Breastfeeding and space between - when does it get longer?

Question

Hi
My 8 week old still feeds REALLY often during the day like every 2 hours and this then makes it hard for me to put her to sleep. (because i seem to be trying to put her to sleep so often as a result of feeding her so often), she seems to be a really light sleeper and if i move her to car seat, pram etc she wakes up, henceforth i try not to go out. when do they start to have say 3-4 hours between feeds or does this just not happen with a breastfed baby? i have an 18 month old toddler as well so i can't even sleep when the baby sleeps to try and catch up!! i stopped breast feeding him at 4 months (and cried and cried as a result - felt like a failure yaddi yaddah but that's another story). I would like to try and keep feeding my girl for as long as possible but perhaps i'm just not physically made for it . I'm very lean and no matter what i eat can't gain weight, perhaps this affects my ability to feed???

Answer 1

I know for me the first couple of weeks my dd was eating every 2 to 3 hours. The pediatrician told me to only feed her every 4 hours. It's hard when the baby is screaming because he or she is hungry. By week 3 she adjusted to a night schedule and was eating every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Now she's 15 weeks and eats every 4 hours or so... Some people aren't cut out for the struggles that come along with it. Sometimes I wanted to quit because I felt like I couldn't go anywhere. My baby seems to be just like yours. She sleeps when I hold her, but the second I put her down she would wake up. But putting her in the car seat. The only way to fix the crying in the car seat is to go out. My dd hated that thing and it would make me feel bad to hear her screaming and crying about it, but I'm glad she has stopped it. I think she finally realized that was something she wasn't going to win with me no matter what. As far as I know and I'm 15 1/2 weeks into nursing they can go 4 hours. Sometimes longer. I know most of them don't sleep throught the night. Mine will sleep anywhere between 4 to 6 hours and wake up to eat then go right back to sleep. I have met many nursing moms. They say the night they give there baby formula that baby slept all night. Sounds so good. But atleast you tried. Don't beat yourself up over something. You need to get your rest to. So you can function properly and remain patient for both of the kids. Good luck to you.

By the way sometimes when I want quit I don't. Because my best freind nursed until her twins were 10 months and I want to beat it lol! That's my inspiration. I applaud you for trying. Maybe you can go to your local hospital and talk to a breastfeeding consultant. They are great.

Answer 2

As the baby gets older you could try spacing the feedings out more. However, it seems to me at 2 months you might could go 3-4 hours as long as the doc says it is ok to do so and the baby is gaining weight ok. Breastfeeding is very difficult (was for me anyway) with my first child, but I am going to try again when this one is born in March. Maybe I will get the hang of it better this time. It is wonderful though that you are staying with it!

Answer 3

your weight has nothing to do with your babies appitite how long does your baby nurse on each side? if he spends 5 on each side try to see if he will go an extra 2 mins on each side. i think my kids now 2 and 7 nursed every 2 hrs untill they nursed 10 mins on each side. but they didnt nurse no more than 15 on each side breast milk is easier digested than formula so the baby will eat more often than a formula fed baby. you could try feeding the baby while you are laying down on your side nurse one side then the other laying in your bed in the middle so when he falls asleep just roll a towle or blanket on the sides of him where he cant get the blanket over his face but cant roll over. then you should be able to sneak out of bed. that is what i did with mine. that way you wont have to move the baby once he is a sleep.

Answer 4

It is surprising to hear this from a mom of two kids!

Pls.make up ur mind that this is going to continue for a few more months. Once, u make up ur mind the anxiety level will drop and u will feel more confident to face the expectation of ur child.

New born babies grow very fast and they need lot of food in the form of milk and it gets digested very soon.

So, alert you with cries so that you can arrange for the next dose. As the child grows older and older, the breast milk alone may not be sufficient, hence, you need to look for milk powder meant for babies. Better consult the doctor for the right choice.

The last, I heard, when the mother feels that she should feed breast milk to the child, the breast secretes the milk just like that!

Answer 5

i breastfed for 3 months. It takes so much out of you. You have to eat healthy to keep going every 2 hours. My baby ate at least every 1-2 hours until I weaned her. I felt like a cow. I commend you for trying to stick it out. It is hard to go anywhere because breastfeeding is so private. I love the bottle.

Answer 6

eating/drinking healthy is key. she will be ready for 3-4 hr soon, if not already! when she cries now, it may not be from hunger, she may want attention/stimulation & is used to the comfort of your feeding. since your body is used to her 2 hr sched,bottle your milk. try to wean her off her sched little at a time, 2h30/3h/4h (try other means of soothing her). then feed her by your breast or bottle,using cpl bottles a day for her will get you & her on an easier sched, allowing sleep time for you & 3-4 hr for her

Answer 7

how about trying to feed your baby a few hours before you put her to sleep . then decrese the number of times you breast feed her a week like one week breastfeed her 5 times a day for that week then deacrese it each week so she would get used to the bottle