Evening Feeding Nightmare

[PuddlePuppy]

Little B had some feeding issues at first - she had a touch of jandance - she wasnt (and still isn't) putting on weight particularly quickly - she won't wake for feeds and was really hard to keep awake.

We thought we where past the worse, she started to put weight on, latching better and waking herself for food.

She has been uber hungrey recently, which I put down to making up for lost time, but seems to want to have a mega feeding session whilst awake. From about 6pm she will want to nurse constantly until about 10pm when we give her (on breastfeeding clinic/HV recommendation) a top up bottle - I pump out what is left whilst DH feeds her this.

She will feed during this time, then get lazy, fall asleep and then wake up a few moments later angry as the breast isn't there. We have tried distracting her, playing with her but nothing but booby will do.. and she will just cry and cry if it is not supplied.

Will she grow out of this... is it just part of her making up time, or has she got into comfort feeding.

Please any ideas - although not too painful, the irration factor is starting to make me feel ill after the constant feeding....

Please any advice would be great!

 

[Freya]

HI there,

I had similar experience flower (my bub is 8 weeks old now). Gracie had Jaundice and lost 10% of body weight in 1st week and took 4 weeks to reach her birth weight. I am breast feeding too (suplemented with 1 FF a day)

Having been through it, and listening to friends and family I now realise you cant 'spoil' a new baby enough. She may be comfort feeding a little, which is understandable as the world is a scary place and mummys boob makes her feel secure and comforted. I guess try hard to keep her 'sucking' rather than falling asleep.... which is easuer said than done I know. Even now, if Gracie is in a 'lazy feeding mood' I wake her up with a nappy change before I offer her the other breast... and sometimes it works, other times i'm on to a loosing battle.

I think 'go with it' for now, it's amazing how she will change her pattern completely soon and 'grow out of it. Especially as her tummy grows, she can hold more milk and go longer before wanting the next feed. I found the constant feeding hard going too, but some babies are little and often feeders to start with.

Growth spurts expected I think around week 4 then 6 -8 weeks where bubs will be feeding like mad to get your milk supply up.

Babies also get more effiecient at 'stripping' the breast of what they need in time, so the length of time they feed can improve. I promise it will change. I think this is some of the hard times breast feeders face (they never warned me at antenatal classes!!!). Already I see changes in Gracie, like how she latches herself onto my boob - cheeky monkey, whereas only a couple of weeks ago I needed to guide her to save my nips!

Sorry I cant offer a magic cure! But hang on in there a little longer, you're doing a fab job!!!!

xxx

 

[Freya]

p.s. some say babies who frenzy feed in the evening are practicing 'stocking up' to go longer between feeds during the night..... so this may be positive too!

 

[Samantha675]

She is just cluster feeding. I sooo remember my son doing the exact same thing. She will grow out of it, it is just a phase. I would just get comfy on the sofa, find something good to watch and settle in while he cluster feed. I know how frustrating it is, but I promise it will pass.

 

[ryder]

Jasmine is bottle fed and also cluster fed in the night. It is normal. Now it has evened out though and she has a pretty regulare schedule.

 

[alloyd519]

My daughters were bottle fed breast milk and one did the same thing, usually in the middle of the night, what a convenience. I'm sure they'll fall out of this and everything will be back to normal! But, good luck until then! Just keep telling yourself it won't last forever!