Community› The Bump Message Boards› Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
New Discussion

DS eats non-stop when I leave him - I can't keep up!!

sarahgcapecodsarahgcapecod
in Breastfeeding
I'm starting back to work slowly and for about a month I've been working one day a week for 6 hours. ?I feed DS right before I leave so he should need to eat twice while I am gone...10 oz max. ?He is generally a fussy baby and for some reason, when I leave him, it gets MUCH worse and he eats almost non-stop. ?He has never taken a pacifier and in general seems hungry to my parents, sister, and DH (all watch him at different days). ?It's to the point where I pump every day in order to work one day a week. I only get about 2-3 oz total when I pump. ?With an active 2 year old and a baby who doesn't sleep much..I don't have any more time to pump while I am with them. ?I really don't know what to do because I want/need to increase my hours, but I don't have the time to pump anymore. ?Has this ever happened to anyone else? ?Should I start introducing formula so maybe they could mix 1/2 and 1/2 while I am gone?
Report Reply to Post

Re: DS eats non-stop when I leave him - I can't keep up!!

  • gilmoremamagilmoremama member

    It sounds like he's being overfed!  Do they have other methods of coping with him?  It sounds like he is anxious and trying to cope by sucking.  Does anything else help him to calm down, like a swing or bouncy chair?

    Has he had formula.  If he hasn't, I would just have them give him a bottle of formula.  Some BF babies are not too fond of formula so it might keep him more occupied. 

    I give up trying to add my kids' photos. Just know that they are adorable.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • FriendlyFannyFriendlyFanny
    I also wonder if they are offering other ways of comfort or entertainment. DH and I work opposite schedules and when I came home the first day and he told me she took 5 x 4oz bottles (in the 8 hours and 20 minutes I was gone) my jaw dropped.
    Report Reply
  • sarahgcapecodsarahgcapecod

    I think they are doing everything they can....but I know that when he's upset he tends to eat more with me also. I'm not really about to tell them how to do it better since they are babysitting my 2 kids for free and I know he's a handful. I'm just not sure I'm going to be able to keep up with it.

    Also, when he's like that (in one of his moods)...NOTHING pacifies him. ?not the swing, he never took/takes a pacifier, etc. ?My DH says that some days the only thing he can do is keep a bottle nearby to keep him from screaming for hours on end :-(. ?It's very sad really. ??

    Report Reply
  • TikatTikat
    As DD was on the verge of overeating I decided to dip her Paci in Breastmilk before inserting it...it took a couple more dips and the binky stuck...have you tried that?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • rachl500rachl500
    I have no solutions, just empathy. I have the same problem - dd eats between 18-24 oz in the 10 hours she is at daycare and she usually sleeps for about 3 hours. That is about 3 oz per hour that she is awake! 
    Report Reply
  • TayLynnTayLynn member
    I think he's being over fed too.  It's actually common for babies to be over fed when other people watch them.  I wouldn't supplement.  Maybe call an LC or LLL.  GL
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • PinkStargazerLilyPinkStargazerLily

    My EBF baby was fussy in the early months and didn't take a pacifier either. If your DS wants to suck for comfort, try having his sitter offer him a clean finger to suck on before offering a bottle. My DH tried this and it generally worked as long as the baby was not actually hungry.... If the baby is truly hungry, he will reject the finger and they can offer him a bottle. 

    Also, try putting small servings in the bottles (i.e,  an ounce or two at most) this deters the sitter from overfeeding and prevents waste if the baby really isn't hungry.  Check out the kellymom link below about bottle feeding a breastfed baby.  Maybe you can give a copy to your relatives and gently suggest that they try this approach.  https://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

    Good luck. 

    pregnancy
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"