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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

6mth old still only going 1 - 3 hours

30 replies

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 12:04

Hiya... my DS is 6 months old now, and BF on demand but he is still only going 1 -3 hours between feeds (start to start). Im lucky if its 3, and that only once or twice a day. Sometimes he feeds every hour for a few hours, or even just on and off every 10/20 minutes for a few hours. I didnt mind, but im getting quite worn out now and am unsure whether its normal! The other night I had to resort to a bottle of formula because he was coming on and off breast, biting (he has one sharp tooth now) but was hungry and unsettled, so he had about 160 mls and then topped up with more breast to feed to sleep. He is being weaned, but its BLW and its going quite slow (hes had one bite of food in past few days). Should I switch to regular weaning? Should I keep going as I am? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for reading! x

OP posts:

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 12:31

bump

OP posts:

furrytangerine · 02/10/2006 12:36

Poor old you - must be exhausted

I have to say that originally my son was a bit like this but i have him on a routine now and life is sooooo much easier as i now when he is hungry etc... he may be comfort sucking and not feeding and at 6 months he should be ableto go at least 3 hrs between feeds - soundslike he is becominga snacker and that means little and often and he may not be getting to the hindmilk that fills him up -

I ama real routine fan as my son has becomes o much more manageable and is sleeping through the night after a week - even BF he was on a 4 hr routine - hard to begin with but then is great!!

Have you tried a dummy to hold him of a bit ??

Hope gets better

alibobble · 02/10/2006 12:39

There's a thread somewhere recommending someone to feed one side only to avoid too much foremilk but not sure where. It really helped the person in question. Will find it and give you the link so you can read it.

alibobble · 02/10/2006 12:42

Found it:

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=217609&stamp=061001152009}

btw when I do links it never seems to work but you can cut an paste if it didn't work.

I know you're not describing 24hr colic but this baby was refusing to sleep long on BF. HAve a look and see what you think.

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 12:45

Thanks

I keep him on one side most feeds and he does have some good long feeds. Can what I eat (or dont eat) cause this maybe? His weight gain is fine (trailed off at 25 weeks but still gained) btw.

OP posts:

bluejelly · 02/10/2006 12:51

Doesn't seem like you are doing anything wrong, seems fairly normal to me

tiktok · 02/10/2006 12:53

I don't think the one-sidded feeding outlined in that thread will help, spooky (it was me who suggested it to the original poster on that one). It doesn;t sound to me that your ds has any of the symptoms of what the one-sided feeding is meant to address.

He sounds normal - a 6 month old baby who is enjoying being close to you and having the comfort of food and drink while he's there. I think it is far more likely to be a developmental stage and not anything to do with what you are eating, and it is something that will resolve itself in time.

It is perfectly reasonable for you to want to encourage him to take comfort and nourishment every 1-3 hours in other ways, especially as he is old enough for other foods now. Here are my suggestions:

try giving him something to suck on/lick/chew when he tries to feed and you feel you would like a longer gap (finger of pear, apple, banana, carrot, breadstick)
offer him a cup to drink from and encourage him with lots of praise when he takes even a tiny weeny sip

This is still baby-led weaning, but you are making the opportunities for it more frequent

There may still be times when he is unsettled and needs you to comfort him with a breastfeed. The above ideas are to help him learn he doesn't always need a feed to be happy!

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 13:07

Have just sat him in highchair with some melon sticks and he isnt intrested at all and just cries... shall I hold him on my lap and feed and water him? Will having him take water not reduce his appitite and make him not feed enough? Thanks x

OP posts:

tiktok · 02/10/2006 13:15

Sorry, I should have said 'keeping him on your lap' when you offer him the pieces of fruit if that's what keeps him happy.

I would not expect him to take gallons of water

But getting a few mouthfuls down him will be fine.

This is only an issue with a much younger baby

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 13:24

ok he sucked`abit of melon, but is now guzzling away (again) Need to wait until the kettle cools to give him abit of water

Thanks x

OP posts:

jasnDISMemBERED · 02/10/2006 13:26

Does water need to be boiled? (I hope not, as I don't boil it for ds)

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 13:27

i presume it does?

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tiktok · 02/10/2006 13:30

Personally, I wouldn't bother at the age of 6 months. I don't know what the official advice is....but I can't think what you would be protecting a healthy 6 month bf baby from!

jasnDISMemBERED · 02/10/2006 13:35

I can't find any thing recommending you should...by 6 months he's probably sucking fluff off the carpet (mine was anyway) so water is really not much of a risk!

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 13:37

ill go try some water now then

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Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 13:43

should I still be sterilising the cup though?

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jasnDISMemBERED · 02/10/2006 13:47

I've never sterilised anything, and by 6 months would only do bottles (if I used them).

tiktok · 02/10/2006 13:59

spooky - definitely not the cup!!!

Just isn't necessary.

Bottles and teats which have milk in might need to be sterilised esp for newborn babies (though not everyone reckons they do) but water does not harbour bugs.

Just keep it clean, especially the spout area (if you are using a spout).

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 14:02

oh! silly me Ive been sterilising the cup, boiling and cooling water, sterilising his plate I was even using pre- boiled water to brush his teeth and rinse the toothbrush!

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tiktok · 02/10/2006 14:08

You'll be telling me you iron knickers next

jasnDISMemBERED · 02/10/2006 14:11

Even if ds doesn't feed any less, think of all the time you're going to gain by not boiling and sterilising things!

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 14:11

im abit clueless on the baby front! erm... do I still need to dettol the bath before DS has one though? Big bath that is.

OP posts:

jasnDISMemBERED · 02/10/2006 14:14

Not unless someone is peeing in it !

Sorry QP, but you've really made me lol.

Original poster

SpookyQuootiepie · 02/10/2006 14:17

oh. I was even running knives under boiling water before cutting DSs carrots up deary me! Now I know!

OP posts:

jasnDISMemBERED · 02/10/2006 14:18

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