Breastfeeding

Wendi - posted on 09/23/2009

Breast-fed babies nurse more than bottle babies. This is how your milk supply builds up. She may also be having a growth spurt, or using you as a pacifier! Nurse about15-20 minutes on each side and then try a pacifier. If she's still hungry, keep nursing. It won't last forever. Eventually you'll both get on a schedule and your milk supply will build up and things will get easier. Just hang in there!

Holly - posted on 09/21/2009

i have not read all the posts, but I say let her eat. My son however did get real, real comfy with eating every 2 hours and literally up until 3 or 4 months he was still doing that; including at night. don't let that scare you, he's just a great eater and you will see that breastfeeding is also very comforting to the babies when they are upset and seemingly can't be comforted. And the feedings do get drastically shorter. She is littler and learning; give her some time and she'll master the task and eventually it only takes a few minutes!

Sylvia - posted on 09/21/2009

Yup -- very, very normal! :) This is why mums often look back on the first few weeks and it all seems like a blur ;)

I'd expect it to settle down a little by about 6 weeks -- but every baby's different, so ...

Tab - posted on 09/21/2009

hi,

I agree w/ everyone else...totally normal! My son was like that, too...and still is from time to time! One of the things I also read about these cluster feedings is that it's the baby's instinct to help your body produce more milk. Don't know how true that is...but the more feeding you do in the beginning, the better milk supply your body will produce. Your body will generally only produce what your baby needs...if your baby drinks more, your body will produce more and vice versa. It will get better! My 10 week old son would take over an hour to feed in the first few weeks...now he's got it down to a science, and we're wrapping up shop in less than 30 minutes. There are still times that he'll cluster feed...or feed for longer, but for the most part, it's down to a 1/2 hour. Whenever he falls asleep while eating, I stroke/gently poke his cheek or ear, and it gets him eating again. I'll also do the diaper change between breasts, to wake him up to finish feeding. This helped me get him to finish his meal instead of feeding him every 15-20 minutes. Hope this helps!!! Good luck!

Nikkolette - posted on 09/21/2009

I'm with the other moms... Normal!!! The extra nursing time helps to increase your milk supply. Babies usually nurse like this for a few days to a few weeks just before and during a growth spurt. My little guy is 9 months old now and we are starting his next spurt. He was nursing about every 4 hours and is now back to every 2 - 3 hours. I remember when he was small that going out for groceries was a big deal 'cause I would nurse before we left home. It takes about 45 minutes to get to town. I'd nurse in the car before going in to get groceries. Then I would nurse before we left the parking lot and then I would have to nurse as soon as we got home before groceries were even put away. Tiresome schedule!!! But it does get better as their bellies get bigger and they get better at extracting the milk.

Jackie - posted on 09/21/2009

This is totally NORMAL! She is upping your supple for her growth spurt that is going to happen in one week. You will notice this around any growth spurt... 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months. Just keep feeding on demand and rest assure it will sort itself out. As for the length of feedings, she and you are still learning how to nurse. In just a short time she won't need to nurse as long. My son could nurse and fill himself up in less then 10 minutes and be off playing again. I promise it does get easier if you keep at it. Most women quit nursing by 3 months and that actually is the time it starts getting super easy to nurse. Good luck and keep up the good work! :)

Vanessa - posted on 09/21/2009

2 week old baby breastfeeding every hour??.....normal...!

follow your baby's cues, trust your baby knows what she needs, you can't go wrong. allowing your newborn baby unrestricted access to your breast is the best way to ensure breastfeeding success! (meaning....do not schedule, do not time, do not count breastfeeds).....just breastfeed her according to her need without over thinking the whole process.

Nicolette - posted on 09/20/2009

First of all, don't let your baby fall alseep while eating! try and wake her up by tickling her cheek, or sliding your finger down her back. Try feeding her for 10-15 minutes on each breast only. and try feeding her in 2-3 hours.

Rebecca - posted on 09/20/2009

All the other moms are right, it unfortunately is normal for her to be eating that long and that frequent. It will change at around 2-3 months and you will be asking yourself why is she now going longer and not eating as long lol! They just get more efficient as they get older, but now at such a young age she is growing so rapidly and breastmilk is digested so fast they need to be on the boob for a longer time and very offten. You will notice as you said it is better in the mornings, that is because you will have more milk then (regardless if she sleeps at night or not) your supply will be its lowest around 3-8pm so you will notice that she may want to eats more or can be fussy at times in the evenings. This will also change as she gets older and your supply regulates. Just hang in there it will get better, usually around the 3 month mark ;)

Liz - posted on 09/20/2009

that is normal for a tiny lil lady. . .i have been nursing for a year. . . I would undress her during feedings or place a small ice pack for small amounts of time on her thigh or foot. some babies are very slow eaters. and are bonding and figuring things out too.. . I fed on demand i feel that it is more natural!

Sammy - posted on 09/20/2009

Congratulations!!

My daughter was the biggest boobie monster at that age!!

Dont worry, she is just trying to get your supply up..so its best not to comp with expressed milk or formula.

Demand feeding is the best for babies, so when she wants food give it to her and for as long as she wants.

My daughter falls asleep aswell, so i change her nappy before swaping to the next boob.

It will get better, keep up the good work!

=)

Molly - posted on 09/20/2009

For breast fed babies, it is very normal. Some babies are slower eaters, so they take their time and some babies are frantic feeders. Remember that new born stomachs are very tiny and they need to feed a lot more. As the babies get older, they will eat more in one sitting and longer between feedings.

Human breast milk digest very quickly( 1 to 1 1/2 hours) So it makes since that babies want to feed so much. Formula ( feed every three hours) has a lot more fat, additives, and fillers so you don't need to feed them as often as breast milk.

Breast milk is the PERFECT FOOD for babies. They only get what they need at the time of the feeding. So let you little one feed as much as she likes. In a couple weeks she will sleep longer, but I can't promise that she will feed faster. She will certainly eater more. You can always try to wake her up if she falls asleep to try to feed her more.

Try to change her diaper after she gets up from a nap and feed her. Feedings can take up to 20 minutes to 1 hour. Also, your breast milk does not get up to full lactation until about 6-8 weeks. Just consider this as a very good bonding time with your baby. Do not bottle feed at this time until 6-8 week. Babies get nipple confusion and they might like the rubber better than the real thing.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Stina - posted on 09/20/2009

It's very common for BF babies to need to be fed every hour at times. They are usually upping your supply when they do this. Just keep it up- drink lots of fluid, eat well and maybe pump some milk if you haven't already so someone can give her a relief bottle- the relief being for you of course. :-)



The feeding every 2-3 hours that they talk about? the timer starts at the beginning of the feeding. So if you start feeding baby at 12:00, and she finishes at 12:40, feeding her 2 hours later would be feeding her at 2:00. Not that this helps... to us it still feels like- "Again?! We were just finishing a feeding an hour ago!" Whatever you do, if you want to be successful at BF, do not supplement with formula during these early weeks- let the baby nurse at will and take care of yourself. Pump after feedings if you feel you need to help increase your supply. But it will come and it will get easier. My baby is 5 mo now and for the past two months, she's been eating every 3 hours or so and sleeping very well at night.

Lorraine - posted on 09/20/2009

I had the same thing happen with my daughter. You have to remember that with breastmilk, babies digest it quicker than with formula. Also, around this time some babies do have growth spurts so any extra calories are definitely needed. Believe me when I say that's it's gonna be the most tiring and the most rewarding thing you will ever do. Just have patience and remember that before you start giving your baby bottles, establish a good nursing routine first. Most of the time they will tell you no bottles or pacifiers for the first month. So try your very best. Hope this helps and be patient.

TT - posted on 09/20/2009

I learned in the hospital that you should feed baby about 15-20 minutes per breast...they tend to fall asleep while nursing as there is some kind of harmone that is like a sleeping pill...i forget the name of it...there are ways to keep baby awake to finish feeding such as skin to skin (take off her/his clothing except pamper)...also rubbing back of shoulders or rubbing babies hands to stimulate them. The reason baby is waking up so frequently could be due to not feeding long enough to get enough milk to last until next feed which should be approx every 2-3 hours and in some cases every 90 minutes (depends on how much milk you produce also). I hope this helps...

Natasha - posted on 09/20/2009

the baby is having a growth spurt usually happens around around this time. i was a first time mom 8 months ago and went through the same thing. its every exhausting when your breastfeeding. hope this helps :) good luck:)



When do Babies Have Growth Spurts?

Although babies do not have an internal calendar to tell them when it is time to have a growth spurt, there are typical ages to watch for them. These growth spurts will have the greatest impact on a nursing mom, but will effect every infant feeding schedule. These ages are approximate and a growth spurt at anytime should be considered normal.



The first growth spurt occurs between 7 and 10 days old. Babies come home from the hospital weighing up to 10% less than their birth weight. When mom’s milk comes in, for those who are nursing, the baby will begin to gain back the lost weight.



Three weeks is the next typical age for a growth spurt, followed by 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months. These ages, once again, are all approximate, and babies may have a growth spurt at other times as well. As long as baby is growing appropriately and is healthy, a growth spurt at any age should not be cause for concern.



Signs of a Growth Spurt

How do you know if your baby is going through a growth spurt? Cluster feeding, where the baby is feeding more often is the first sign. If your infant feeding schedule was a regular 3 hour schedule, and suddenly baby wants to eat more frequently, your baby is most likely going through a growth spurt and needs more food.







Read more: http://infant-toddler-health.suite101.co...

Dana - posted on 09/20/2009

Some babies go through growth spurts (even though you really don't see her growing). But my daughter did that too. I fed on demand and for the first at least a month, she was ATTACHED to me... I couldn't do anything. But now she's 10 months and that is just a memory... :)

Debbie - posted on 09/20/2009

I had the same issue, my DD would nurse every 2.5 hours (from the start of one feed to the start of the next) and she would nurse for 45 min+ at a time. Hang in there, it did get a whole lot better at about 4-5 weeks. She would cluster feed in the evening (she would be on the breast almost non-stop for about 3 hours) and then she woul dsleep for a 6-7 hour stretch.