6 week old ds still bfing very frequently - please tell me he will settle soon

[bumbleweed]

I am breast feeding on demand, and my 6week old ds is still feeding very frequently - sometimes several times in an hour, only going more than an hour when he is fast fast asleep.

I wouldnt mind but I have a 2 year old who is fed up with seeing him on the boob and wants me to hold her a little bit more.

He is quite an unsettled fussy baby with a reflux and a colicy tummy, and so I think he's feeding for comfort as much as anything.

I have a sling but cant get away with feeding with him in it.

Please just reassure me it will get easier and he will settle as he gets older - I need to hear positive stories, as I'm having days when I am feeling quite drained and down and dealing with quite difficult toddler behaviour to boot.

Oh Bumbleweed it's knackering isn't it but you know it will get better!

In the meantime are you winding him really well after a feed? I used to have to lie DD1 on my knee with my knee pressing on her tummy to get her winded and settled. I was very lucky with DD2 as she fed every 3 hours from very small and never needed winding - you have my full sympathies on the difficult toddler issue though....

winding as best I can laundrylover, its not easy as sometimes he gets dumped down quickly to run to a toddler-issue

the over the knee thing seems to make him sick, some success with burping on my shoulder though

I hope it will get better - dd fed frequently but at least she went 2 full hours between feeds, you could set your clock by her

They are all so different though eh? I saw from another thread taht you had a tough time first time round but you are obviously a determined bfer so I know you can get through this.

Can someone take the baby out for walk (if it ever stops raining) for a couple of hours and then you can ahave some quality time with your toddler?

Have you tried a dummy?

Used one with both mine as they were both really 'sucky' babies (esp dd2, who used to get bad wind as well). Giving the dummy satisfied their need to suck, which meant they didn't need to feed so frequently (several times an hour sounsd quite a lot to me)

It didn't interfere with bf at all with either of them

Try putting him in the sling after a feed, upright in the 'tummy to mummy' position if you have a wrap sling. This puts gentle pressure on their full tummy and helps them burp. Alternatively try sitting him on your knee and rotating him around in a circle from the waist if that makes sense - even just lean him back then forward a couple of times. These can help wind lots.

thanks for all the suggestions

to be honest I am muddling on just feeling wiped out with it and wishing it would get easier really soon - reading to dd or watching a vid together when feeding, using sling to get him to sleep for a few hours solid

tried a dummy and he was having none of it - but might try it again, especially after a few really sucky days this week

thanks for the winding tips - had forgotton that circling one

It does get easier, honest!

I had to persevere with the dummy with DD1. She used to spit it out repeatedly at first (had to hold it in her mouth until she started sucking it, until she got the hang of what it was for)

It's hard with a toddler isn't it? Take advantage of the crap weather by letting dd watch cbeebies/dvds without guilt

You have my sympathies and I can understand completely - DS is 8 wks (and a v windy/colicy baby) and DD is 2 and a half. Toddlers are smart aren't they - mine has worked out that I am definitely a captive audience when bf and so picks then to play up. All I can say is that we are watching a lot of cbeebies which I do frequently feel guilty about but then just think that I need to cut myself some slack somewhere. I have also put a stairgate up in the doorway to ensure that DD is penned in to whichever room I'm in to minimise the mayhem.

DS is not a good feeder - takes a lot of air in, fusses etc - and so whilst he goes a couple of hours between feeds, each one takes a v long time and is hard work.

I don't have anything else useful to say but thought you might feel better to hear a similar story!

Don't feel guilty about C-Beebies!

DD1 got to know the whole of C-Beebies scheduling after DD2 was born!

(Mummy, it's Brum next!) She was only 2.8

And she used to deliberately wee on the floor as soon as I'd settled down to feed dd2.

Stairgate idea a good one, I think

notnowbernard - LOL about the weeing on floor, kids really know how to get your attention don't they!!

I know what you mean about the scheduling thing. DD now asks 'what be on next mummy' as each programme finishes. Have even started Sky+-ing some of her more popular choices to ensure we always have something that I know will hold her attnetion.

It will get easier. My DS wanted to feed all tghe time. I think there is a growth spurt around 6 weeks also. Those growth spurt days when you just have to give up the whole day to feeding take it out of you dont they? It got better with me when someone told me to try and achieve full feeds - each feed, including winding and maybe a nappy change in the middle should be taking at least 45 mins at that age I think.... good luck - keep at it, you are doing ace and it is so worth it,

Bumbleweed - I'm in the same position as you. 6 week old who likes to feed all the time. Has short naps during the day and is usually up every 2 hours all night. None of the other babies we know do this! I am trying to be chilled about it, but do find it hard hearing everyone's stories of them sleeping for hours during the day and then nearly through the night. My LO definitely has reflux, so thats not helping. Its so hard isn't it.

I know they go through a growth spurt at 6 weeks...mine seemed to go through it like yours..for the first 6 weeks straight! It will end soon! You are not alone!