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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

7-week-old breast feeding every two hours...

46 replies

Ellieo · 12/08/2005 17:55

Is this normal? My health visitor told me to stretch it to at least 3 hours between feeds to stop him snacking and make him sleep longer at night. The trouble is by the time it gets to two hours since his last feed he's practically chewing his own arm off and starts howling the place down. What can I do to make him go longer between feeds? (He tends to go for about 3 hours between feeds at night, but I'd like him to go for longer). Also, when he feeds, he only feeds for about 10 minutes then gets extremely agitated and won't latch on again. He's gaining weight steadily, so I'm not too worried about that, but I would like to make him go for longer and eat more at each feed. Any tips?

OP posts:
moondog · 12/08/2005 22:47

Again a lot of us feel/felt like this. The most successful approach by common consensus seems to be to give it 6 weeks to get properly established,then to take it a day at a time.
My friend and I did this. She decided she'd done her bit at 6 weeks and I went on for 30 months. We were both happy with our decision.

The greatest irony is that you have to get to grips with something that can be challenging when you're probably at your weakest,emotionally and physically.

welshmum · 13/08/2005 08:25

Elleo - thanks for starting the thread - all the advice I read on MN is keeping me going. I was feeling guilty for just sticking ds on when i couldn't figure out what was up with him. Now i think he just needs the comfort factor far more than his sister ever did - and that's fine. I still get hung up a bit on how often he feeds (he's 11 weeks) but as I said threads like this help me to carry on.

hermykne · 13/08/2005 08:29

mosschops
i spoke on your other thread
i was exhausted feeding ds and there are quite a few threads about me giving it up, but i wanted to go to 6mths with him, and did and now he just one and still fed by me morn and am.

its crazy hectic horrible in the beginning but as i posted somewhere else my bil and wife came ot stay with us and the 8wk old bottlefeed baby - its was no picture perfect scene for them either, sometimes he feed 8oz then 2oz and it was irratic too.

grass is greeener on the other side
and nobody unless they are your v v v best friend will tell exactly whats going on

or mumsnet!

mumtosomeone · 13/08/2005 08:45

thought two hourly was normal!!!!
Mine all had a 2 hourly phase. B/f isnt always easy. it is tireing. but it is worth it. plus you get to sit down every 2 hours too!!!
Just go with it. I am a big demand feeder...none of this routine rubish!!! go withthe flow be a relaxed go with it mummy and you will have a relaxed go with it baby!!!
Good luck

KiwiKate · 13/08/2005 08:58

My DS also fed hourly. Took up to an hour to feed at times, so sometimes only had a break of an hour inbetween (day and night).

Began to go three hours between at night from 6 weeks. I thought I was in heaven getting an extra hours sleep.

It does get less frequent.

Bottle feeding might not be any less frequent (depending on the baby), and then you have all the timeconsuming hassel of cleaning/sterilising making sure you have formula every time you go out, running out of clean bottles. Bottle feeding is much more work IMO.

KiwiKate · 13/08/2005 08:59

Sorry should have said, he fed 2 hourly!

icklelulu · 13/08/2005 09:41

Moondog I had a breast abscess when DS was three weeks old. Had an open wound which I had to have packed and dressed everyday until he was nearly four months so couldnt get near my boob to feed him Got used to feeding off one boob, still not used to having 2 boobs to use now!!

moondog · 13/08/2005 10:01

Gosh,sounds horrific icklelulu!

kama · 13/08/2005 10:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Ellieo · 13/08/2005 10:20

Thanks guys, all your advice has made me feel much better! I did have a gut feeling it was wrong to try and make him stretch longer between feeds - it was making both him and me miserable. I'll just go with the flow and feed whenever he wants during the day. Blimey, this breastfeeding lark is harder than I expected! Another query - I'm finding I can't express as much in the mornings. I was managing around 3-4oz, but now can only seem to do 1 or 2 - I think it's because I'm really tired and stressed. How can I up my output?

OP posts:
mumtosomeone · 13/08/2005 12:18

I never managed to express much! didnt like it and didnt really need to, so didnt bother! sorry not much help!! Is there a real need just now to express?

maisiemog · 13/08/2005 13:01

Hi Ellio,
Yep, like what everyone says, two hours is pretty standard at this age.
I would have liked ds to make scrambled eggs on toast and bring it to me in bed at 7 weeks, sadly this was a dream as is your ds going more than 3 hours at night.
I know you are probably going crazy at the moment thinking 'when will this end?' 'How can I get a bit of control of this situation?' It's all pretty normal. All I can say is think of it as a short-term thing, like being in prison. Everyone gets out eventually. Seriously, it will get better, and you will/can be so proud of yourself for what you have achieved looking back.
Big hug and pat on back for you.

Original poster
Ellieo · 14/08/2005 12:51

Last night he fed nearly every hour . Am hoping that was just a blip. Re expressing - I like to express a bottle a day so dh can do a feed in the evening, giving me time to eat my tea! It's just really to give me a break, and as a back-up.

OP posts:
maisiemog · 14/08/2005 13:02

Aaaah Ellio big hug to you.
I don't know what I'm talking about mine is 9 months and teething, so he has gone back to waking every two hours. I'm writing this in my sleep.
Do you think you could sell him on Ebay?
Expressing milk is a chore too IMO, but it is nice to have a break.

mumtosomeone · 14/08/2005 21:20

get a wet nurse!!!

SpikeMomma · 16/08/2005 13:06

Ellio - i have the same question (if not baby!) as you. My 7 wk old feeds 2 hourly - which i'm fine with (especially thanks to this thread).

Question is re. expressing. I've tried in am (which is meant to be better time) and in eve and still only get under 2oz. How can i build this up? Want to express so dh can do a feed on a night. Anyone have the answer for Ellio and me?

hercules · 16/08/2005 13:30

here

ThisAlertTealHedgehog · 01/08/2025 06:27

There is sadly nothing you can do. Health visitor was talking rubbish, babies lead their own feeding patterns. My ds sounds similar I've just been up every 2 hours all night with him and he's 75th centile at 7 weeks so it's not like I've starved him. Sometimes he breastfeed often and for what didn't seem long enough to me but it's up to our babies really. In time I'm sure it will naturally space and get better/easier!

ThisAlertTealHedgehog · 01/08/2025 06:30

I feel you with those feed frequencies and length of time. When my son was born the first 2 weeks I felt I only got an hours sleep here and there. So tough!

FirstTimeMum567 · 03/08/2025 00:39

FairyMum · 12/08/2005 20:07

All mine fed every 2 hours to 6 months.....

Yep mine too

DrJump · 04/08/2025 04:54

Hoping baby he settled into a routine now he is 1048 weeks old :)

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