Elizabeth - posted on 12/20/2008

Everything I've read says you're supposed to feed babies every three hours until they are closer to a year old. Sounds to me that you're right on schedule! My baby eats every 2 1/2 or so, but we're working on getting to a more regular three hour schedule...don't stress about it, they grow so fast anyway, if your dr's not concerned, I don't see why you should be. Talk to your pediatrician, they give really helpful advice that's more specific to your child.

Lydia - posted on 12/20/2008

Hello my little boy is 4 and a half months and he feeds every two hours! He has 8oz every time! But then he goes to bed at 7 and dosent wake up until 9 the next day so i know he must be content or else he would wake up in the night. I think the only way foward is to wean him but they say you should wait until they are 6 months so i dread to think how much milk he will be on then! Are you breast or bottle feeding? Joshua is putting on weight but the health vistor said she thought he would of put on more weight on due to how much milk he is having.

Michelle - posted on 12/20/2008

my daughter is 4.5 months and she eats about every 3 hours still. she'll sometimes go about 4 hours though. and she sleeps through the night (10pm to 7 or 8am)

Marnie - posted on 12/20/2008

My daughter's feeding about every 3 hours as well. Earliest starts at about 6am, 10.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm 6.30pm and then finally at 9.30pm. She sleeps right through the night without waking.....and she is a very content baby.......even smiles at me when I come get her in the morning.....
seems normal to me....it will taper off once your baby ends it's growth spurt....My daughter weighs approx 13-14 lbs.....

Shannon - posted on 12/20/2008

My son is 16 weeks old and eats about every 2 to 3 hours still... at night he will go about 3.5 to 4 hours, but still.. it seemed a like a lot to me as well. The pediatrician let me give him solids... an dhe eats those VER well... didn't help much though. I think it must be pretty much normal

Heather - posted on 12/19/2008

My little girl does the same thing. Sometimes its even closer to two and a half hours. But since she isn't eating at all at night anymore I think its ok. My pediatrician seemed suprised at how much she was eating but she told me that if the baby wanted it to keep feeding her, somebabies just require more.

Emily - posted on 12/19/2008

My 4 month old daughter eats every three hours also. I work at a daycare in the infant classroom and most of the babies there are eating every 2-3 hours. In fact, there is a rule that we must offer them food at least every 3 hours when they are awake so we cannot have them on an every 4 hours schedule.

Candice - posted on 12/19/2008

also my girls sleep 10-12 hours at night

Candice - posted on 12/19/2008

I have twin girls that are 4 months old and they eat every 3 hours.

Crystal - posted on 12/19/2008

my son is 4 months and will eat every 1 to 2 hours still all day and night. i am going nuts!!! i have started baby cereal thinking that would help. nope. he just doesnt eat very long at each sitting and forcing him to eat more doesnt work it just makes him cry more. so be lucky that it is every 3 hours and longer in the night!

Nancy - posted on 12/19/2008

My son also eats pretty much every 3 hours still, which gets pretty tiring. He's been on solids for 2 weeks now, and eats that 3x a day, followed up w/ breast milk. He's essentially eating 8x a day. I am hoping that he will soon start sleeping a little longer at night. He had been sleeping 6-8 hrs at night but around 3.5 months did the every-3-hour feeding times again. Guess he is going thru growth spurt! Which is also good!!! I think your son is doing just great, esp w/ weight, and as they grow they sleep better. I think w/ my last 2, by 6 months they were sleeping much longer at night. Good luck, and I bet by 6 months, your son will be a better sleeper too. :)

Natalie - posted on 12/19/2008

My baby eats every hour at times and is in the 49th percentile on weight and height. Most the time its about every three hours, but at night from he takes one bottle every 5 hours and then sleeps from 9pm or 10pm until I wake him up about 6am or 7am. Then he starts at 8:30am for his first bottle of the day. As long as your baby is gaining weight and having enough wet diapers/day then he is fine.

Christy - posted on 12/18/2008

My baby turns 4 months tomorrow, too. Yours must be an Aug. 19th baby also. =)

Tiffany - posted on 12/18/2008

My son will be 4 months tomorrow and he's the same way. Eats every three hours and takes 30 mins to take 6 oz.

Whitney - posted on 12/18/2008

ummm my son doesnt do that exactly...he's more of a grazer. he doesnt have "set" eating times and doesnt really like to eat all that much at one time so he just grazes all day.

Gail - posted on 12/18/2008

my 4 month old baby is the same.She sleeps throughout the night and is a content baby so i think you are fine

Sam - posted on 12/18/2008

My 3 month old daughter feeds every three hours by the clock - 7. 10. 1, 4 and 7 and then sleeps through. She is thriving and happy. I find that a lot of friends with 4 hour feeders still get up at night, whereas my beautiful bundle will sleep for up to twelve hours. Don't be concerned at all.