Hate feeding on demand

[Porcupette]

Hi, wondering if anyone can offer any advice/tips!

I have a 7 week old baby and while I love breastfeeding, I hate feeding on demand! Did it successfully with my older child until 13 months but finding it really hard this time around, because I don’t have the luxury of just staying on the sofa all day and being led by baby like last time, as my toddler causes carnage 😂 there’s still absolutely no pattern to feeds, and I feel rubbish at reading cues, because he also likes to feed to sleep, so he basically has a ‘snack’ then falls asleep, then want more as soon as he wakes up again. It’s literally every hour during the day, but only 5-10 minutes a time.

I know feeding on a schedule is really not recommended, but I also can’t feed every hour all day long because it’s driving me mad! I know he can do longer because he does 2.5-5 hour stints overnight. I really don’t want to go down the combination or formula feeding route (not least because his sister is allergic to milk and we don’t yet know whether he is too) but I’m struggling here. Any advice?!

Definitely get a sling so he's next to you. My DD was the same so I used to feed her, then pop her in the sling and she'd sleep for a couple of hours.

That might work - we do have a sling but it’s just been so hot I’ve not been using it, worth a try now it’s cooling down a bit though! Thanks x

With one (or maybe both - see my user name for why recollections are a bit rubbish) I used to do a sort of “double feed” each time. So feed them and then when they fell asleep Inwould do a nappy change (which woke them up) and then feed again.

If I just fed until they fell asleep then they would never get enough to last for more than about an hour.

That's a good tip. Breast Compressions might help too

Thanks, that’s with a nappy change in the middle unfortunately! He was really sleepy when we bought him home (was in neonatal for a few days) so we’ve always stripped him before the feeds, changed again after the second feed, tickled his feet, breast compressions, wiping him down with a baby wipe etc, starting to think I just have a lazy baby who likes snacks and catnaps! (And I can’t blame him, because that sounds ideal to me, it’s just a PITA to juggle around the toddler)

I remember this stage! Older child needs attention all the time, you still need to manage the baby. I solved it for us by getting a sling where baby could lie across me, leaving my clothes undone, and just carrying on with my day while he contentedly fed and napped. Might help you too? Good luck!

What kind of sling do you have? I found a ring sling worked best with a snacking newborn, rather than a structured or stretchy one. I could get the baby to lie sideways, latched on, did up the ring sling, and just used one arm as further support while sitting with the toddler etc.

Nothing you've said suggests a problem but I just wonder if he's been checked for Tongue Tie?