How can I get my baby to drink a full bottle at a time?

My DD is 7 weeks old.  I would say she is a "rester" when it comes to eating according to several breastfeeding books I have.  She eats a little and rests a little.  She was like this when I was nursing her and still is as a bottle baby.  It takes her forever to eat and she rarely finishes 3-4 ounces before falling asleep.  She is then hungry again in a short time.  She will often work on one bottle for a whole hour off and on.  I would like to get her on somewhat of a schedule before I return to work, but I don't know how to get her to eat more effectively.  I have tried different nipples, but she is very picky and will only use one kind.  They only come in medium flow, no fast flow.  The books I have read say that "resters" cannot be hurried, but I thought you all might have some suggestions.  I feel like she is just snacking all day and never eats a whole meal.

[tiredbuthappy]

among other feeding problems, this is one of the major issues dd has. she's 11 weeks. i didn't think it was an issue (thought it was normal) until i went to the pediatrician yesterday to discuss her feeding problems. this is one thing he really wants us to work on with her. he suggested we only let her eat for 20 minutes and then to stop the feed. he feels if she is hungrier at the next feed, she will learn to suck harder. (for those who have been helping me and are familiar with our problems, he also referred to us to swallowing specialist. this is just one aspect he thinks we can try working on on our own). i was very hesitant because knowing my dd, she will scream if she's hungry and i'm not feeding her. he said we can try to spread her feeds using a pacifier. (he did mention that everyone has differing opinions on pacifiers and how they should be used. he said to make sure it doesn't replace feeds, just maybe help spread them out). i asked when should i be concerned about her not eating enough. he said at this stage babies should be taking from 20-30 ounces of breast milk daily.
so anyways, we came home ready to try some of these tactics, and miraculously, we didn't have to try one. the first feed at home went quickly and beautifully, and she has regulated herself well ever since. perhaps she's finally maturing???

so, you may want to ty to spread out the feeds so she's hungrier and eats faster. oh yea- i also asked about her taking power naps in between. he said he doesn't mind that as long as when she starts eating again, she eat quickly and efficiently.

[lfb]

thanks for the post.  My ped recommended the same thing whenI was breastfeeding.  I tried it and it helped a little.  I just have such a hard time not feeding my baby when I know she is hungry.  My other thought is that she goes 6-7 hours at night and still eats the same way in the morning.  I know she has to be starving at that much sleep, but she doesn't eat any better.  She is gaining weight and eats 20-30 ounces a day, but she just eat a little bit at a time and I feel like we feed her constantly.

[tiredbuthappy]

i know what you mean about not feeding her when she's hungry. my mom keeps implying that we feed her too often, and i keep reminding her that things are done differently these days. apparently back then, babies were put on schedules, while we are told to feed on demand. i am very jealous that she goes that long at night! very impressive. perhaps she just needs to mature a bit too.