https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 02 Aug 2026 22:42:49 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1198532 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 23:53:18 +0000 twoofeverything 1198532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup. I had two preemies and was in the same boat. SUUUUUCKS, But talk to your pediatrician...we ended up talking to a specialist at Seattle Children's who said that a feeding (breast or bottle) should be limited to 30 minutes. He equated it to running a marathon for little babies...after 30 minutes, he feels that the amount of energy they are spending on feeding exceeds the amount of calories they are actually taking in...if that makes sense.</p> <p>Also, we got the green light to let them start sleeping until they woke themselves at 8 weeks. By that point, they had both almost doubled their birth weight. (They were born at 5'5 and 5'10, though!). When we started letting them sleep, they immediately started pulling 5-6 hour stretches. HEAVEN. And it only got better, at least until the 4-month regression :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1198488 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 23:07:39 +0000 erinpye 1198488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It honestly does seem like you are constantly nursing in the beginning. I joked to DH that I didn't even see the point of wearing a shirt anymore when DD was new. So yes, that does mean that sometimes you only get an hour break- and it's really normal for baby to take 45 mins to an hour to nurse each time in the beginning. You can try breast compressions to speed it up a little. Also, you're going to have the biggest effect on boosting your supply if you can pump or nurse between 2 and 6 AM, so getting a feeding or a pumping session in during those ungodly hours will help a lot. It will get easier- promise! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1198464 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 22:47:07 +0000 AprilFool 1198464@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: If it's your supply you're worried about I would pump every three hours overnight and let her sleep. She can always have a bottle if she wakes and you are empty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1198019 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:36:36 +0000 daniellemybelle 1198019@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone! It's hard to "sleep when she sleeps" on this nursing/supplementing/pumping schedule! And her nighttime sleep is not great so it makes for a tired mama...</p> <p>@AprilFool: Her weight gain is okay now that we are supplementing but her pediatrician wants her to eat every 3 hours during the day. At night I let her sleep even though I know it's not the best for my supply.</p> <p>@MoonMoon: thank you :) this is tough!</p> <p>@MsMini: @kiddosc: @BabyBoecksMom: We do try to stimulate her as much as possible but she still wants to nurse for a long time. She is just not getting full from breastmilk which is why we supplement. 1 hr is my cutoff but I try to let her get as much at the breast as she wants. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197936 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 17:50:22 +0000 birdofafeather 1197936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>yep, i woke LO up every 3 hours from the start to start. not over night though. i did that for about 10-12 weeks. we're still going strong at 9.5 months and never had supply issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197827 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:47:20 +0000 DillonLion 1197827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, unfortunately thats what you have to do, if you want your supply to increase. I couldnt commit to that and as a result my supply never came in fully. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197749 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:10:21 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1197749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds like she might be comfort nursing a little bit. But to answer your question, yes, you have to nurse again 3 hours from the start of the last session. After a few more weeks, you won't need to - it's just really important to make sure she eats enough now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197738 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:06:29 +0000 kiddosc 1197738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is she actively sucking that whole time? That seems like a really long time to nurse. I was told to do 20 minutes on each side tops. E was a lazy nurser, and we had to stimulate him constantly during those first weeks, tickling his ears and chin and flicking his feet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197699 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:48:21 +0000 MsMini 1197699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you stimulate her while nursing to make the feeds go a little faster (feed her dressed in just a diaper, tickle her feet or chin when the sucking slows or becomes weaker)? An hour is a lot of time, and that causes a ton of energy expenditure, which won't help with weight gain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197693 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:46:55 +0000 MoonMoon 1197693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just want to send hugs and assure you that this phase won't last forever. Your baby's weight will stabilize, and her nursing skills will improve! Hang in there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197686 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:42:45 +0000 singingbee 1197686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. We had to do that the first week we were home. Now LO is on a eat every two hours schedule because she is a hungry baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197668 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:32:26 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1197668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had the same issue and it made things so hard, but yeah, you're supposed to count from start to start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197657 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:28:36 +0000 jetsa 1197657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep thats what it means. My LO is 7 weeks now and we still only get about an hour from the end of one feeding to the beginning of another. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197406 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:11:19 +0000 Adira 1197406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Unfortunately, yes! When Xander was born, I was on a strict feed him every 2 hours to eat schedule due to jaundice and weight-loss and he would take up to an hour to eat, so it would only really be an hour between when he finished and when he started again!</p> <p>If you're really trying to up your supply, I would wake her to eat!</p> <p>Although, at night, I left the time stretch so that we both could get some sleep! So instead of every 2 hours, I did every 3. So for you, I'd stretch it to 4-5 at night (if you can)! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197402 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:08:30 +0000 AprilFool 1197402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How is her weight? If she is gaining fine I would only feed her when she wakes at night. I never woke H to eat, always fed on demand but there was never an issue with weight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feeding-every-3-hours-does-this-make-sense#post-1197369 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 13:57:44 +0000 daniellemybelle 1197369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 2 weeks old. I have supply issues so I am pumping after nursing &amp; we are supplementing with bottles of formula/breast milk.</p> <p>So my question is: I am supposed to nurse every 3 hours max to keep my supply (and LO's weight) up. But if she nurses from 1030-1130 (she is a very lazy nurser), then gets a bottle at around 1145 while I pump, and then goes to sleep at 1230, do I really need to wake her up at 130 (3 hrs from when she started nursing last) to eat, even though she only finished eating 1.5 hrs before? I feel like the "count from when you started" rule applies to babies who eat more quickly! </p>