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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

3-hr long bf's??!!

14 replies

CardyMow · 30/07/2011 09:00

DS3 is now 28 weeks. On HV advice he was weaned at 20 weeks due to the fact he was so active (was already crawling , sitting, grabbing mine and other dc's food etc). He's now on 3 meals a day, plus two snacks, is still having 8-10 decent bf's in the day...and for the last week, he has been waking at 5am, and feeding solidly for 3 hours (5am-8am) going from one side to the other. Bearing in mind that in the evening, he has a good long feed at 9pm, then he has a 15 min feed at 11pm, and a 15 min feed at 2am...

I'm exhausted, I am wondering if my milk is just not filling him up anymore. Despite having 3 older dc, I've never fed a baby over 26 weeks. Is this normal, to need between 10-12 feeds a day on top of your meals and snacks AND a 3-hr feed TOO????

Is this normal? Is there anything I can do? I'm not getting enough sleep, and I am not able to do all the housework properly as I'm too tired. Can't take a nap, 3 older dc on school hols. And I'm now a lone parent too. ANY help or advice?

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Original poster

CardyMow · 30/07/2011 10:21

BUMP??

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Original poster

CardyMow · 30/07/2011 10:22

So far since 8am this morning, he's demolished half a rusk, half a fruit pot AND fed for the last 40 mins. Surely this isn't normal?

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thisisyesterday · 30/07/2011 11:48

hi loudlass. how was he before weaning?

when i started weaning my 3 they ALL upped their milk consumption for quite a while after weaning. I presume because the food made them thirstier or something? or filled them up without giving as many calories so they needed to top up? not entirely sure really, but it def was noticeable with all of them

I think there is no reason why your milk would not be filling him up, it's far more likely to be either him wanting more comfort, or feeling uncomfy for some reason and wanting that to soothe himself or some other reason!

he certainly sounds within the realms of normal to me. ds1 was bottle fed by that age, but my other 2 were both breastfed and were having at least that many bf's a day, ds2 probably had even more.

I would say it will probably pass if you hang on in there, however I do realise how utterly exhausting it is while you're in the middle of it and I don't think anyone would think the worse of you if you wanted to try and fix it now. What happens if you offer him a bottle/beaker of expressed milk or formula or water in the morning? or if you try and just cuddle him back to sleep?
what are his naps like in the day? and what time does he go to bed?

thisisyesterday · 30/07/2011 11:49

bear in mind too that it's quite hot at the moment and he may just need more fluids... does he drink water/milk during the day from a beaker etc?

RitaMorgan · 30/07/2011 11:49

Is he teething or something? If he's eating plenty then I think it's more likely enjoying the comfort of it rather than it being a milk problem.

Personally, at 6+ months I don't think it would do any harm to limit feeds if you need to for your own sanity.

RitaMorgan · 30/07/2011 11:55

Has this coincided with the other children being at home for the school holidays? Maybe he's trying to make sure he gets some cuddly mummy time during the hecticness of everyone being at home.

Original poster

CardyMow · 30/07/2011 12:36

He's genuinely hungry - he will stop screaming for boob if I give him a rusk or a rice cake. He wont touch a bottle. Not expressed milk (not that I'm getting anything when I try to express now) not formula, not water, not baby juice. It's Mummy milk or nothing in his eyes. Have tried Tommee Tippee bottles, A silicone spouted beaker and one of the old fashioned tip it up and pour it out beakers. NADA.

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Original poster

CardyMow · 30/07/2011 12:46

His naps have been terrible for about the same length of time, 3x 15 mins all day. He's going to sleep after his 9pm feed. (Think house is too busy before then DD is 13yo, not going to bed till 9.30-10pm). He sleeps till 11.30pm-ish, then feeds. Sleeps 12am-5am then feeds for 3 hrs solid each morning till 8am. Has his breakfast then, then another feed. Catnaps for 15 mins then another feed. Has a snack. Plays till 1-ish, has lunch, then another feed. Then has a 15 min catnap. Plays for a bit, Then has another feed. Plays a bit more, then has a snack and another feed. Then while I'm cooking dinner, he usually has another 15 min catnap. He has a feed while I'm eating my dinner, then he has his dinner. He then has a feed at about 7.30pm, then back to the 9pm feed.

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Original poster

CardyMow · 31/07/2011 10:43

I caved at 3am this morning and gave him a 5oz bottle of formula. He had another bf after that, fell asleep at 4am and was awake by 6.45am for yet another mammoth feed. He's had 2 feeds, then breakfast since then, and now he's feeding again. How long is this growth spurt going to last??!!

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Original poster

CardyMow · 31/07/2011 10:44

And he took the bottle - He really is hungry!!

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BertieBotts · 31/07/2011 10:49

DS does that when he's hungry for food, rather than milk, especially in that middle of the night time when he's not awake enough to sit up and just say that he's hungry. It's almost like he's half asleep, and vaguely thinking "I'm hungry... milk make me full... nom nom nom milk" and because he's tired he doesn't realise that it isn't working but just stays in this snoozy milk-drinking state for hours (he's 2.9) Admittedly DS didn't do this until 13 months or so, before then, milk would usually fill him up, but I don't think it's unfeasible that your DS could have reached the point where his body realises food is more filling than milk.

Could you try giving him some solids before bed? Or keep something non-crumby in the bedroom for him to snack on when he wakes, and you can go back to sleep.

Original poster

CardyMow · 31/07/2011 11:00

I DID give him another half a rusk at 2am, which h demolished like he'd never been fed before. Maybe it doesn't help that DS3 is soo tall he is over the top line on the charts (he's 86cm! - he was 60cm when he was born) but his weight is hovering around or just below the 75th centile, so he's quite 'underweight' for his height. Would that have a bearing on it?

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BertieBotts · 31/07/2011 11:04

Possibly, I don't know. DS just didn't have much of an appetite for food until later - sounds like your boy does though!

I actually would be keeping food in the bedroom for the time being, as well as a bedtime feed of some ready brek or something, and screw bad habits, it's better than being kept awake for 3 hours at a time, and you can phase it out once he's bigger and more able to go through the night.

Original poster

CardyMow · 31/07/2011 11:13

He does like his food. I didn't 'wean' him until 20 weeks, after chatting with my HV, but for 3 weeks before that, he'd been grabbing food off my dinner plate and literally cramming it into his mouth. Then I'd panic, and fish it out, with him screaming angrily at me! After I spoke to the HV, she said to wean him early as he was obviously ready - sitting, crawling, nicking food.

I might try the ready brek before bed tonight, will see how it goes with that.

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