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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

how can i get dd to feed more during the day?

11 replies

olivhohoho · 27/12/2006 16:10

my dd is 4 months old and was exclusively bf until a couple of weeks ago when i introduced one bottle of formula at 10pm ish. the problem is that she doesnt take much during the day, no matter how many times i offer her the breast,she doesnt seem very interested. she only ever has about 5 to 10 mins every few hours. she wakes every 3 to 4 hours during the night and will feed for about 20 mins each time, gulping it down.
I am convinced if she had more in the day, she might need less at night. does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get her to feed for longer during the day?

OP posts:
taylormama · 27/12/2006 16:59

have you tried a split feed before bed - feed, bath, feed and bed. Is the 10.00 pm feed a dreamfeed or do you wake baby up? Does she sleep "through" feed time IYKWIM or do you wake her to make sure she feeds frequently during the day

She will most likely need a night feed (or two) for a while longer anyway even if she does feed more in the day.

Hope someone else has more advice.

Original poster
olivhohoho · 27/12/2006 17:47

thanks for your reply taylormama. sometimes she wakes for the late feed,sometimes its more of a dreamfeed. I do a feed before bath, story, more feed and bed as she enjoys her bath much more if she isnt hungry. i dwake her in the day if she sleeps past 4ish or if she hasnt fed for 3 hours or so. she just wont feed for more than 5 mins or so, even if i offer both breasts.

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Original poster
olivhohoho · 27/12/2006 21:41

anyone else have any advice? getting desperate!

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PinkTinsel · 27/12/2006 21:49

olivo, i clicked on this thread in the hope of advice coz i'm having the same problems with ds so no help i'm afraid!

CantSleepWithSanta · 27/12/2006 21:49

Where do you feed her during the day? It doesn't take much for most babies of this age to get very distracted. I would suggest feeding her in her nursery (or wherever you feed her at night) and replicate the night time conditions as closely as possible.

As she's obviously prepared to take a bottle, you could also try offering a bottle of watered down milk (EBM ideally) at her last feed of the night, so that it doesn't fill her up so much, thus making her hungrier during the day.

Should also add that between 4 and 5 months is a big growth spurt time, so it is quite normal for bf babies to wake quite often for feeds at this time.

Original poster
olivhohoho · 28/12/2006 09:32

thanks cantsleep - i usually feed her downstairs - will try taking her up where there are less distractions.

Pink - if i find a way, i'll let you know!

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danidave · 28/12/2006 10:43

Having same prob with 17 week old, will only feed during the day if very tired i.e. coming round from a sleep, will not latch on when awake even through she is obviously hungry. Feeding more frequently at night (thanks for the tip off about the growth spurt at this time)- any advice welcome.

Mumpbump · 28/12/2006 11:12

How much formula is she taking? It took my ds a month to get used to the bottle after being exclusively bf for 4 mo, so to start with, he wouldn't take more than 3 or 4 oz of formula. I gave this to him at 10pm as you are doing and I think it actually meant that he was hungrier so started introducing it for daytime feeds instead.

I don't think waking every 3-4 hours is too bad at that age, but are you feeing her everytime she wakes up? I did with ds (who woke every 2-3 hours!) to avoid disturbing dh who was working and it got to a point where I had to say, I need to get him to go longer between feeds in the night and you are going to have to live with a few nights disturbed sleep. Then, when ds woke up, I'd get him back off to sleep without feeding him. TBH, it was a revelation to me that he could go so long between feeds...

Once he started weaning, he started sleeping better too and we started weaning him when he hit 4mo because I was so knackered...

Original poster
olivhohoho · 28/12/2006 12:23

mump - she takes anything between 4 and 6oz of formula at 10ish. she is used to the bottle as she has had one feed of ebm a night since about 7 weeks.

i do feed her every time she wakes ( every 3 to 4 hrs or so) and she always gulps it down and feeds for ages so i'm sure it is hunger. she is very good at night, rarely cries, just shouts lots when she's hungry!!

will maybe try going back to bf at 10 and see from there. grrr to the myth that formula makes them sleep longer [anger]

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Mumpbump · 28/12/2006 12:25

Can you give her water at night instead so that she goes a bit longer between feeds at night and then feeds more in the day to make up for it? Formula tastes quite different to bm so it might take a while for her to get used to the different taste. I have a friend who bf for 10mo and then could not get her ds to take formula in any shape or form!!

Original poster
olivhohoho · 28/12/2006 12:31

will try that mump, thanks. going to a weaning talk ina couple of weeks too so will see what they think.

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