Insatiable hunger while breastfeeding!

[BeanCalledPickle]

Currently BFing DD2, 4 months. BF her sister to ten months. Remember being hungry but nothing like this. It is constant and overwhelming. I am happy to eat more but really don't want to gain weight! Ideally I'd like to lose but with this appetite it's unlikely. Can someone remind me when this hunger stops? I'm half thinking it will get worse through the fifth and sixth months until we start solids right?

I do worry that I'm not making enough for her. She sleeps badly and wakes 2-3 hourly to feed through the night. She normally gets a bottle a day but that doesn't seem to help with her sleeping. She's big, 80th percentile contrasted with her sisters 50th. Could that explain the hunger?

[TheYellowWallpaper]

I bfed a very large baby and remember the hunger well! Lots and lots of healthy snacks- bowls of porridge were the best breakfast, then wholemeal toast with peanut butter. Lots of bananas and oaty things helped.

[Star8181]

Sounds like you're doing a great job.
I was ravenous with my second, it was crazy how much I was eating (and still losing weight). For me the hunger kept on the whole time! Please don't worry about your baby's weight, they're all different. Mine were both above the 99th percentile (!) but levelled out to about the 75th eventually!

[hereharehere33]

OMG! I'm starving - all of the time. My DS2 is almost 5 mths and my hunger just seems to be increasing. I'm disgusted with myself! I've started to do some exercise as not feeling good but I'm not going to shift the pounds till I stop devouring everything in sight. He's also awake at night a lot and can still feed every 2-3hrs. I've said once I start weaning I'm really going to have to be strict with myself....hmmm, I need some will power!!

[icclemunchy]

I used to demolish a packet of hobnobs during night needs not so bad now she's 7months though. She still wakes every 3hours during the night aswell some babies are just like that

[Kryten2X4B523P]

4 months is growth spurt time, both my babies went through a stage of being grumpy, sleeping badly and wanting to feed all the time, which made me even hungrier. But wanting to feed all the time whilst simultaneously wanting to look at everything in the room.

I found it got better after getting through that couple of weeks, and then once we started feeding solid foods it slowed down again.

4 months is hard.

[NotSoDesperateHousewife]

I was absolutely ravenous not just when feeding my (huge 10lb+ at birth) baby, but for a whole year after stopping too. I lost weight when she was tiny but have stayed static since she weaned, she's now 20 months and my appetite is finally settling. I think it's probably normal and I wouldn't worry as long as you're not gaining weight and unhappy about it.

[BeanCalledPickle]

Thanks! Last night I had dinner. And then a bagel, cake, cereal bar, chocolate and about half a malt loaf. 500 extra calories a day my arse.

[Artandco]

You need to eat protein. Sure cake, cereal and chocolate is calories but burnt of easily leaving hungry. Try eating omelettes, avocados and nuts more as will keep the hunger pangs away