breast fed 4 month olds...how often do you feed?

[cheapandchic]

I just need some reassurance really.

Some annoying lady at a play group mentioned that my baby should be able to make it through the night by now.

and recently my baby seems to have increased the frequency of feeds!

how often do you feed your 4 month old?

This is a brilliant blog post about the common assumption that breasts feeling full is a good thing :)

thefunnyshapedwoman.blogspot.com/2011/01/breasts-feeling-full-good-thing-myth.html

I personally think it's awful that this isn't talked about before birth or shortly afterwards. So many women panic and think they have supply problems whereas actually if someone had just told you what to expect it wouldn't be an issue.

Also, Sweet - it's normal for expressing output to drop sharply at your baby's age. It's because milk production switches from being hormone based (to get supply established) to demand-based. It's usual to only get 2-3 oz per pumping session, the early weeks are unusual in that most people can get much more. There is some stuff on kellymom in the pumping section :)

God yes, pumping's a right pita. I go to Pilates once a week, so have to leave milk (just in case). I barely manage 3 oz. Got a few nights out coming up soon, so not looking forward to the pumpfest that will ensue.

On the plus side, not having massive boobs now means I can wear (large) underwired bras that I've converted into bf bras!

Pay no attention.

In my experience, and in the experience of friends who demand fed feeding every 2-3 hours day and night until toddlerhood is common. Reverse cycling is common, and bursts every few weeks of feeding hourly for some chunks of the day or night is also common.

I cope with this with co-sleeping. Although I have an amby and can express milk for the odd night off as I enjoy the odd few drinks. Keeps me a bit saner!

Right now with 7 month old I feed every three hours or so in the day, bed at seven, feed at 11, then 12 (go figure!) then --- can't remember, she may sleep until 5am I guess, more leisurely feeding on and off from then.

You have to take a step back from the minutiae and how it looks though the fog of petty competitiveness, jealousy (ok, I'll admit with two children under 3.5 who were so-called 'bad sleepers' I'd like a big night off and some quality sleep) and tiredness.

They are babies and crave their parents, and if breastfed, crave their mothers. You can nudge them towards independence with greater or lesser force depending on where you stand on the parenting spectrum.

But there is no evidence that achieving a sleeping through/ self settling at a very young age benefits anyone save a frazzled parent.

So crowing about it is pointless and shows really that either you are lucky, or that you forced' a routine or some independence. So what.

Good luck, and you are not alone.

I will add that to some, I have a child who sleeps through. But last month there was a week of hourly feeding at night. Same in and off for two years with my first. It feels brutal during these stages and I'm exceptionally good at coping with sleepless (weird brag, but brag I will) and I have to be strict to limit coffee and make myself go to bed early when it's like this