Anyone have a big, hungry baby? how do you cope? I'm struggling

[buggyRunner]

Hi,

Never thought id struggle with dd2-dd1 easy baby, routine and ebf. Would take an expressed bottle easily. 25/50 centile (weight/ height)

dd2- 75/98th centile,wont take a bottle (trust me tried everything), feeds hourly/ 45min through the day can swing from sleeping 10hrs/ 8 hrs/ 4hrs at night- typical sleep for a 5 month old- some good, some bad.

I just cant keep up with the day time feeds- I have a 2.5 year old- its really tough. Spoke to hv and gp both suggested weaning- so reluctantly I'm giving puree- still makes little difference but she is sleeping better.

Is the consstant feeding a sign of anything (she is ikn 6-9 month clothing and growing out of them fast.)

Will it ever end? Breast feeding feels like a prison sentance atm- loved it with dd1 (did to 1 year old) but this time I just wish shed take a bottle so I could give up The thing is im so pro breast feeding but I;m really not liking it- apart from the bed time feed where I know its the last so I get to relax with her as dd1 is in bed. I feel like Im constantly waiting for her to finish feeding.

Dont really know what im asking- but I feel like such a failure- I've began weaning- against who guidelines- but i feel she needed it, as did every other person professional healthcare and other mums. I feel like im failing my dd1- I end up taking her to the park- feeding constnatly. I feel minging- I stink of milk and my back is killing as she weighs a lot and kicks off furniture when shes feeding. I also feel like I should really enjoy feeding her- dont get me wrong I love all the milky smiles but everything I do (ie hair dressers/ coffee wirth friends/ meal times I'm constantly feeding)
I have had 1 hour off max since she has been born in the day time- and I return home and shes screaming for me.

I sound so bloody ungreatful but I love my girls, my family but feel like I'm just a milk machine

My DD was on 99 line it's hard work your doing amazingly well have u tried breast flow bottles, getting some one else to feed and things like porridge? And what about nursery if u can just one afternoon a week to give u a break, she may take a bottle off them/ beaker xxx

Its such hard work sometimes isnt it, DS is just over 91st centile and at 6months is in 9-12month clothes. From 2 to 4 months he slept 11 to 5. Then it all went a bit made and he could be up 5 times at night. It was like a really long growth spurt. I made some changes, attached his cot onto the side of the bed helped reduce the night wakenings. DH will also give him ebm in a bottle.
re your sore back, have you tried the biological nurturing position? babys weight is supported by your torso putting less strain on your back/arms

Yes me too! Ds one and only (pfb) 2 months on Xmas day, between 75-91st centile (13lb 5 last week, 7 13 at birth). Had to cut the feet out of his 0-3 month babygros couple of weeks ago (!).

Another one who likes to feed every 45mins to hr n half during the day - how do you keep this up? Hadnt thought about how it'll be really til read ur post, op, just going day by day and aiming to ebf til he's weaned... He's sooo heavy already! Back alfo sore (hello sciatica I had not missed you) also due to big long legs pushing against chair back. How does biological nursing work when ur a shortarse with massive boobs and a long baby?

Sigh. Not intending to stop. How you feel better, op

i'm going to be honest and say i think it's nothing to do with the size of the baby

some babies will take a bottle, some wont
some will feed every 2-3 hours, some want it more frequently

when you get a big baby that feeds frequently everyone says it's cos they're big. if you have a little one that feeds frequently everyone says it's cos they're little and can't hold as much...

it's just the way your one is!
all I can say (having had an incredibly frequent feeder for my number 2) is that it DOES get better.
ds2 was feeding approx every 45-90 minutes day and night at 9 months and I was dead on my feet :-S

distraction worked sometimes.... taking him out in the sling so he fell asleep, that kind of thing.
looking back now it seems like such a short time though, he's 4 now and I just think how glad I am that I went with it and gave him what he needed, he's fairly sensitive and I think as a baby he just needed me a lot.

persevere with the bottle though, and a dummy maybe? ds2 finally took both at around 9 months-ish, basically because I just kept trying him every single day. not so that it annoyed him, just giving it to him to play with.
if she does eventually take a bottle then you'd be able to go out by yourself or with dd1 for an hour or 2 without worrying

It is personality/individual needs and is a behaviour observed in babies of all sizes.

I promise it doesn't last forever. You do whatever you can to get through it, including being v proud of yourself.

Thanks for the messages guys. She is still feeding lots - don't know how it will work when I go to work on feb 1st thou. I'm planning to feed her on my lunch break- she is really responding to weaning- sleeping through again and she's sipping water from a sippy cup.

Distraction has worked a bit with teethers but I'm just going to roll with it as advised.