Overall my LO and I are doing well at breastfeeding. I do supplement once or twice a day with formula and I try to pump when we do (to avoid milk depletion). My son will go to sleep fairly well at night around 8:00 and sleep anywhere between 12:30 and 1:30 (Most of the time he will fall asleep on his own, only sometimes will he need to nurse to go to sleep). He will wake up, nurse and go back to sleep for 2 or so hours. When he wakes up again he wants to lay with me and nurse constantly. If I take him off my nipple or he falls off he will wake up within 30 minutes and is rooting again. This goes on and off until we wake up around 7:00. I'm concerned that we are creating a bad habit with this (As this has been going on for around 3 weeks now) and am not comfortable with bedsharing but not sure what I can do. I've tried giving him a bottle the first time he wakes up and nurses the second feeding. I've tried giving him a bottle when he wakes up the second time. This worked for about an hour and then he woke up wanting to nurse. He is gaining enough weight, I have been to the lactation department at our local hospital and have tried their suggestions. If anyone has any advice or suggestions please let me know. Most of the night he spends in his bassinet near my side of the bed.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance....</p>
Thanks for all the responses, I guess just wanted to make sure what I was doing was OK and not going to cause issues later on. I have tried giving him a pacifier, he will usually such on it for a few moments and then spit it out. We also do cluster feed in the evenings as well.
Thanks again!
He is 7 weeks. It takes time and patience. Sounds normal to me. Have you tried giving him a pacifier. Sounds like he wants to suck. He will work it all out in time.
Lacking a medical or practical need - breastfeed on demand, as your child requires. Sometimes it will be more often, sometimes less, as he has normal growth cycles. It is normal for him to cluster feed at this age and wake often.
This Is a rough phase for moms, but a completely normal phase for babies.
It is very normal for them to feed that often at night when they are this young. As he gets older, he will start to eat more during they day and a little less often at night. I remember people telling me that when my oldest was that age. It felt like an eternity to me. I think sleep deprivation is one of the hardest things for new parents to deal with. But it does get better!!!
Try not to watch the clock, and try not to let your thoughts go to, "But you can't possibly be hungry! You just ate!" His tummy is so little, and there's just no arguing with a hungry baby! Follow his lead, and feed him when he's hungry. It's hard now, but it will get easier.
And try not to worry about creating bad habits. When babies are this little, there is no such thing as a habit. As soon as you think you've got them figured out, they change! As long as he is safe, it doesn't ,after where he sleeps. The best place for him to sleep is wherever he WILL sleep.
Parenting books can help, but there's no substitute for listening to what your son tells you he needs ... well, when he's a baby, anyway. When he's a little older, like a toddler or a teenager, that's when Mommy's in charge!
It's probably best to cut back on supplementing with formula.
The more you do, the bigger risk you run of not producing enough milk.
Here are strategies for dealing with cluster feeding:
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/breastfeeding/cluster-feedin...
I agree with the moms below. Mine used to cluster feed in the evenings which meant I basically sat there, watched tv and fed. And fed. I didn't start sipplementing with bottle at last feed until about six months and I think that was with just one of mine - it will definitely affect your milk production so at seven weeks I don't think I would get into that. It's supply and demand and sounds like he is hungry at this stage and why he needs to cluster feed. They also like to be soothed which again is totally normal. But if you Could cluster feed more before bed, you might get a bit more sleep. But generally you just feed when they are huhgry and these phases don't last that long.
I had a pacifier for my babies which helped with th soothing aspect. But I fed on demand. Mine sometimes went through phases where we were up more frequently after a good spell. Also make sure you fully empty your breast when you nurse him at night and give good burp. I used to change mine too if quite wet otherwise they would keep on waking. Good luck :)
he's tiny. he's barely born! there's not much 'normal' about a baby this young, and yeah, sporadic feedings and wonky sleep patterns ARE normal.
you can't create a 'bad habit' with a newborn by going with giving what he needs when he needs it. tiny tiny babies change in the blink of an eye.
it's exhausting.
but it sounds like your baby is doing great. don't try to shoehorn him into a schedule, or make yourself crazy with thoughts of bad habits or worse, the baby 'manipulating' you (i'm glad you haven't said this but it comes up with alarming regularity.)
feed your baby when he's hungry. let him sleep when he's tired. rest every second you can. this will pass all too quickly- take lots of pictures! he'll be walking before you know it.
khairete
S.
He's very young. Feed him when he wants to be fed.
I was going to say that he might be going through a growth spurt, but since it's been going on for three weeks, I'm not sure if that's the case. If he falls asleep while nursing (very common in babies this young), wake him up gently by rubbing his head, cheek, or his body and get him to eat more. Keep doing this throughout until you think he's full (refusing to nurse even after being awakened).
If you're not opposed to bedsharing, then do that if it will make things easier.
baby is either cluster feeding or comfort nursing. i would try a pacifier to see if it helps if not then its cluster feeding and you roll with it. for this too shall pass.
also around 6 wks babies hit a growth spurt and it takes a week or so to re regulate your milk prodiction to meet babies demands. they will feed more often till they are full, you will produce more and it will all even back out. supplimenting will only cause less production. no matter what a pump is not as efficient as a baby.
He is too young to supplement. If you plan to continue to nurse, you need to exclusively nurse. At 6 weeks, there is a growth spurt and most babies will cluster feed if they are nursing. Read kellymom.com It is the best info on nursing out there on the web. Then just roll with it. You are doing fine if he is gaining weight.
