EBF baby and baby rice...HELP!

[FrillyMummy]

Hi! I don't want to get shot down for this, but I am desperate. My dd is 19 weeks today and wakes every 2 hours at night to feed. She has a proper feed every time, so I am pretty sure it's not for comfort.

She hasn't had any solids yet, but it was recommended to me by a few people that I try her with a teaspoon of baby rice with her last feed as it should help fill her up so she goes longer. However, I don't use bottles. How would you suggest I do this? I know the advice is to wait until 6mo, but I'm buggered if I'm going to carry on like this if a drop of baby rice might help!!

Very unlikely that a couple of spoons of baby rice will make a difference.

Even after waiting till 6 months food made no difference to both of mine!

Ahw sorry you've having problems. I'm probably not the person to answer as my 11 wk old has been sleeping 6 hrs+ straight through the night since she was 5 weeks! (luck?!) However, what's your evening routine like? Sounds like she's in a routine...of waking you up every two hours to feed! I can't see how she can possibly be hungry every two hours at 19 weeks old..

The only thing I would say though - I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure baby rice has less nutritional value than milk. So i can't see that adding baby rice would actually fill/satisfy your DD as milk is more filling.

How often is she feeding in the day? I would have thought this has more to do with her routine/winding down etc as I do remember reading somewhere that babies are incapable of distinguishing day and night until they are 6 wks+ but once they do they are capable of going one long stint without a feed. Seems weird that she's waking every two hours. Does she feed every two hours in the day too?

You must be shattered you poor thing.

A teaspoon of baby rice is about 7 calories. That is a minuscule amount - average (whatever that is!) breastfeed is prob around 100-150 cal. Your baby - who you say is waking with genuine hunger - is not going to sleep longer for the sake of 7 calories....:)

It would be easier to work out how to make these night feeds easier and more comfortable to cope with - where does she sleep, for example?

She has had a good night routine since 6 weeks. She is in her own room and DH baths her at 6, I feed her in her room and off she goes. She usually wakes around 10. I've tried just giving her the dummy, but she seems to want to feed. Maybe it is becoming habit that she will only settle on the boob? She feeds every 2.5 hours during the day.

DD2 was a very hungry EBF baby. I even tried to introduce a dummy at one point even though I don't like them - I must have been desperate . She didn't take to it at all. I co-slept which made the nights much much easier. Is this an option for you?

It's probably a growth spurt. They do go through phases, even at a much older age. My 21mo ate 3 weetabix for breakfast yesterday. Barely finished 1 1/2 today. You can't compare a baby with herself yesterday, let alone a month ago.

I thought maybe a growth spurt, but it's been a month now! I tried co-sleeping but it was a nightmare! I couldn't sleep and neither could DH!

Frilly, how about having her in the same room?

She might sleep better, you won't have to get up, and she may settle back down better.

Actually getting up through the night every 2 hours and going into another room - aaaaaargh :( :( No wonder you're sick as a chip.

Your baby's night time pattern is well within normal, BTW....