when does LO start going a bit longer between feeds?

[polaris]

Just as the title says really. I have been so lucky with breast-feeding and have had no major problems at all so far, bar the usual constant feeding during growth spurts etc.

But Thomas is definitely a snack feeder, he still likes to feed every two hours at least, occasionally he will go three hours but usually every two hours. At night he generally cluster feeds in the evening, he is often quite unsettled until about 11 or 12, then he will wake for feeds at 2 or 3 a.m., 5 a.m., 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Then during the day, he will feed at maybe 11 a.m., 12.30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., then it's time for the evening cluster feeding again. I am getting used to functioning on cat-naps but it is tiring, especially because it takes ages to wind him after each feed.

I was just wondering about others experiences, does this settle down? will he eventually naturally go longer between feeds or is he destined to be a snack feeder? He will only ever take one boob per feed. Initially I was only offering him one boob to make sure he was getting enough hindmilk, but now I would like him to take both but he refuses the second boob. I'm not complaining because I know we have been so lucky to have no problems but i do get sick of other people's comments about how often he is feeding!

 

[Seraphim]

Hey hon

Sounds pretty similar to us - although noones been brave enough to comment and I guess I've just been going with the flow, so not entirely sure how long H goes inbetween.

Last night was the first night I didn't respond to her first flappings
She doesn't wake to feed, just makes a huffy breathing noise and waves her arms... so I let her be and she went back to deep sleep - surprised mummy! She went far longer between feeds, made me think we might get to just one 'night-feed' soon - told me I need to not get too stuck in my ideas of 'how it is' because it can and will change, and I might need to adjust my expectations.

I'd love to know how other people have found things progress too.

 

[Fenella]

My 12 week old still feeds quite frequently during the day and he always has. He tends to feed every one-and-a-half to two hours while he's awake. I've had a few comments but just ignore them now. I don't get it - do people think we can change when our babies are hungry?

At eight weeks or so he went from waking every few hours at night to sleeping for 5 - 6 hours, feeding and then sleeping for another few hours. I was surprised as I thought he'd build up gradually but no, it was a sudden change to longer sleeps. Oh and he stopped cluster feeding in the evenings a few weeks ago too so I'm feeling a lot less tired these days!

 

[LilianA]

HI Polaris how have you been? I don't know how you feel about expressing but i found it helps alot to give him a bottle of expressed milk during the evening it helps eleminate cluster feeding and i also started giving him one at night because he is too tired to get alot out of the breast at night so he would get a little out and wake often to get more the same way but with the bottle he drinks it all and goes back to sleep for about 3 to 3.5 hours. and thankfully he doesn't have nipple confusing and he actually prefers the breast but he feeds so many times during the day that two bottles don't bother him.

 

[TigerLady]

Otter followed that exact pattern at that age. I could tell what time it was by when he woke me up. He fed at 730, 930, 1130, 130, 330, 530, EVERYnight... cluster fed before that started and fed every 1-2 hours during the day.

I used to get "He can be eating again?!" all the time.

I'm sorry to say, it has gotten only marginally better. He still eats every 2-3 hours around the clock -- occassionally he'll go 3-4. He's 5 months.

I think he started moving from 1-2 hours to 2-3 hours at about 10/11 weeks. He started dropping daily cluster feeds shortly after that. Now he only cluster feeds during growth spurts.

 

[DolceBella]

Haha! I can't help you. Isabella still eats every 2-3 hours during the day. She'll occassionally go longer if we're out and she's distracted, but that's rare. She does sleep 10 hours overnight with out waking though.

 

[helz81]

Ethan is 7 weeks and feeds every 3 hours roughly in the day and for the 1st time last night he slep through..9 till 6 without waking for a feed!

 

[polaris]

Thanks for all the replies so far. It sounds like I may as well get used to it for the time being anyway! To be honest I do not really mind as it is so easy to feed him anyway, it's not like I'm having to make up a bottle and then not knowing if he'll drink it all, etc. I would love if he would do a longer stretch at night though! Those whose LOs are sleeping for a longer stretch at night, did you do anything to encourage this or did it just happen naturally? We had one night where Thomas fed at 12 p.m. and then slept till 4.30 a.m., I think that is the longest he has ever gone without food, LOL! But it hasn't happened again and to be honest I'm not even 100% sure that he didn't wake up at 3 a.m. as well but I just forgot in the morning! I do all the usual stuff like bedtime routine, keeping night feeds low in stimulation, etc. and it does work in that he knows that he goes straight back to sleep after his feeds at night. But he still wakes up two hours later.

 

[Kate84]

Just as the title says really. I have been so lucky with breast-feeding and have had no major problems at all so far, bar the usual constant feeding during growth spurts etc.

But Thomas is definitely a snack feeder, he still likes to feed every two hours at least, occasionally he will go three hours but usually every two hours. At night he generally cluster feeds in the evening, he is often quite unsettled until about 11 or 12, then he will wake for feeds at 2 or 3 a.m., 5 a.m., 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Then during the day, he will feed at maybe 11 a.m., 12.30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., then it's time for the evening cluster feeding again. I am getting used to functioning on cat-naps but it is tiring, especially because it takes ages to wind him after each feed.

I was just wondering about others experiences, does this settle down? will he eventually naturally go longer between feeds or is he destined to be a snack feeder? He will only ever take one boob per feed. Initially I was only offering him one boob to make sure he was getting enough hindmilk, but now I would like him to take both but he refuses the second boob. I'm not complaining because I know we have been so lucky to have no problems but i do get sick of other people's comments about how often he is feeding!

Hiya!
Our baby started to get longer between feeds after 6 months

 

[polaris]

Hiya!
Our baby started to get longer between feeds after 6 months

Thanks, still seems like quite a long way away, LOL! But at least there is hope for the future!

 

[helz81]

Merry Chrimble! Polaris, maybe he just has a high metabolism ?

 

[Seraphim]

We had another 4.5hour stretch of sleep last night which was awesome
And even then, she didn't wake for the feed, but I thought I better not leave it too long just yet.

She did stir several times but within a minute or two settled herself.

I'm now just wondering if I do leave her for longer, will she need extra feeds in the day??

 

[polaris]

We had another 4.5hour stretch of sleep last night which was awesome
And even then, she didn't wake for the feed, but I thought I better not leave it too long just yet.

She did stir several times but within a minute or two settled herself.

I'm now just wondering if I do leave her for longer, will she need extra feeds in the day??

well ladies I am officially amazed!!

After posting this thread the other day, last night, I fed Thomas shortly before midnight and he didn't wake for his feed until 5.30 a.m, went straight back to sleep afterwards and slept till 9 a.m.!!!

I, on the other hand, was still awake every two hours to feed him, listening to him grunting and stirring but not waking up!

Let's hope it wasn't just a once off for christmas!

The funny thing is, he was completely out of his routine due to xmas, didn't do the normal bedtime routine at all, and he has the best night's sleep he's ever had in his life!!

 

[Seraphim]

Well done Thomas

Hazel went just over 4 hours again, but then got into the 'every hour' routine early this morning

 

[polaris]

Well done Thomas

Hazel went just over 4 hours again, but then got into the 'every hour' routine early this morning

I'm not holding my breath for tonight! But at least I know he can do it. At least it seems that Hazel has got the idea that night-time is when you have your long sleep. Must be a good sign for the future.