Breastfeeding schedule

Livvyloo87

Ava is almost 19 weeks and I've never been able to establish a regular breastfeeding schedule.  Our day typically is:

6.30am wake up and feed
7-9am nap
9.30am feed
11-12 nap (sometimes I feed at 11am)
12.30pm feed
1.30-3/3.30pm nap (sometimes I feed just before this nap)
3.30pm feed
She will then have a 30-45min catnap between 3.30-6.30pm.

Then for the rest of the afternoon it's kinda like feeds every hour til final feed between 6.30/7pm when she's down for the night. 

What I want to know is whether this afternoon pattern of frequent feeding is normal? Or whether I'm possibly misreading her signals and she's tired/bored over that time? 

What are your breastfeeding schedules?

barrelocarol

I'm not one who could manage a schedule, but I get it.

I personally feed him on demand, but he does the same thing...snacks a bit more and more frequently at night. 

BM composition changes over the course of the day to accommodate a baby's needs. If you were giving her formula, you would notice that your baby would probably have some similar eating patterns, to some degree. 

It could be anything from being distracted, to metabolizing the day's food, to winding down at night and needing smaller meals. 

momofsweetps

We don't have a real schedule. He nurses on demand but it typically every 2-3 hours during the day.

ForeverEverAfter

In my experience the words breastfeeding and schedule just aren't meant to go together... Putting off a feeding both irritates baby and decreases supply (fullness signals to decrease), and a baby won't eat much if not hungry, so there's not much you can do. I EBF, and feed the baby when she's hungry, wherever we are, and I don't track times unless I think something is wrong. Today she ate twice last night, and around 7, 9, 11:30 and 1:30 so far today. She likes to eat before and after sleeping.

sdheft619

momofsweetps said:

We don't have a real schedule. He nurses on demand but it typically every 2-3 hours during the day.

This is what we do as well. 

mamabear9285

I stopped breastfeeding at 2 and a half months after returning to work. My supply plummetted and I could never satisfy his anymore. But I still feed on demand. His shedule is really similar. From about 7 am to 5pm he eats about 4 to 6 oz every 3 to 4 hours and naps about every 2, 2 and a half for 30 to 90 minutes but after 5 he wants to eat smaller more frequent meals. Like 3 oz every 90 minutes. I think feeding schedules are kinda silly in my opinion. I'm not always hungry at exactly noon after my breakfast at exactly 630 lol. 

mamabear9285

Let me add, i know it's a bf question but I saw somebody state that if she ff she would probably see a similar cycle. I just wanted to point out that my boy is similar to it the cycle she sees in her baby.

Livvyloo87

Thanks for the replies.  I feed on demand too and the above times are approximates but I definitely find she is more predictable in the mornings.  I just read lots of things about schedules and when babies should be eating and she just doesn't fall into any of the suggested timeframes.

Luckily I can stay at home with her and feed as she likes but I imagine it must be difficult if you are pumping and babe is in daycare etc.

MW5280

Schedule, schmedule! 

Ada eats around every two hours once she wakes up in the morning and tends to eat 8-10 times in a 24 hour period. 2 weeks ago, I would've said 8 times no question. But growth spurt/sleep regression have added at least one feeding to our lives, maybe 2, in that 24 hour period. 

she also used to predictable have an eat, play, sleep routine...also out the window since about 2 weeks ago. 

I miss the predictability...