HOW DO I MAKE BABY LAST LONGER BETWEEN FEEDS?

[sven]

Although I am not new to Mumsnet (read it all the time!) I've never posted a message and am not sure about all the abbreviations - have worked out a few but not altogether sure about all of them - so I apologise in advance for being stoopid!

I have a 4 month old who has been exclusively breastfed (probably wouldn't have been if I hadn't found this site!) since birth.

She currently feeds at the following times - give or take a half hour - 7am, 9.30am, 12pm, 2.30pm, 5pm and 6pm at which time she goes to bed (hooray!) and then usually wakes at about 4am for a nightime snack. (This has been her routine for several weeks).

I am not all concerned about the number of feeds per day but am worried as I will be returning to work in a month's time and I would really like to be able to drop two feeds a day in order to make mine and the childminders lives easier.

I know that she can go for longer than a couple of hours between feeds as she does in the night and will if I take her out - car or pushchair.

I have tried water at the 9.30am and 2.30pm feeds to see if she is thirsty but this is usually spat out.

I should also mention that I have begun weaning and give food at lunch and dinner times which she wolfs down after a slightly shortened breast feed.
I'm not sure if anything I'm doing is counteracting what I want to achieve or if I'm being unrealistic in my aim???
When I express I can usually get about 3oz and I know that she would get more than this through a normal bf but when she is bottle fed ebm she will take about 6/7oz so I'm thinking that she isn't getting enough from me from one boob (although she seems satisfied at the time - should I offer both? No more room(!) - any ideas - thanks.

[tiktok]

When you go back to work, things may be very different, sven. Your baby will be taking more solid food, and may well have lengthened the feeding intervals anyway.

Many babies her age need to feed with this pattern - most adults have something to eat and/or drink about as often as that. Dropping the feeds or offering water could well be difficult - she's genuinely hungry! It's unrealistic to think that because she can go longer at night, she can do the same in the day.

If she's happy and satisfied and growing well, you don't need to worry about quantity or both sides - and it's always misleading to express and then think that's the same amount your baby gets out. It isn't. Babies remove milk more efficiently than a pump.

Your childminder can offer a cup, or mix more fluids in with her solids. It is likely that your baby will tolerate taking a cup or a bottle from your mider, while rejecting it if it's offered by you.

HTH (hope this helps!).

[mears]

Start stockpiling EBM for the freezer now. Even if you get small amounts at a time you can add them all together to make a bigger feed for her when she has a bottle. You will probably find that by the time you go back to work, as tiktok says, she will be going longer between feeds.
Don't panic about it. She will survive without you and your childminder will make sure she doesn't starve. For the moment, let her feed as she wants. Can you express at work or were you hoping not to have to? Is it full time or part-time? In a month you could give her juice/water with lunch and tea and feed her the rest of the time. Lots of different ways to do it.

[angelmouse]

What are your expressing patterns, Sven? When do you express? How often? How do you actually go about it? Just from one breast after feeding, between feeds, from both breasts? How long do you express for? Are you using a pump or manual expression.

At four months, milk should still be your baby's main food. Best information and research recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months if possible. She will come round for a growth spurt at around six months and may well demand more food at that time. I would predict that she will definitely want feeding between 6p.m. and 4 a.m.!

Do you have allergies in the family which might warrant later introduction of some solid foods?

If she's taking solids happily for two mealtimes, express then to boost your supply. Even if she's had milk, you will still be able to express some and you can layer it to store.

Don't judge what she takes from a bottle as being her true need/requirement. Bottles supply milk a lot faster than the breast does and babies often take on more than they really want or need. Their appetite centres don't work so effectively with bottles.

If you're not sure if she's getting enough from one breast, offer the other. She may take some but she'll soon let you know if she doesn't want it!

BWs,

AM

[sven]

I express after early morning feed and late at night after last feed of day with Avent pump. I usually use one of those amounts the next day for her last feed of day - so that family members can help out - and I freeze the other.

What prompts me to ask this really is just because of my part time return to work at the end of this month. I'm going back 2 and 1/2 days per week and am not feeling optimistic about expressing enough for her. I really don't want to resort to formula but it seems increasing likely I'll have to for at least part of the time - which poses another question about how easy/difficult it is to mix breast and formula - any thoughts?

Most mums I speak to seem to feed their babies 4/5 times a day whereas mine feeds 7/8 times a day.

Not sure if I'm making a mountain out of a molehill!

[mears]

sven - you will be able to express enough milk for your baby just by expressing more often. I always expressed between feeds because I found that much easier.. You will find that the milk you express at work will replace the milk you use while you are away. I have friends who work full-time and have managed to fully breastfeed their babies.