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Infant feeding

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

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Baby feeding every 2 hours average

18 replies

rockybalBOOOOa · 29/10/2013 17:58

Help!! My DS3 is 15w old. From about 8/9w (after sorting out a TT issue affecting bf'ing) he would have a feed before bed at 6/7.30ish and then sleep through until 3/4/5am. He pretty much always feeds every 2 hours during the day. At around 12w we had a regression to 2 hourly feeds at night but it only lasted a couple of nights. Since then he has started waking progressively earlier for his first night feed. We had a week of waking at 3 and then going every two hours, then it slipped little by little until the last two nights when he has woken at 9 and fed every 1.5-2hrs since then. It's killing me. Esp with it being half term and having to cope with DS 1 and 2. DH is away on business.

I'm trying to convince myself it's another growth spurt as I think they have one around 16w but the HV came on Thurs for his 3/4 month assessment and he's dropped 1.5 centile lines since birth. I normally only feed him one side at a time but changed to both sides at each feed post HV visit. My boobs are not getting the chance to fill up at all but he's getting milk as I always make loads and he's producing lots of wet and pooey nappies. He feeds for 5-10 mins each side so pretty quick but that's to be expected at his age I think.

He had a bottle of formula (took about 100ml) last night and went 3 hrs instead of 1.5-2 but not really a discernible difference.

My other two DS weren't this needy. I am so so tired and trying very hard not to lose it with my 2yo.

Can anyone suggest anything I could do or is it just wait it out? The overtired irrational part of me is starting to worry there's something wrong with him although he is his lovely happy smiley self when not demanding food or needing a sleep.

Other info: he has a cold which I am dealing with by tilting the cot and using Olbas oil. He is also a bit refluxy and vomits a lot and will only sleep on his front inc in the pushchair. HV wants me to get him weighed again in a month.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

OP posts:
Mabelface · 29/10/2013 18:04

I think your HV has given you the wrong advice here. If he's only feeding for 5-10 minutes on one side, then he's only getting the foremilk from both boobs, rather than the hindmilk kicking in. Someone more experienced with bf will be along shortly I'm sure. I think his frequent feeding is more to do with him being refluxy and vomiting so no surprise if he's hungry a lot.

Mabelface · 29/10/2013 18:05

To be clearer - do the full feed from one boob so fore and hind milk is drunk by him.

rockybalBOOOOa · 29/10/2013 22:11

The foremilk/hind milk thing is a myth so I'm not concerned about that. It's just this significant increase in nursing frequency which seems to be lasting longer than a growth spurt. Neither of his brothers were like this and DS2 was equally as prolific a vomiter but with no other reflux type indicators. I might look into infant Gaviscon to try and keep the milk down for longer. Thing is he tends not to burp/vomit as much at night. The amount he's drinking he'd better gain some bloody weight!!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/10/2013 22:20

Think you might just have hit the 4 month sleep regression and it sucks doesn't it. Theres a bit more on sleep regressions here.

Dropping 1.5 centiles isn't really a worry. I'm not trained but I always thought that you don't need to worry until they drop 2 complete centiles. Think that the HV is right to advise you to offer both sides, only feeding from one side is the advice given to mothers who wish to reduce their supply.

Also think that asking you to get Lo weighed every month isn't because she's concerned, think its just standard NHS advice. Your red book should tell you how often to get Lo weighed Smile.

He's a bit too old to use wet/dirty nappies as a reliable indicator. Things to look out for now are, does he seem satisfied after a feed? Is he bright and alert at times? Is he meeting his milestones? There us some more info here.

If you really are worried, and nothing you've said would indicate a problem, have a read of how might I increase my baby's weight gain?.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 29/10/2013 22:25

X posted with you there rocky Smile. If you suspect reflux, have you had him checked for tongue tie?

I'd also ask MNHQ to move this thread to the breast/bottle section, then hopefully one of the BFC, like tiktok might drop in Smile

Mabelface · 29/10/2013 23:09

fair enough, been quite a while since I was feeding babies.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 30/10/2013 08:47

Mad think that was probably the advice at the time but my dd only ever fed for 10 minutes from birth, she was just really efficient.

The advice also used to be to feed for x amount of minutes per breast, but there is no was I could have got my dd to feed for longer or my DS to feed for a shorter time, they simply would have been unhappy.

This article explains the fore/hind milk thing better than I ever could. As long as you don't swap breasts whilst Lo is actively feeding, its fine to offer the other breast. Some babies will want to swap again to the first side again and swap again until they are satisfied.

rockybalBOOOOa · 30/10/2013 13:56

Thanks Jilted. Yes, he had a posterior TT snipped at 4w. Have asked for the post to be moved but I suspect any further answers will just be '4 month sleep regression/growth spurt' and I'll have to wait it out Sad

OP posts:
MyNameIsAnAnagram · 30/10/2013 14:00

Is it possible his tt has regrown?

rockybalBOOOOa · 30/10/2013 14:12

Yes, it did reattach a bit (it was a posterior one so that's quite common) but he is latching and taking on milk ok so decided in consultation with lactation consultant not to resnip. He was sleeping for up to 10 hour stretches a month or so ago but over the last couple of weeks has regressed and we are now at our third night in a row where he's fed every 1-2 hrs. He's always fed 2 hourly during the day apart from
a 3-4 gap in the morning when he has a big nap. Although that's not happening at the moment either. He's such a lovely happy smiley little thing and will lie on his mat and play so it's can't be bad reflux or I don't think he'd lie on his back at all. He's mostly out of his 0-3m clothes now so is obv growing. I just wish he'd stop waking up for a feed every 1-2 hours throughout the night!

OP posts:
RebeccaMumsnet · 30/10/2013 15:41

Hi there,

We have moved this thread to the Breast/Bottle feeding topic now.

tiktok · 30/10/2013 18:32

rocky, your baby sounds fine, happy and healthy, and his feeding pattern is well within normal - you're right to feed both sides (or at least offer), and please forget any concerns about your breasts not having time to fill up, or any worries about fore and hindmik. As JJJ says, the idea that this is something to 'engineer' is not correct.

So.

Normal....but hard work at the moment, especially at night :(

It is easier to work out how to make this normal pattern and normal needs bearable, than to change it. 'Cos it will eventually change by itself anyway :)

Think about co-sleeping?

JiltedJohnsJulie · 30/10/2013 18:33

rocky feel a bit out of my depth here, I'm not trained and you might be better talking to a BFC or your lactation consultant.

He does sound like he is thriving. One thing that might help is trying breast compressions, but really don't know.

rockybalBOOOOa · 30/10/2013 20:38

Thanks Tiktok and Jilted. Hoping for a better night tonight but let's see...

OP posts:
WantAnOrange · 31/10/2013 21:04

Sounds like really hard work and exhausting, especially with older children to care for. It is a 'normal' healthy feeding pattern for a baby his age and you are doing a great job, feeding on both sides is the right thing to do. 5 - 10 minute feeds suggests he is feeding quite effectively so that's good news.

Have you thought about coping strategies to get you through this phase? Forget the housework etc, if someone offers to help say yes! Co-sleeping is a very personal choice but it can really help you get enough sleep if it is right for you.

Hope you had a bit of sleep last night.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 31/10/2013 22:23

Xp Posted with tiktok yesterday. Agree that's it all sounds normal. Things that helped me get through it were, lots of tea, doing my shopping online, getting a milkman so we never ran out and ignoring the dust.

DH was pretty good at getting up early and letting me have an extra half an hour in bed.

rockybalBOOOOa · 01/11/2013 22:21

Slightly better night on Wed (one 4hr stretch from 6.30pm followed by a 3hr stretch) so I actually felt ok yesterday and able to enjoy time with Ds1 and 2 (aged 5 and 2.5) without shouting like a fishwife. Our cleaners come on a Thurs so that helped. I already do the shopping online. DH got back last night after working away for three days so I was able to hand the baby over to him at 6.30 and sleep until he wanted feeding again at 8.30 which helped. DH I'd an early riser anyway (I am not!) so hopefully will do the same tmrw and Sun. Ds3 has noticeably grown though, it is really obvious esp to DH having been away. Fingers crossed the growth spurt is over and things will start to settle down a bit. Poor baby has rather been ignored over half term with the other two demanding my attention so looking forward to a calmer week next week once back at school/nursery. Thanks all, much appreciated.

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 01/11/2013 22:33

Fingers crossed then Smile

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