Anyone else trying to break this cycle? My pedi suggested trying to hold her off 15 minutes more each feeding, but it just doesnt work. I have tried waking her up during the day to feed and she just doesnt want it. She only sleeps for long stretches on someones chest, then and only then can i stretch her feeding to 3-4 hours.
She eats about 2-3 ounces every 2 hours instead of 4 every 3-4 hours.
Suggestions?
Re: 1 month old...still eating every 2 hours! :(
Do you mean she eats every 2 hours all day and all night? I wouldn't worry about trying to stretch it during the day at that age...my little guy still eats every 2-3 hours during the day. We got longer stretches at night by keeping the lights dim, no noise or music or TV, and just trying to rock him or hold him instead of immediately feeding him when he woke up. He sleeps about 7 hours straight now, so I guess it worked!
ETA: After reading the other replies, I feel like I should clarify that we only tried to stretch things with LO at night if he wasn't too distressed when he awakened and we could easily calm him down by rocking or holding him. If he woke up wailing or obviously hungry, of course we would feed him.
Ditto this exactly. I don't get much done, but I feed DD on demand.
DS - 7.2006 - C-Section b/c Breech
DS2 - 4.2008 - Successful Vbac
DD - 5.2012 - Successful Vbac
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I disagree with PP's. Children don't "usually" eat every 2 hours until 6 months old. That is cray cray. I BF my DD every 3 hours during the day (earlier if she asks for it, but she usually doesn't) and strictly on demand at night. She usually wakes 1-3 times at night. She is a healthy 12lb 3oz.
I do agree with PP though, I wouldn't focus on spreading out day time feedings until your LO spaces out and/or eliminates night time feedings. I'm sure it seems like you'll never get anything done with LO eating every 2 hours, but just remember that this won't last forever! GL!
Then came a miscarriage March '11
Then came a baby in the baby carriage May 16, 12
Waiting on our second little peanut!
Just curious--why doesn't stretching feedings out 15 minutes work? If she's screaming, is there not some sort of distraction you could provide? 15 mins goes by quickly around my house--maybe a diaper or outfit change?
Then came a miscarriage March '11
Then came a baby in the baby carriage May 16, 12
Waiting on our second little peanut!
I would feed on demand during the day and pump after a few feedings. Then I would supplement a nursing w a bottle of BM after the evening feedings to see if that helps stretch her night sleep out.
If you already know how many oz she takes, I assume you are pumping or doing formula so I would just try to encourage an extra oz at the later feedings and see if that helps stretch those evening feedings out.
This. Every baby and every mom is different. Some babies can never go more than two hours during the day. My son was one of those babies. He nursed every two hours for a LONG time. I want to say over a year old. We weaned at 2 years old and I swear he would still be nursing every 2 hours if I allowed it to go on. haha
My DD nurses a little less, but usually every 2 hours. During growth spurts she nurses every 30 mins at times. It's what she needs.
I ditto the comments about not trying to stretch them out during the day and just trying that at night. My LO will calm down when I put her on the changing station for a diaper change even if she is hungry she'll lay there for maybe 10-15 minutes if I wanted her to. Maybe your LO has something similar you could try at night to try to get nighttime feedings up to at least 3-4 hours.
I don't think a LO eating every 2 hours during the night and day is necessarily normal or I guess common past a few months...