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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

I really need some encouragement

11 replies

Moulesfrites · 22/05/2011 18:43

my ds is 17 weeks old and ebf. He is tracking the 91st centile, I have always fed on demand and have been really happy with how bf is going. However, for the past few weeks ds has started to wake at night every 2/3 hours. This is exhausting but I am just hoping it is something I can ride out, either a growth spurt, sleep regression, or him just making up time at night as he now gets quite distracted during daytime feeds.

However, people, mum, pils, friends, have started to offer advice including, give him a bottle, give him baby rice etc. Today my pils came put with a gem - apparently as I am now more "active", ie actually preserving my sanity by getting out and about, my milk will be less "rich". Now I have read A LOT about bf recently and have never come across this theory. But all of this advice has made me doubt myself and knocked my confidence in my own milk, even though my supply is good. I don't want to give a bottle or wean him, but to others I come across as stubborn.

Can anyone offer any reassurance. Loads of my friends gave up bf at 4 months but I really don't want to!

OP posts:
theborrower · 22/05/2011 18:51

My DD wasn't EBF (mixed fed, mostly formula, now 9 months) but I also got lots of 'advice' at around 4 months about weaning/teething including daft stuff like 'rub honey on her gums' (err, no) and 'aaaw, look at the way she's looking at your dinner/sandwich/cup of tea - she wants some'. I kept repeating 'no, we're going to wait until 6 months because x,y,z' and even though we got a few raised eyebrows, they were all just trying to be helpful. I think. even though it was damn annoying

It's fantastic that you are EBFing your baby. Stick with it if it makes you happy and your DS is doing well. Ignore the unhelful advice from the parents/PILS/everyone else - just smile and grin and bear it. You're not stubborn at all.

PS that bit about your milk being less rich is, I'm sure, a load of rubbish. And he's probably going through a growth spurt. A BF expert will be along soon I'm sure.

tiktok · 22/05/2011 18:53

Your milk will be fine.

Utter, utter rubbish about activity affected 'richness' of the milk - really, truly not true (how could it be? How would you living a normal life reduce the amount of fat in your milk? Does not compute :) )

Plenty of babies wake this often at night - easiest way to cope is to accept and work out ways of reducing its impact on your energy levels.

Sorry you have had your confidence knocked - what a shame. Would have been better if they had shown delight in the way you are coping and raising a healthy baby :)

LaCiccolina · 22/05/2011 20:04

Ignore them. Have to I'm afraid. My pils are the same... Think I'm nuts for continuing to 5mths when 12wks suited them just fine....argh!

If u enjoy it keep going. You wouldn't stop any other activity you liked so why stop this one? I certainly hadn't planned to b going this far, hadn't really given it any consideration to be honest but now I'm very proud. Gotta stop soon to return to work, boo hoo, but it's been one of the best experiences of my life. Oddly far harder than I ever expected but wonderful. Best of luck hunny!!!!

bigkidsmademe · 22/05/2011 20:09

It is far more likely this is the four month sleep regression, which has nothing to do with hunger. DS has woken every 45 minutes since he wa 15 weeks because of this :( and it is very very common.

Don't listen to them! You're doing a great job

gkys · 22/05/2011 20:14

gosh some people talk nonsense, ignore all the advice, you are doing a great job, the waking seems normal my ds3 is just getting back into sleeping all night at 34wks, and its all very touch and go. your milk is perfect for your dc, you are not being stuborn you know whats best for your baby, my PIL told me I was unreasonable foor feeding dc as it meant they couldn't have them overniight (like that was going to happen, but thats a whole different story) you do whats good for you, because thats whats best for your dc

pearlgirl · 22/05/2011 20:46

Was also going to post saying it sounds like 4 month sleep regression.
Also the thing about the richness etc of your milk is total rubbish - the milk you made is tailored to your baby and is perfect for him.
I'm sorry you feel your confidence has been knocked - enjoy your baby and feed him how YOU want to - he is after all your baby and it is your choice how you feed him. You sound like you have done a great job so far.

Original poster
Moulesfrites · 22/05/2011 21:06

so how long does the 4m regression go on for? I know that it apparently has nothing to do with hunger but every time he wakes I feed him back to sleep and he takes it - should I not be doing this?

OP posts:
bigkidsmademe · 22/05/2011 21:11

Well, it depends on whether you're happy to do it, and whether you come out of th regression in a few weeks like lots of people do. Mine is extreme! I only feed once in the night because my DS is entirely unable tonself settle and feeding to sleep at every waking was exacerbating this.

Come to the sleep board, there are lots of us :) especially on the "newborn sleep nightmare" thread!

Original poster
Moulesfrites · 22/05/2011 21:32

well he can self settle for daytime naps, so feeding to sleep just seems to be the quickest and easiest way to get him back down during the night - thb I am so sleepy that I don't really have the presence of mind to think to do anything but feed - and then in the morning I think "Oh, maybe I should have just tried to settle him back down"!!

OP posts:
PoppyDoolally · 22/05/2011 21:39

hello
my babe is 18 weeks old and EBF - he has only just got back to sleeping well!
have had to endure similar comments about weaning etc.
it is a perfectly normal developmental stage for your baby, continue to trust your body to supply the milk babe needs. things will settle back down again, don't worry.

loulabella81 · 23/05/2011 09:09

weaning early is pointless for this situation, as milk will have a higher calorie content than any food you would offer your baby. Its so difficlut when people continuously give you their take on whats going on. But you need to trust your instincts. I have heard of mums offering cold boiled water when baby has recently fed and is wanting more food, to get them into a better routine- however I never did this. Fact if you baby is hungry and needs milk, so continue giving milk on demand as you are doing and ignore others!! x

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