My child is 3 weeks old and has been breastfeeding the entire time.?

Question

He's good about being on an every 3 hour schedule except for in the evening between about 6 pm and 12 pm. It feels like he wants to nurse almost constantly between these hours! He will take a short break and I will put him down and then he wakes up in a few minutes wanting to nurse more. After about 11 or 12 he will finally go down for about 4 or 5 hours. Is this normal because it's about to drive me crazy. I can't do anything else in the evening except nurse. Should I start pumping and give him a bottle or supplement him with formula? Maybe he is not getting enough. Please help!!

Answer 1

It is normal, like the above poster said, he is filling up for the night. Bottle feeding with breast milk may give you a little break by letting hubby feed him, but I would not recommend formula. Once you start supplementing with formula, your milk production slows down, and makes it harder. I liked the Isis pump, by the way.

For my first, I just toughed it out, and soon it was over and I was missing that time, but for my second, I found it nearly impossible to care for the rest of my family. I still miss the time I could have spent with her, but my hubby relishes his memories of those evening feedings. It can be a hard choice, be prepared, you may be jealous, even as relief floods you! I would also caution you to wait as long as you can to introduce the bottle, some babies won't go back to the breast if the bottle is given too soon. I gave the bottle to my babies at around 6 weeks, and never had a problem though. Good luck, and remember, you have to take care of you, too, so don't feel guilty, do the best you can. If you are really worn out, how can you care for him?

Answer 2

This is NORMAL. Don't supplement.....it will only mess with your supply! This doesn't sound like a case of not getting enough. After all.....he's gaining weight and having plenty of wet and dirty diapers, right?

First off, there are a lot of growth spurts close together early on. When baby is going through a growth spurt, it feels like they do NOTHING but nurse for about 2-3 days each time. Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). Babies don't read calendars, however, so your baby may do things differently.

It sounds like in that evening period, he is "tanking up" for that big long stretch of sleep he is doing in the evening. Honestly, I'd still expect a 3 week old to be nursing every 2 hours around the clock. If he is going every 3 hours except for a period of cluster nursing in the evening and then having a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep at night, that's GREAT for this age!

You could try nursing him more often during the day (every 2 hours instead of every 3 hours) and see if that has any effect on his cluster nursing in the evening.

You can also try doing breast compressions while nursing in the evening and see if that helps him go longer between sessions.

Don't try to do a lot of other stuff in the evening. Do meal prep earlier in the day so all you have to do is put it in to cook or to warm up. Try crockpot recipes or try making double batches and freezing stuff so some nights all you have to do is thaw out food. Have hubby pick up carry out or order a pizza once a week. SIMPLIFY. Your baby's intense needs won't last forever and sometimes it's best to compromise on some other things in order to meet the little one's needs and not overwhelm yourself. Don't try to be "Supermom." Accept help from hubby, family, friends, church, La Leche League, etc. You should really be taking it easy for the first 6 weeks anyway.

Answer 3

I've noticed with my 3 months old that she does the same sort of thing but she starts doing it later at night like around 8 or 9. Although I've figured it out to be that she does it to comfort herself to fall asleep. I tried pumping and giving her it in a bottle around that time, she drinked it all gone and then still wanted to nurse to fall asleep. I guess just try different things to see what works for you. If pumping or using a pacifier would help free you up to do other things, then try those. But I don't suggest using formula, because that would only lessen your own milk supply by replacing it instead of supplementing it.

Answer 4

Cluster nursing plus she's drained!!! My daughter does an same. From 4pm - 8 or 9pm that is hungry each and every 2d quite a lot! Then at evening that is 12am - 3am often times. Heres what I did and also you moms can thumbs down me al you want reason it quite works!!! what's occurring is you suggested she in basic terms sleeps about 3 hours in the course of the day. So at evening even as she's finally asleep she's drained and hungry so she wakes lengthy adequate to devour and then drifts decrease go into reverse throughout the time of a feeding (you are able to tell if she's drowsing because you'll experience fluttering particularly then sucking) Then she wakes later on because she's nonetheless hungry correct? you are able to both pump and feed or suppliment formulation. you received't dry out in case you go that 6-8 hours without nursing, yet you'd be quite engorged. surely by technique of utilising a bottle the bottle is continually giving nutrients and retains your toddler as a lot as devour. even as you nipple, she has to suck to get something out and a sleepy toddler often times has problem. I were givin my daughter a bottle at evening for the ultimate month and that is been going nicely. i'm getting a minimum of 5-6 hours it really is more effective perfect then not something. So opt for it and be conscious if it quite works.

Answer 5

What he's doing is called cluster feeding and it's completely normal! He's essentially topping himself off for the night so he won't need to eat as much during the night. DO NOT SUPPLEMENT with formula!! He's signaling your body to make more milk, and if you give him a bottle your body won't get the message and your supply will go down. In a couple of weeks your body will be better able to regulate your milk supply and he won't need to cluster feed as often, he'll probably only do it when he's going through a growth spurt. Just stick it out and let him nurse whenever he wants, it won't last for very long.

Answer 6

my little one is 12 weeks and is the same way. i pump breast milk out for him because we had trouble getting the hang of breastfeeding being a new mommy and all, any hoo he eats 4 oz every 3 hours during the day but come 6-7 in the evening he starts eating every 2 hours. i think he eats so much in the evening because of the long night ahead.

Answer 7

Yes you could start pumping if you want, and that way the babies father could help out with the feeding and give you a break.
You could also try giving him a few extra feedings during the day so he won't be so hungry at night.
Are you sure that he is really hungry or is he just looking for some comfort. Try waiting him out a little bit. At first it is going to be touch, but if you make him wait maybe an hour (after he starts to cry) or so between feedings during this time he won't really go hungry, he maybe be able to calm himself without a breast, and you will be able to figure out if he really wants food or just come company at that time of day.
Feeding that much is going to wear you out. You have to think about yourself as much as you do the baby. You will be no good to him if you are stressed out.

Answer 8

Sounds normal, my son did the same, you baby is customizing their milk supply now with the sucking a saliva on your breast, it is exhaustibg I know but hang in ther it does get better I am still nursing my 8 month old, i just started formula about a month ago, so now he only nurses at night and in the morning...start pumping, them somebody else can give you a beak... but be prepared ( cause it happed to me) my husband bottle fed my son for me to give me a break, so now he not take a bottle from me only the breast from me but any body else he will accept the bottle...so when i am alone i can't give him the bottle "yet"
all the best...good for you for nursing!!!!

Answer 9

I know how you feel!! My son nursed every hour during the day and nearly every 15 minutes from 5-11pm. It was really hard on me so I started giving him one bottle of formula at night, but I found that he wasn't nurseing out of hunger, but rather for comfort, so I stopped worrying that he wasn't getting enough. Things got a lot easier around 2 months; but that routine sounds perfectly normal to me!

Answer 10

Mine is 2 mo 2 weeks right now, but I commented that EXACT same feeling to my mom when she was 3 weeks. My mom has has 4, and she said she was gearing up to sleep a little longer at night, and the more she nurses the more milk she has.
Babies regulate your milk supply, so sounds like your baby is going to be needing more milk to grow bigger! LOL hope you have new clothes! hehee