Constantly hungry in evenings?

[kateqpr]

I've been having real trouble getting Poppy to settle in the evenings. We've started a bed routine this week - kick time, massage, quiet feed in dark room then bed...and it always ends with her crying for an hour, then sleep!

I think the main problem seems to be that she's hungry in the evenings. I feed her for ages, put her down, then she cries. So we leave her for a bit, reassuring her etc, as i assume she's just either wanting attention or having difficulty settleing herself (after having checked her nappy, wind etc)

But if i feed her, she guzzles again! Tonight i fed her for an hour and a half before bed. She was defiinitely sucking and swallowing, plus milk was def in by boob. Any advice on how i can fill her up in the evenings?

Once she's had a good sleep, she's fine through the night, wakes to feed every 3/4 hours, feeds for 45 mins then straight back to sleep. Just not sure why she never seems satisified at night.

Do you think she just wants attention / cuddles, and uses food as a way to get it? or could she just like a big big dinner?

She is given one FF (OH does it in the middle of the night).

thanks

 

[Mervs Mum]

I'd say she wants a BIG BIG dinner!!

It's quite common for babies to 'cluster feed' in the evenings - like they are storing it all up for over night. If you offer the boob and she still feeds then she's still hungry.

 

[thelilbump]

I found my baby would eat more in the evenings, as MM says like cluster feeding building up stores for the night. I'd feed at 5pm 7.30pm and 9/10pm for about 30 minutes with 2 boobs in total. However, not long after that routine established itself my daughter started going through the night at around 6-8 weeks old

 

[ryder]

At that age Jasmine did alot of cluster feeding too! It happens with whatever you feed. Even now she eats alot from about 3pm-7pm, usually 2 large bottles and a large solid food dinner..

 

[mrs shine]

Isaiah ramps up for the night too. He won't go longer than 2 hrs between feeds after about 5pm. I couldn't believe that he was hungry all the time but he is, so I just offer him boob to start with now, if he takes it and he's full he just sicks it up.

 

[lauzliddle]

Alfie does this from about 4pm until he goes to bed at 7:30 he has 3 feeds in this time (only feeds for 20 mins always has) then when he goes to bee he has 6oz ff and 10-15 min boobie and sleeps throgh until 6:30-7am (7:30 this morn)

I wouldn't make plans for your evenings she just needs the feeds at the moment also try breaking the feeds up a little try a 45 min feed then a bath then 45 min feed then massage then feed then pj time then bed that's what I do and really seems to work as he LOVES the bath ( crys when it's time to get out) and it takes his mind off food for 15 mins. Good luck hun x

 

[Phoenix]

Jack's exactly the same.

The make-up of the milk changes towards the night, and sometimes that's not what the baby needs (or thinks they need). What we've found is that giving him a bottle (either EBM or formula) between 9 & 11pm (he starts this routine between 5 & 7pm) will allow him to settle and get off to sleep.

I'm assuming the FF your OH gives in the night is so that you can sleep right through as much as possible, but it might be worth trying to give it before bed, and see what effect that has.

 

[jms895]

I have started giving EBM for night time dinner as he wont settle otherwise, still hungry! Then he still wakes up after 2 or 3 hours anyway..... I think they just like to eat eat eat at night and fill up, I just keep thinking it will get better.....
Saying that the little bugger will have a nice long kip 12 till about 3 or 4 in day and not bothered about food at all bless him...

 

[tiny feet]

what do you have of an evening? your own dinner, the biggest meal of the day. This affects your milk and maybe baby wants to feed more of the evening because the milk is better/more filling because you've had your dinner.
Also as previously said, could also be getting ready to have a longer break between feeds.

 

[Dottie]

big dinner definitly. Evie used to feed literally all Evening just moving her from side to side ! I started expressing during the day and topping her up with it at night which helped her to go to sleep the thing is once I started doing that I had to do it every night and still do now. Wish I had carried on then I wouldnt need to mess around expressing

 

[Hevz]

I forgot what section I was in and was about to say how hungry I get and can't stop eating

 

[Logiebear]

I forgot what section I was in and was about to say how hungry I get and can't stop eating

lol

Just wanted to say what everyone else has said. Hannah cluster feeds in the evening she feeds for hours. It's hard to go for a wee before she screams for more. Makes tea time awkward with my other kids!! She usually goes on until about 10pm though. She only wakes around 3am and then 5am and only feeds for about 20mins each time.