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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

What age was your baby when they could go three hours between feeds?

23 replies

Miaou · 25/04/2007 13:58

I can't remember (and ds is only 20 months )

Db is due at the end of July; I'm thinking of going back to work (9-12, Monday to Friday) from after the October break (mid-end October) - but is this unrealistic? I know I could try leaving ebm in a bottle but I have never managed to express, and don't honestly think I will be able to devote the time to building up a supply. I could go back later, or (insurance allowing) I could get dh to bring the baby in for me to feed at snack time (!!) as I will only be round the corner - but am trying to work out what is the most likely/workable scenario just now.

Any thoughts appreciated!!

OP posts:

ScoobyC · 25/04/2007 14:13

god, I think it will depend on the baby. I can't remember exactly but I know ds took a v long time before going that long between feeds as he ate a lot and was sick a lot.
Good luck making specific plans before the birth, I would be wary of doing that just because babies vary so much.

mears · 25/04/2007 14:15

Expressing is mind over matter in some respects. If the baby can get the milk out, so can you. get the midwives to show you how to hand express once you have given birth. Once you get the knack it is easy peasy.

Piffle · 25/04/2007 14:15

2 wks, although mostly still 2 hrly with some 3 hrly feeds
Ds2 is 5 wks now and he is bang on 3 hrs
He is a very good size though

tiktok · 25/04/2007 14:15

Er, can't remember....but it's only very rarely that I go three hours between putting something (food or drink) in my gob

And I am reasonably slim and not especially greedy (apart from chocolate, natch)

Your baby will be less than three months old, Miaou...it's probably kinder to have a 'plan B' on hand, rather than assume your baby will never want anything between 9 and 12 on five days a week!

mears · 25/04/2007 14:16

Never asnwered the question - feeds vary a lot between babies. Sometime sit is 3 hours, sometimes less. Depends on growth spurt etc.

Original poster

Miaou · 25/04/2007 14:17

Well that's just it scooby!! Depends on whether I get a guzzler or not I guess. I did wonder if this was a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question.

Fortunately work seem to be very understanding (have only just started there) so I'll maybe have a chat to them over the next few weeks to see what they want to do. Because of my location (remote Scotland) it might be difficult to find a temporary replacement anyway.

OP posts:

LucyJones · 25/04/2007 14:18

agree with others. This doesn't happen predictably until much later, around the 6 month mark I would say. You'll either have to express or leave a bottle of formula because you can't just leave nothing - at this age they still confort eta to sleep as well

USAUKMum · 25/04/2007 14:19

For my two DC, almost never when they were just on BM. Even once on solids, they only went 4 hrs at the max.

WigWamBam · 25/04/2007 14:21

I can't remember exactly, but I know that she was feeding every two hours at five months because we were on holiday with some friends who made some fairly pointed comments about it.

Must have been nearer to 7 months before she was regularly going for longer than the two hours during the day.

Original poster

Miaou · 25/04/2007 14:23

oooh x-posts with you all - thanks for the advice (and pmsl tiktok!! )

I did mention at interview the possibility of feeding the baby at snack time (I'm a senior playworker at a nursery (age 2.5 to 4) just round the corner from home - and the idea certainly wasn't dismissed. There is only one other member of staff working with me and she is retiring at the end of this term, so it would be all new staff and a new intake, so I am very keen to keep my hand in, hence not wanting to take too much time off!

But I think a "plan B" is very much the way to go.

Mears - I have tried so many times to express - electric, hand-held etc - I am very small-breasted though and often find it difficult to get a grip, despite no shortage of milk. It would take me 45 minutes to get 2oz out, even after several weeks of expressing. I just don't think I'm going to have the luxury of the time to do this this time around (my fourth).

All comments appreciated - got to go out now but will check back later

OP posts:

mears · 25/04/2007 15:31

Please don't dismiss the thought - I was talikng about hand expressing - not using a pump but your own fingers.

I went back to work and expressed for SCBU and found that I could hand express much faster than ever when I used a pump. Might be better for you if small breasted. At least you can feel where the reservoirs are.

MissGolightly · 25/04/2007 15:46

Miaou, re expressing, it took me ages to get the hang of it and I realised after I got the knack that the problem was that I hadn't been achieving let down. After I mastered the art of getting myself to let down the flow was unstoppable!

Do you think that might be the problem with you? If so I will share my tips, though it may be a bit tmi!

MissGolightly · 25/04/2007 21:19

Sorry, just realised that sounded incredibly rude and negative - keyboard-in-mouth syndrome strikes again. What I should have said was, do you think it's let down that's making expressing difficult?

Good luck whatever you decide! Wish I could bring my DS into work for snack breaks , sounds like the ideal!

Original poster

Miaou · 25/04/2007 22:23

No that's fine, MissG, good advice! I used to achieve letdown, but even so, I'd get a bit of a gush then it would all come to a drip again.

Mears, I could maybe speak to the bfeeding counsellor if I'm in the Belford again (which is my plan) - she's lovely and might be able to help me out with that.

OP posts:

mears · 25/04/2007 23:58

Yep, good idea.

Bethbe · 26/04/2007 00:59

Let-down is controlled by the mind! No-one told me that and had to figure it out by myself ! You have to keen the mind-thing going........

tiktok · 26/04/2007 08:47

Not really true, Bethbe - let down is a reflex. It seems to be stimulated by seeing your baby or hearing a cry and if you are in pain or very, very stressed at that particular moment it can be inhibited....but this is not the same as saying it is in the mind.

If it was controlled by the mind, all we would need to do to create a let down would be to think of having one.

hatrick · 26/04/2007 08:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Bethbe · 26/04/2007 09:06

Oh,- just me then! I seem to be able to create let-down just by 'thinking' about eating a delicious cake, and some other personal 'feel good' situations.

Often I can even keep the flow going just by being pleased that the flow is going. I notice that the minute I worry that it's slowing it does exactly that, but I can usually get back into it by changing my thoughts - Is this not the same for everyone?

Bethbe · 26/04/2007 09:14

Listening to my 5 month old whinge when I'm trying to express just stressed me out and stops my flow!

ProfYaffle · 26/04/2007 09:47

DD1 - was feeding every 2hrs through the day at 7 months.

DD2 - 8 weeks old and has been going 3 - 4 hrs for a couple of weeks now.

vesela · 26/04/2007 10:44

From birth in my DD's case, although sometimes she has one after two hours and during her 3/4 week growth spurt she cluster fed hourly in the evening. She's five weeks at the moment.

fondant4000 · 26/04/2007 11:01

18 months - but that was when I was around!

Went back to work 3.5 days when dd was 7.5 months and left about 9oz of ebm which she (sometimes) drank from a beaker. As soon as I came thru the door she wd bf like mad!

TBH I wd not have felt comfortable leaving her before she was also eating solids (6m+), but we don't all have that choice

I was also worried about expressing - but found it it comes much more easily when you are away from your baby and you actually need to express (did it at work).

Stopped expressing and leaving ebm for her when she was 1 yr old - she wd still bf like mad on return from work and pretty frequently on my days off

We carried on bf until she was over 2, even tho' by then I was at work 5 days a week.

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