Spacing out feedings (ebf)

jenb_99 · September 2014

With the exception of a handful of 3-hr stretches, DD (14.5 wks) still nurses every 90 minutes to 2 hrs during daylight hours, adding up to about 9 feedings per day. During a growth spurt it's more like every hour and 15 minutes. She won't take a bottle so I am very literally tied to my baby for 12 hours a day.

I could sit inside with a boob out all day if I only had one kid, but I'm trying to work around my almost 3-year-old's schedule too, and DD just isn't having it. She sleeps 10-12 hrs at night so I feel like a jerk even asking this, but when do bottle-free EBF babies start spacing out their feedings?

DS was EFF by this time and going 3-4 hours during the day, so this is foreign to me.

usernewname · September 2014

No idea. Just offering some love. DS eats the same frequency. I personally don't mind it during the day but his nights have regressed big time so it's gone from 1 to 2 nighttime feedings back up to 4 to 5.

I'm Le tired.

jenb_99 · September 2014

Hmm. Well, then I guess I need to quit listening to well-meaning friends and family members who tell me this isn't normal.

britab · September 2014

Mine eats about every 3 hours but it is on demand. She will eat a whole 5 ounces in a feeding at daycare, so I think she eats a lot at once. It is all us following her lead though.

jenb_99 · September 2014

britab said:
Mine eats about every 3 hours but it is on demand. She will eat a whole 5 ounces in a feeding at daycare, so I think she eats a lot at once. It is all us following her lead though.

I feed on demand too. And she's demanding it often. Lol

Meg&Austin · September 2014

My Dr is 4 months old and eats every 2 during the day. One 3.5 hour stretch with her afternoon nap. She goes 3 at daycare and they have to wake her sometimes.

britab · September 2014

jenb_99 said:

britab said:
Mine eats about every 3 hours but it is on demand. She will eat a whole 5 ounces in a feeding at daycare, so I think she eats a lot at once. It is all us following her lead though.
I feed on demand too. And she's demanding it often. Lol

Not much you can do! I hope she changes it up soon!

yepyepsms · September 2014

Normal, don't listen to your peeps. My son (now two) ate every two hrs during the day until probably nine months. DD has started spacing out to every three if not more at daycare with no issues but when she's with me wants to nurse a lot. One piece of advice someone gave me when I was a FTM was to remember that nursing isn't just about food...even if they do drink every time it might not be hunger, they could be asking because they want to connect, cuddle, get warmth, see your face, etc. I try to remember that when I am thinking "WTF you just ate"!!

babyaotw · September 2014

Mine eats every two hours as well, all day long when I'm home. I get one 3-4 hour stretch at night, then back to every two.

LunaBug924 · September 2014

Another "same boat" mama here. DD sleeps at least 9 hours overnight, which is awesome, but in order to get in her 8ish feedings a day we're doing every 2 hours at least. Granted it's just her so I'm not in exactly the same situation. Unfortunately, I don't see this demanding schedule changing until we start solids which I'm in no rush for.

Can you wear her so that you still have hands free?

flockofmoosen3 · September 2014

katsmewsings said:

Scotty138 said:

We are in the same boat. DS rarely makes it 2 hours before wanting to eat. He usually sleeps a 6-7 hour stretch at night though, so I can live with the daytime feedings.

This is us exactly. You are sooooooo not alone. And my LO is 20 weeks on Friday!

Me three! Baby girl is 15 weeks now (I think?) and still eats every 1.5 to 2 hours. It's at least as soon as she wakes up from naps and also to help her fall asleep as she nurses to sleep. I call her the hungry hungry hippo.

bazingaa · September 2014

I have to add another "mine is the same", sorry! We are every two hours during the day. It is tough! Good luck!

haylo33 · September 2014

Your baby is probably eating so frequently because she needs to make up for the calories she will be missing while she sleeps for 12 hours. My guy eats every 3 during the day but only has a 6-7 hour stretch. I would much rather have the bigger stretch and get some sleep.

spacepotatoes · September 2014

Babies all manage their intake differently and some are more efficient than others. We go 3 hrs during the day here and usually get one longer stretch after bed time. To compensate, LO will sometimes cluster feed in the morning or have a couple of really long nursing sessions in the evening.

You have a pretty gruelling schedule but I think it's just what's normal for your particular baby.

absentmindedwife · September 2014

usernewname said:

No idea. Just offering some love. DS eats the same frequency. I personally don't mind it during the day but his nights have regressed big time so it's gone from 1 to 2 nighttime feedings back up to 4 to 5. I'm Le tired.

I could have written this. Although, I think I got stupid lucky last night and he actually slept for a 5 hour stretch. Now we will wait and see how tonight goes....

usernewname · September 2014

absentmindedwife said:

usernewname said:

No idea. Just offering some love. DS eats the same frequency. I personally don't mind it during the day but his nights have regressed big time so it's gone from 1 to 2 nighttime feedings back up to 4 to 5.

I'm Le tired.

I could have written this. Although, I think I got stupid lucky last night and he actually slept for a 5 hour stretch. Now we will wait and see how tonight goes....

Last night wasn't so bad. Just took a while to fall asleep asleep and fussy from 7 to 8 this morning. And i got an hour nap this am. Turning a corner i hope.

IBackBevo · September 2014

I agree with pp who said she is making up for going so long at night by eating so much during the day.

frugalwife · September 2014

We were doing every 2 hrs during the day with no schedule whatsoever. To prepare for daycare I wanted to get more of a routine established so I could tell them what to expect in regards to feeding and naps. I gradually pushed back feeding times so that he was waiting 3 hrs in between feedings. He adjusted great and seems to have more of a schedule now. I didn't want him having a bottle every 2 hrs at daycare and being overfed. He's still gaining weight like crazy so I'm assuming he learned to take more with each feeding with allowed him to go longer.

bridetobe9132013 · September 2014

My DD is EFF and has been eating every 2-2.5 hours! She sleeps 8-10 hours straight at night though so I cant complain too much!

spinsoffresonance · September 2014

DD1 was going about 90min between feedings when she started daycare at 6weeks. They stretched out her feeding over a couple months by giving larger bottles. She ended up eating every 3 hours at daycare but would never ever go more than 2-2.5hours when nursing at home. DD2 is also EBF and eats every 1.5-2hours day and night.

QOTR · September 2014

Reading all this is a relief to me. I've always breastfed on demand and sometimes he eats as often as every 45 minutes, especially if he's taken some long naps. This means he can eat 11-14 times in 24 hours. I worried that I had created a bad habit.

jenb_99 · September 2014

She's going every 45-90 minutes today. I'm so tired of breastfeeding.

jenb_99 · September 2014

So...then...none of us knows when to expect feedings to become less frequent?

Marcella05 · September 2014

My son is fed on demand. Usually 1.5-2 hours between, but sometimes goes to 3 hours if he tosses in a long nap with it. Honestly, I'd walk around with him attached to me boob for 12 hours straight if it meant another 12 hours of rest or sleep. In the last few nights, a combination of congestion, regression, and teething has turned my guy into an "awake every hour" little monster. It's painfullllllllll. Might have to go back to co-sleeping just to be human at work.

jenb_99 · September 2014

DD isn't napping during the day. She'll catnap on a short car ride or fall asleep on the boob, but she hasn't taken a daytime nap longer than 20 minutes in 3 weeks.

I would sacrifice sleep at night if it meant I could put her down for an hour or two during the day and get a few things done or spend more time with DS. Or leave the house. Oy.

pistolpackinmomma · September 2014

We even do that at night. Suuuuuuuucks!!

pistolpackinmomma · September 2014

jenb_99 said:
DD isn't napping during the day. She'll catnap on a short car ride or fall asleep on the boob, but she hasn't taken a daytime nap longer than 20 minutes in 3 weeks.

I would sacrifice sleep at night if it meant I could put her down for an hour or two during the day and get a few things done or spend more time with DS. Or leave the house. Oy.

DS1 did they from 3-5 months then he suddenly started napping again. He was so cranky too!

sarag0116 · September 2014

My daughter nursed every 2 hours until she was 9 or 10 months old and I didn't care bc she slept 12 hours uninterrupted at night by 3 months. Also she was my first child so it was ok for me to nurse all day. DS eats every 3 hours and wakes 1-2 times at night to eat as well. Honestly right now I would much rather nurse him every 2 hours and get him to sttn. But he will not nurse unless he's good and ready which for him is every 3 hours. So I guess my point is, kids are different and there's no normal.

momo214 · September 2014

My LO was on a very similar schedule as you describe and instead of immediately giving her the boob when she fussed I realized she wasn't always hungry. Sometimes she was just bored or tired or grumpy or wanted to walk around. As a FTM I always just gave her boob first bc that always made her happy. We eat every 3 hours now (literally on the dot she lets me know). Every baby is different so it's very understandable that yours may just want to eat on that schedule.

alyssajanell5 · September 2014

katsmewsings said:

Scotty138 said:

We are in the same boat. DS rarely makes it 2 hours before wanting to eat. He usually sleeps a 6-7 hour stretch at night though, so I can live with the daytime feedings.

This is us exactly. You are sooooooo not alone. And my LO is 20 weeks on Friday!

Same here!

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