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Infant feeding

4 month old feeds most in evening -any thoughts?

6 replies

NoviceKnitter · 11/11/2007 22:40

For her first couple of months DD fed more or less hourly all day (I'm bfing) - and sometimes for what seemed hours in a row. Now she's settled right down and milk supply seems very good. Only thing is she has five minute snacks at three-ish hourly intervals through the day then cluster feeds once she goes to sleep (sometime between 7 and 9) until we go to bed with her (we co-sleep) at around 11, when she'll have a last dream feed then that's it till about 6 or she might have a feed 4ish.

So tonight she went to sleep at 7 and has woken 4 times to feed between then and now. I think she's genuinely eating - not just sucking for comfort - because they tend to be longer feeds (like 15 mins +) than the five mins during the day.

This isnt the end of the world for me as I feel lucky she sleeps so well while we're asleep - but if there was a way of helping her settle a bit earlier I'd be interested to hear it. not interested in CC or anything like that.

My instinct is we'll have to wait till she's on solids.

Any thoughts?

Sorry, that was a bit long...

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MrsBadger · 11/11/2007 22:56

is she very distractable?
dd (12wks) is sometimes reluctant to do any more than snack during the day as the world is just far too interesting
Once it gets to 6 or 7ish she suddenly realises she is ravenous, wails like a banshee for 10min then pigs out every hour or so until either she falls asleep or we all go to bed (11ish)

am just rolling with it atm, but I do try and feed her very calmly in very boring places during the day so she stays on longer - keeping my cardigan over her head is a good one...

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NoviceKnitter · 11/11/2007 23:06

yes, always looking up at me or around, and milk squirts all over her face and in her eyes! But even at home it's just like she's not that hungry.

Yes, i'm just rolling with it too - sounds v similar although dd now 18weeks. Do you keep her with you or put her to bed? i've generally just had her asleep on my lap while i watch telly with the odd experiment in putting her down.

A friend who's a speech therapist said it's possible for a baby to drain a boob in 4 mins once it's all up and running after the first couple of months, so I also wondered if she could get alot more in the day more quickly but maybe it slows down at night?

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MrsBadger · 11/11/2007 23:13

oh we keep her with us - she gets the odd half hour of sleep on us, in the moses basket on the floor by the sofa, or if she nods off in the bouncer, but Putting Her Down results in an evening spent wailing and galloping up and downstairs and no decent tv.

Now she's not reliably still awake at 11pm I've started conciously pyjama-ing her up at 7 or 8, otherwise it gets to 11.30, she's fast asleep in a pinafore and the last thing you want to do is wake her to undress her...

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jamila169 · 11/11/2007 23:13

It's the old story of the 4month growth spurt folks -cluster feeding in the the evening ups your oxytocin levels and increases your supply - it can take a few days to settle down as this growth spurt's one of the biggies. I'll give you my top quote for whats happening (don't know who first said it) 'It's like putting out a note for the milkman -Extra pint tomorrow please'

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NoviceKnitter · 11/11/2007 23:25

Yes Mrs B, we're in exactly the same place. Get her ready for bed for seven then she crashes out on lap and doesn't fully awake for her feeds (she's just woken for her 5th since 7pm!} which is the other advantage of keeping her near. mixed success with moses - she falls asleep on pillow on lap then we put that in basket. anyway, always nice to know ohers in same boat.

jamila not convinced on growth spurt - at least , while maybe she's feeding a bit more at mo, the evening cluster thing isn't new....

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NoviceKnitter · 11/11/2007 23:26

butthe oxytocin thing interesting and makes sense. clever these babies...

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