Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

If you baby is around 4 months or older and still feeding every 2 hours 24/7 can you let me know so I don't feel so lonely please, thanks

33 replies

Thomcat · 23/01/2008 21:52

DD1 and DD2 weren't like this. I knew DD3 would be different, i just knew it.

I'm not giving it the whole woe is me thing, but all my friends who have children around the same age are all going through the night already or at least giving them 4 hour gaps.

DD3 is sleeping in with me and 24 hours a day from day 1 she'll feed every 2 hours. I don't really mind, it's no massive biggie and it doesn't last forever, just don't want to feel like the only one still feeding so often.

OP posts:
beautifuldays · 23/01/2008 21:57

my ds is now 3 and my dd is 1 tommorrow, but they both fed every 2 hours until they were around 6-7 months and on solids. it's not unusual at all, they were just hungry babies and liked the cuddles they got when they fed. don't worry about it, sounds like you are doing a grand job

Original poster
Thomcat · 23/01/2008 21:59

Bless your bloody heart. When everyone around you is getting a full nights sleep with a 5 month old or a 3 month old and so on, it's very lonely
I don't mind and I know it's pretty normal, just wanted to hear from others.

OP posts:
bero · 23/01/2008 22:00

aw TC.

I get a bit moe peace from ds2 at night, he'll go maybe 3 or 3 1/2 hours once or occasionally twice, but during the day it's constant short bursts of feeding. ds1 was a bit like this, so I'm not surprised as such, but the not being able to do ANYTHING unless he's safely ensconsed i the sling can be wearing, as much as I adore him.

bero · 23/01/2008 22:01

full night's sleep and 5 month old (or, indeed, 7 month old or 12 month old) do not compute IME

Original poster
Thomcat · 23/01/2008 22:03

Oh yeah, i had to put her in the sling most of today, but that's cos DD2 was being a madhead and she couldn't get any peace any other way.
Need to get int he bath actually and soak but she'll ake the second i get in!

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 23/01/2008 22:03

Oh dear - DD did that - then suddenly at five months she went to every four hours during the day and three hours at night. It does get better.

beautifuldays · 23/01/2008 22:05

i know exactly what you mean thomcat - you get to about 6 months and every one looks at you like this when you say they are not sleeping through!

ah well ho hum, it's only a phase and all that, you sound like you are doing brilliantly if you have 3 kids and broken sleep! problem is, milk is just so yummy they can't resist!

andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 23/01/2008 22:08

my ds2 is the same he just loves his milky cuddles 7 months now and starting to go a bit longer at night due to the mahoosive amounts of filling stodge nutritous homemade food he has

DontCallMeHun · 23/01/2008 22:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Neney1 · 23/01/2008 22:11

Snap (nearly) Feeding my 4.5 month old every 2 and a half hours all day and night! He would feed more than that if i gave hime half the chance! Doesn't help when his weight is up and down the percentiles... damn those baby growth charts!!

Unlike you, our DS is now (as of last week) in his own cot, so cannot just lay there and feed anymore
I'm glad I'm not the only one!!

cinnamontam · 23/01/2008 22:15

Oh love...you must be knackered.

My DD is 8 months tomorrow and for the last few weeks has been feeding every 2-3 hours from 11pm through to 8am. I'm trying to fill her with protein and stodge delicious carbs as well but it doesn't seem to be having a massive effect.

Hope she starts having some nice long sleeps soon so you can as well

Sabire · 23/01/2008 22:22

DS3 was like this. Feeding hourly through the day sometimes, and two hourly at night.

He's still a crud sleeper.

He's 2 and a half now and STILL wakes up at 5am shouting 'I want my booby. NOW!' even though I haven't fed him in the night for six months.

Yesterday he got out his cot at 5.30am and told me he was going to watch cbeebies. He said I had to come downstairs with him, and bring my boobies with me......

aviatrix · 23/01/2008 22:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

verylittlecarrot · 23/01/2008 23:19

yup

babycarrot is 6 months today

every two hours
sounds about right
velcroed to me in sling 24/7
cosleeps and nightfeeds goshonlyknows how often

yup

shall we start a club?

prettylovebird · 23/01/2008 23:30

your lucky my dd wanted feeding 35 times a day at 4 months

andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 24/01/2008 08:18

carrot we could start the our babies are addicted to booby club

Miaou · 24/01/2008 08:44

Oh TC, ds1 was like this (third child too!). Until he was about 6 or 7 months as well. It was exhausting. In the end I had to really work hard to break the feeding at night cycle, otherwise I am sure he would have been doing it even now!! . What can I say, he is like his daddy and loves his food

So yes you have my empathy - and if you want any advice, mine is just run with it for now!

phdlifeneedsanewlife · 24/01/2008 08:52

Ds, now 9m, was like this.

My dsis gave me stick recently: "You're feeding that baby like he was 4m - you don't have to feed that baby every 3-4 hours you know, he can go 5-6hrs or even up to 8 without bfing!"

Didn't tell her that at 4m he was still feeding every 2hrs day and night.

He feeds less now, but still usually twice in the night. My HV gave me a polite "rod-for-your-own-back" speech about it yesterda .

What I want to know is, how do THEY know he's not hungry at 3am, when he clearly thinks he is?

crokky · 24/01/2008 09:01

Thomcat - my DS was still feeding round the clock, sometimes with only a few minutes break at that age. He lived on me! It won't last forever, I was able to put him down for short periods when he was 10 months old.

fishie · 24/01/2008 09:02

oh yes ds was like this until about 6m. i think it is quite common but nobody likes to admit it because then everyone 'advises' you to give up bf.

i think they should put electic collars on hvs set to deliver a squillion volts when they utter the words 'top up' and 'rod for your own back'

phdlifeneedsanewlife · 24/01/2008 09:20

lol fishie

as I said she was very polite about it, didn't mention the dread words but that was the gist.

pendulum · 24/01/2008 12:44

thomcat
just a thought (not presuming to offer advice)

my DD2 is 16 weeks and until last week was sleeping next to me in our room and BF every 2 hours through the night.

Last weekend we moved her into her own room and since then she has gone 4 hours at a time. Think this is because we are not disturbing each others' sleep and also now that I feed her in a chair she feeds properly for 30 mins rather than snacking and falling asleep next to me after 5 minutes when I was taking her into bed and feeding lying down.

tiktok · 24/01/2008 12:49

A confession:

I have been up since 7.30. Since then I have had two cups of tea, a slice of toast, another cup of tea and a biscuit, a drink of water, and I might think about lunch soon.

Oh my God. I have been 'feeding' rather more often than every two hours. I think I have been 'feeding' about every hour and a half.

Is that bad? Should I be 'going' four hours? Will I get into bad habits?

I don't do this at night, of course, but then again, I am a little older than a baby

pendulum · 24/01/2008 12:59

tiktok
I do take your point, but every 2 hours all night leaves me functioning on about 10% of my normal abilities, so anything that improves that situation without detriment to baby must be worth considering?

tiktok · 24/01/2008 13:12

pendulum, I wasn't really commenting on anyone's nightfeeding babies, just pointing out that feeding two-hourly is at least normal in human beings....

Night feeding is also normal in babies, and I agree, it's important to work out ways of making that as easy as possible to cope with. The OP co-sleeps, and she doesn't regard it as a big issue, but wanted to know how normal she was...so I told her