When does it get easier??? I'm really fed up of bfing every two blooming hours!

[Holymoly321]

DS2 is 4 mths and seems to feed every two - three hours for bet 15-30 mins a time. He's a good size so he must be getting enough, but I am getting sick of all the feeding - especially at night. Please tell me it's going to get easier and that he'll soon start going for longer between feeds because I just can't see an end to this very long tunnel. He won't take a bottle or a dummy either!

[TheProdigalShow]

My dd fed every 2 hours day and night until she was about 7 months old. No dummies or bottles here either.

At 8 months it got much better.

I realise this isn't what you want to hear. There are ways of making it easier. I carried dd in a sling all the time so she could feed and I could get on with things. We also co-slept so I could sleep while she fed.

Will she take a cup? DD didn't mind that.

[TheProdigalShow]

Meant will he take a cup. Typo sorry.

[fruitymum]

It will get easier - honestly !
It might be a growth spurt, my DD was much the same, try to get your feet up and rest when you are feeding and enjoy your little one. At the time it seems never ending but looking back(DD is 22 months) it was a short and precious time. Sending you a big hug!

[3NAB]

I fed mine every 2 hours until they were 6 months in the day and about twice at night.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Only every 2 hours?
Both my ds were clamped on for hours at a time and only went more than 1/2 hour between feeds if they were asleep. For about 3 months each by which time I was so exhausted, and with ds2, ds1 was feeling so neglected, that I switched to mix feeding.
Still fed about 3 times a night till 5 or 6m though.
Its just the first of many phases children have that seem endless at the time but somehow morph into happy mummy memories very quickly.

[chickytwotimes]

holy, my ds was ff from 2 weeks and he fed pretty much every 2 hours for the first 3 months. he went a bit longer at night, but my bf friend and I had similar schedules despite the difference in their food.

[Holymoly321]

this is not sounding good...

[StealthPolarBear]

same as TPS
every 2 hours (unless asleep) until after 6 months.
One day i realised he was going a while between feeds and also the evening cluster feeding had stopped
I think it's boys

[charliegal]

Oh...feed my ds every 2/3 hours roughly
and he's 17 months old

[Holymoly321]

basically this is all v depressing

[MrsBadger]

can you luxuriate in the enforced inactivity?
put your feet up and watch some tv / read a book / mn while he feeds, or does ds1 put paid to that?

[Holymoly321]

DS1 puts paid to that during the day and my need for sleep means all I feel is frustration and exhaustion during the feeds at night

[conkeyhead]

Hello

Gosh you must be exhausted. I have my second now, a boy (First was a girl) who is 5 weeks old. I actually thought it was the norm for them to feed every 3 to 4 hours from about 6 weeks and that you should push them towards that. (both my kids did/are doing it and my friends do so i must have got into a bit of a bubble).

Anyway, when my son starts to increase his feeds now, I wait until he's had a big sleep and so gone for three or four hours, then i know he's totally empty. Then I feed from both sides. So one side, burp, change, burp, then the other side - basically fill him up and then i know if he's looking for a feed before the three hours are up, then he's probably looking to suck himself to sleep, or suck through some wind, so I try other things. Just over half the time it works!!! Sometimes, he's just growing or I'm too tired to fight, but on the whole, except for early evening now he does 4 hour stints. He's very big though.

Don't know if that helps or not. I feel slightly evil refusing him feeds listening to all the mummies above!!

Oh and I am talking about breastfeeding.
x

[ChairmumMiaow]

I don't really know how often DS feeds because I've stopped keeping track. Its probably an average of around every 3 hours, day and night - not including the evening cluster feeding.

Generally in the daytime I feel that's fine, as when we're at home he has a pattern - feed, nappy change (if needed), time in his chair 'talking' to me, time on his gym trying really hard to hit his snail, then fall asleep on the gym. It means that during his gym and sleep time I can run around doing vital things like going the the loo, having a shower, making my lunch (and if really lucky, eating it).

When we go out he'll sleep for a good 2 hours in the pushchair or sling, which is plenty of time to walk into town and back and do the shopping! (feel very lucky for that)

When he's cluster feeding I often feel frustrated, but I normally manage to prepare dinner during one of my afternoon breaks so that DH can just shove it in the oven so I don't have to wait forever for my dinner!

If it gets really bad I get set up on the sofa with all the remotes and my laptop and use my new skill of feeding in my kari-me sling and engage in some one-handed mumsnetting!

Have you tried going to some baby groups? It doesn't stop the constant feeding but you can chat etc while feeding - we do baby yoga, a music class and go to a baby bistro group which helps me to feel much more human!

[ChairmumMiaow]

By the way, I know it sucks when people basically just tell you "get used to it", but as I'm in the same position about our evening cluster feeds, I can't help! (plus 8 week DS is my first)

[oregonianabroad]

hi there.

It might be difficult for a little longer, but I bet you'll notice a gradual change once he starts weaning. My ds2 wanted feeds every 2 hours till he was 6 months, then it gradually reduced.

hang in there. it might help to remind yourself that this is a relatively short period in his whole lifetime.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

My dd feeds that often (but only during day) still, and she's 2yrs 1 month!

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

I think ds went from feeding every 2 hours in the day to 3, when he was about 4-5 months. It wasn't a gradual thing either, so like you I felt I would be feeding every 2 hours for the rest of my life!!

Luckily for me he started to sleep through the night at about 14 weeks. I put this down to:

1. Luck
2. I cluster fed him frome early afternoon until bedtime (7pm)
3. He had a dreamfeed at 10.30pm

Things will change for you, I just don't know when. Rather than get annoyed by it try and roll with it. Fighting it takes up so much emotional energy, and it's just a waste as your lo will do it when he's ready.

[Holymoly321]

THanks all, I was thinking today, as I was bfing DS, that really, when this stage ends and he's not a little baby anymore, I probably will really miss it, and that I should just shut up and enjoy it whilst it lasts because in a few years time he won't need me anywhere near as much and I'll look back on this time and wish I hadn't wished it away! You're all right, it really isnt' that much time in the great scheme of things - gosh, don't I sound positive today! (Must be the fact that DH is around for four days to help with DS1 and DS2 ha ha!)

[Caz10]

holymoly if it makes you feel any better, dd is 3.5mths and exactly the same - but her feeds take an hour - bl00dy nightmare!!!