extending time between feedings

[nellbellie]

I have a 10-week old and I'm breastfeeding. He tends to eat nearly hourly during the day and 2-3 times throughout the night; he eats for about 5-10 minutes a side and sometimes he only feeds on one. He never spits up.

At our 2-month check-up the doctor said he doesn't need to eat that often anymore and that I should get him on a 2-3 hour schedule. I have been trying to extend his time between feeds daily and, thus far, this has been rough. The baby cries and cries and nothing soothes him until he eats. The routine we had when I fed on demand is now all screwed up and he's sleeping WORSE at night. He also tends to be so worn out from crying when he finally does eat that he falls asleep before he's full so he's waking up sooner.

Can anyone please share their thoughts on what to do here? Should I stick to my guns and keep holding him off and, if so, will this eventually get better? (i.e. sleeping longer, less crying, etc.) Or should I go back to feeding on demand when we were both happier?

THANKS!

 

[mommyof3co]

I don't think you should force it, as he grows he will do it on his own. A baby knows when they are hungry and full so we always fed on demand, if it was every hour or every couple. It will get better though

 

[Miss MellyG]

I b/f on demand... if Charlie needs fed every hour then thats what he gets.

if its not broke.. why fix it? Do what you feel is right. Not all babies are the same so dont be forced into changing because somebody told you to.

Mel x

 

[alice&bump]

f*** the doctors! at the end of the day you know your own baby. i feed katie on demand and in the evenings i can be feeding her every hour, but at the end of the day, i then only have to get up once in the night with her. if he's hungry, feed him!

 

[Spartacus]

Hey

Like all the other ladies said do what you feel is right you know best! Oliver is fed on demand and naturally he goes sometimes during the day from 1-2-3 hours sometimes especially if he is in his buggy when out shopping. Also sometimes babies dont just eat because they hungry they get thirsty too.

To be honest you know what is right hun so keep it up as you doing a fab job so far i know it is tough feeding so frequently but as i am told they will adjust and drop the feeds themselves xx

 

[hypnorm]

Feed on demand, Breast milk gets digested quickly and he will build a routine as time goes on.

 

[ryder]

Do what you feel is necessary... If you do want to try extending times... Is there any timet hat he will sleep for a long time? IE: if you go shopping for a couple hours, will he fall asleep and go longer? That can help start off a longer routine time.

Sometimes disctracting them with play can help too... Sometimes they arnt really hungry and just need to be distracted. All you can do is try. If he truly is hungry then nothing else will satisfy him.

The benefit of longer feed times in the day is that you can start to develope better play/nap times etc.. Whereas the more you feed, the quicker you run through the routine of play/feed/change/nap.