breastfeeding advice!!

Rikki Lee - posted on 10/19/2009

Did she just start doing the every 2 hour thing cuz if so she may be going thru a growth spurt! My son is 4 months old & does that when he's growing. If not you may want to either try mixing breast milk with some rice cereal & then nursing her. It worked for my daughter when she was that age. Sometimes my son is not really hungry but it is a comfort thing for him so he thinks that he has to latch on in order to calm down. I hope you get some rest soon. I totally know what you're going through!!

Ashrose - posted on 10/19/2009

mothers that breastfeedings like me must be always happy so that ur milk will not lost, i have 5 monts old baby boy and i am so lucky that i have enough milk so that we dont need to buy.

Natalie - posted on 10/19/2009

My daughter actually started going longer between feedings when I went back to work at 9 weeks. The first day I left my husband 5 bottles of pumped breast milk and she only took 3. It was because she got a bigger bottle than what I produce when I nurse. Now she eats every 3-4 hours during the day. Your body gets used to going longer between feedings and stores the milk for a big feeding. My daughter is waking once at night to eat, waiting and praying for her to sleep through the night. I haven't started solids yet.

Bonnie - posted on 10/18/2009

My baby girl eats about every 3 hours but i remember my boy ate every 2 hours. I think it's pretty normal. Unfortunately BF is very time consuming. If your baby is showing the signs i would start feeding her solids. I started my boy at 4months on solids because he was ready, my girl however is not, so I'll wait. I time my baby's feedings and try not to let her get distracted so she gets nice and full. About 10 minutes on each side. Also i noticed if i feed her sooner then three hours she doesn't eat enough and it leads to more feedings so make sure your baby is good and hungry at feedings. Best of luck

Rebecca - posted on 10/18/2009

when my daughter, who is 5 months, wakes up i breastfeed her until she doesn't want to eat anymore. then at 1p i feed her 4 tablespoons of reice cereal and breastmilk (made to the consistency of mashed potatoes) then if she's hungry in the evening i usually bottlefeed her 5 ounces of breastmilk. then before we put her to bed she gets 6 ounces of milk and enough cereal to coat the bottle. i also mix in some karo light corn syrup to help her from getting constipated. this advice was given to me by my mother-in-law and it has been working wonderfully. i am also adding in yellow vegetables. i just mix them in with the afternoon rice cereal and she eats it right up! if you need a breastpump, look at the medela products. they have worked really well for me. good luck.

Amanda - posted on 10/17/2009

My daughter is BF and still eats every 2 hours. I think it is pretty normal. I can get her to stretch out the time a little longer by giving her a serving of rice cereal mixed with BF in between feedings and if she is really distracted by things going on around her she seems to forget her schedule and wont ask to feed for quite awhile. I think the key with distraction is to distract them before they think they are hungry. I find that when she does wait to eat she eats more and then tends to go longer inbetween feedings. Most of it is that she just expects to be fed at that time because that is what we do. That and breast milk is more easily digested than formula so they will feel hungry sooner that formula fed babies. I would try and slowly make her wait an extra 10 minutes or so before you feed her each day and hopefully she will work into a new schedule.

Jessica - posted on 10/15/2009

I personally take pride in making my own baby food (except for cereals), but for moms who don't have the time for it store bought baby food is perfectly OK too.. As long as you continue to give them breastmilk ( or formula) your baby is still getting all the nutrition they need. I can tell you my son has not suffered one bit from starting solids early or being fed store bought rice/barely/oatmeal cereal. He's a tall lean boy who's above average on the growth charts for his age.

Megan - posted on 10/15/2009

try giving your baby some pear juice. i was told by the doctor not to give my daughter juice yet but when i talked to him again he said i could give her pear juice but put some water in the bottle with it. or just try the juice plain it works for me and im breastfeeding and she does eat every 2 hours or so.. but she hasnt been ever since she has been on juice or the baby cereal i put my breast milk in it and she likes it alot and hasnt eaten every 2 hours

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 10/15/2009

Quoting Jessica:

Maybe she is ready to start eating solids? You could start giving her some cereal now. Whoever says cereal doesn't have any nutritional value is wrong.. Eventually babies will eat more solids than breastmilk so are you telling me those children are malnourished? It's just for the first 6 months they only need breastmilk, that doesn't mean that they are forbidden from solids. I've been feeding my baby solids for 2 months now(he was 5 months on the 9th), we started with some cereal once a day after nursing because at first i could tell he was ready but at three and a half months it wasn't something he really needed, we just did it for fun and for him to get used to it. At 4 months i started introducing other things. He still only has one solid food meal a day at supper time with the family but he's been introduced to lots of different fruits, veggies and he has chicken. At his 4 month checkup his pediatrician said we'll talk more about solids at his 6 month apt. but giving him a little now is fine. He nurses about 6 times throughout the day otherwise, if he's going through a growth spurt he'll want to nurse more.

Children will eat more solids when they are ready.  Pediatricians are urging parents to wait until you see the signs of readiness to start solids:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

Rice cereal that is not homemade does not have much nutritional value:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

If you want to do cereals, it's better to make them yourself. 

Jessica - posted on 10/15/2009

Maybe she is ready to start eating solids? You could start giving her some cereal now. Whoever says cereal doesn't have any nutritional value is wrong.. Eventually babies will eat more solids than breastmilk so are you telling me those children are malnourished? It's just for the first 6 months they only need breastmilk, that doesn't mean that they are forbidden from solids. I've been feeding my baby solids for 2 months now(he was 5 months on the 9th), we started with some cereal once a day after nursing because at first i could tell he was ready but at three and a half months it wasn't something he really needed, we just did it for fun and for him to get used to it. At 4 months i started introducing other things. He still only has one solid food meal a day at supper time with the family but he's been introduced to lots of different fruits, veggies and he has chicken. At his 4 month checkup his pediatrician said we'll talk more about solids at his 6 month apt. but giving him a little now is fine. He nurses about 6 times throughout the day otherwise, if he's going through a growth spurt he'll want to nurse more.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 10/14/2009

Remember that cereal has pretty much no nutritional value so you don't want it to replace a feeding this young. I would talk to your child's doctor. I breastfeed my daughter when she's hungry. She's also 5 months. Did her feedings just pick up recently? It may be a growth spurt.

Khulood - posted on 10/14/2009

now she got big enough to give her rice.. i started giving my daughter rice from melopa and that replaced one breast feed

Wendy - posted on 10/14/2009

I have a five month old who was very hungry too. I decided to put her on solids at 4 months and that has helped a lot. I still breastfeed her before every meal and once over night, but it has cut down the number of breastfeeds I give her.

Natasha - posted on 10/13/2009

I have the same problem she crys when i put bottle near her mouth lol. i have started giving one spoonful of food today will slowly give more as the days go on , it makes me feel better tat i am not the only one that has a baby this age that feeds alot

Jennifer - posted on 10/13/2009

my daughter is 5 months old. she feeds every 1 1/2 hr. i have been trying new foods. but she doesn't like them.she wont even take a bottle for me. i have 3 kids, so it get hard at times. i wish i know of something to help you.good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 10/13/2009

My daughter fed every 2 hours. When she was 4 months I started giving my daughter brown rice cereal. Now she b/feeds every 3-4 hours....