Need your advice!

[mummy1985]

My boy has always been miserable since birth. We switched him to comfort milk some weeks ago and have seen a dramatic improvement. He is now generally happy and content aside from a horrible mucus cough he has atm.

So the issue now is he doesn't go longer than 3 hours between feeds. More often than not its 2 1/2 which by the time I've fed him, winded him etc leaves me no time to play with my other LO

This feeding pattern also continues at night to the point where he is fed at 8, 11-12, 2 and 5 then is usually up by 6.30 for the day as is DD.

I'm really struggling being up so much and still having to keep going all day and when I do get a moments peace I spend it washing and steralising bottles as he goes through so many.

He takes about 5ozs at a time. Any advice on getting him to go longer would be greatly appreciated as I just don't know how much longer I can do it. I fell asleep on the sofa earlier while DD was playing and I feel so terrible

Btw I have no family or friends nearby that are willing or able to help and hubby works 11hour days but helps when he can so letting someone else have them for a few hours isn't an option!

 

[missk1989]

My lo eats every 2 hours but only twice between 7:30 pm/ 7am. I have been stretching time between feeds by putting him down for a nap 20 mins before his feed is due. He will usually for 40 mins and isn't always hungry when he wakes. I have noticed recently that he will go up to 3 hours before feeding without my intervention since doing this. If it doesn't work I would try to find a toddler group that's on when one feed is due so that whilst you feed lo your older lo can still be entertained. X

 

[Scottish mum]

That's normal for her age. My lo feeds every 3 hours he's 13 weeks old. But at night he goes to bed half 9 and doesn't wake till half 5,6 am sometimes 7! It must be hard tho if you have another lo to look after as I know what it's like with one! Just persevere xx

 

[schnoogles]

Have you tried slightly bigger bottles, my little boy is a similar age and an average weight and he has been on 6oz bottles for quite a while now and he pretty much always finishes them. He even has a 7oz bottle before bed. He isn't on hungry baby milk, just the normal SMA Gold. I feed 3 hourly 7am - 7pm, give a dream feed at 11pm and he sleeps from 7pm til 7 or 8 am. Maybe he just isn't getting enough at each sitting and therefore through the day so he can't sleep longer at night. I hope it gets better soon for you xx

 

[mummy1985]

Thanks ladies. I offer him a 6oz bottle but he only takes 5 and won't take anymore so no luck there. The only thing I can think of doing is going out in the car. He sleeps well in there and when I get him out the car he often sleeps through a normal feeding time often to 4 hours but he still only takes the 5ozs and then gets super hungry after 2 hours!

I'm not expecting him to sleep through (although my DD was sleeping through by 6 weeks so this is a shock to the system!) but to drop to even 2/3 feeds between 8pm and 7am would be nice!

I did take him to the Dr's about silent reflux as I read that feeding often and other symptoms that he had could be related to that but the Dr told me children don't get silent reflux, I've also spoken to the HV who didn't seem to even listen to what I was saying as her suggestions were nothing to do with the questions I'd asked.

I'll just have to sit it out I suppose

 

[overcomer79]

I'm sorry. My daughter did this. I'm afraid that it is just a waiting game. Their stomachs are so small that they can only hold so much. Do you have anyone that can give you a break?

 

[Ktothema]

I have no practical advice for you but just to say it will get better. All babies are different and some continue like this till they're weaned and others start stretching or sleeping longer at nights. Ds was a little like this until we got his reflux sorted. It was a real killer as he'd have to be upright for 30mins after a feed and wouldn't always go back to sleep so I'd be up for 1.5hrs a feed, cat napping then going again. Then he suddenly started stretching it. He now sleeps through from 9:30 till 7:30ish., going 3.5hr in the day. Your lo may just need some time on the comfort milk and may settle after a while of being happier.