breastfeeding question

eschario · July 2013

My son is 4 wks old. He's still eating every hour and a half to two hours throughout the day and night. I doubt it's a growth spurt because he's been this way all along, not just now. Does anyone have any tips for me to get him to go closer to 3 hours between feedings?

summer2times · July 2013

How long is he on each boob? Sure he's getting enough?

eschario · July 2013

He goes about 10 minutes on each side. Sometimes a bit more or a bit less. I let him eat until he stops and try to encourage him to eat more so he's full.

Mufflerlove · July 2013

Throughout the day my 4 week old eats between every 1.5 and 2.5 hours.

Wish82 · July 2013

Mufflerlove:
Throughout the day my 4 week old eats between every 1.5 and 2.5 hours.

Mine, too. And in the afternoons, it's almost like an all you can eat endless buffet.

bride05Jules · July 2013

You could try feeding on one boob to make sure he is getting the hind milk. If he is not getting hind milk he isn't getting the fatty part that keeps them full. Especially at night I use one boob and pump the other.

TriciaandSean · July 2013

Try only feeding on one side and have him feed longer. The longer you feed on one side the more hind milk they will get and should keep them full longer. It's possible your baby is snacking as well. When feeding on one side if they want to eat again soon after you feed them stay on the same side for up to an hour before you switch to the other side. For example if they eat at 1:00 and eat until 1:15 if they are hungry again at 2:15 stay on the same side, but if they are hungry again at 2:30 go to the other side.

You can always try pumping immediately after a feeding to see if you get anything and bottle feed it to your baby, even if it's just half an ounce. This will help your body make more milk and may fill their tummy up a little more.

skio · July 2013

Agree with trying one side for longer.

Also, pacifier. And soothing methods when he gets fussy other than nursing; fussiness doesn't always mean hunger. It could mean he needs to burp, poop, has a belly ache, or needs help falling asleep.

MdWestMom · July 2013

bride05Jules:
You could try feeding on one boob to make sure he is getting the hind milk. If he is not getting hind milk he isn't getting the fatty part that keeps them full. Especially at night I use one boob and pump the other.

This. I have a 1 week old, so he cluster feeds often, but this method is what my lactation consultant recommended too.

Treeloft09 · July 2013

Wish82:
Mufflerlove:
Throughout the day my 4 week old eats between every 1.5 and 2.5 hours.

Mine, too. And in the afternoons, it's almost like an all you can eat endless buffet.

Mine too

Treeloft09 · July 2013

Wish82:
Mufflerlove:
Throughout the day my 4 week old eats between every 1.5 and 2.5 hours.

Mine, too. And in the afternoons, it's almost like an all you can eat endless buffet.

Mine too

natalie115 · July 2013

My 4 week old eats every 1.5-2.5 hrs around the clock and I only feed off one side & have an over supply (so I know he's getting plenty of hind milk). I agree w/ trying the one side thing, but if he's still eating that frequently I wouldn't worry.

deejohn2012 · July 2013

skio:
Agree with trying one side for longer.

Also, pacifier. And soothing methods when he gets fussy other than nursing; fussiness doesn't always mean hunger. It could mean he needs to burp, poop, has a belly ache, or needs help falling asleep.

My LC and the hospital nurses told me to make sure LO eats at least 20 minutes on one side to ensure that she gets the hind milk. We only do one side per feeding right now. She goes anywhere from one to three hours between feeds.

ETA: They also told me to make sure that LO is actually swallowing milk and not just comfort sucking. Some babies need to suck a lot, so pacifiers help.

mjune3881 · July 2013

How much is he sleeping? Is he awake between those times or does he get a nap in? With my first, she would not nap and we had this same problem. As soon as I got her to get into a napping rhythm it helped!

eschario · July 2013

Thanks so much to everyone! I didn't know to try to stay on one side longer. I will definitely try that. It also makes me feel better that others are in the same stage that we are!

MeghaJake · July 2013

My 4 week old also eats like that and I only do one side. I read that you should allow your baby to eat every 1 to 2 hours during the day so the baby sleeps longer at night because he won't need as much food at night.

tantdylf · July 2013

AmyG:
1.52 ish hours is pretty normal at only 4 weeks old.nbsp; you can use breast compressions and massage to speed the flow of milk and keep baby on side 1 primarily as the main meal.nbsp; burp very very welll and then offer side 2 as only dessert.other than that, after 6 weeks growth spurt you may begin to see longer times between feeds, but eating 810 times a day is normal for quite a while.It will get easier, but it's gonna take a little while.

WSS

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