Help! I Am Beginning to Feel like a Human Snack Machine.

It's not uncommon for children this young to take small amounts so frequently. As she get bigger, she will eat more and less often all on her own.

Well, maybe you should go back to having a routine... that way she'll know when it is time to eat and when it is time to sleep!!!! it really worked for me and I am pregnant again and reading the book again... couldnt imagine NOT doing it!!!!
Good luck

I had the same problem with my third baby. By week three I had enough. I went back to a 2 to 3 hour feeding schedule. I found he ate so much better at each feeding and I wasn't producing a crazy amount of milk. I also think my two other children were happy that I didn't have to stop our activities every half hour so I could feed the baby. Multiple children put a whole new spin on everything. I realized I wasn't Super Mom and my wonderful little baby was going to have to fit into my schedule, so, on a schedule he went.

Hi K..
I think I agree with the first post. She should be nursing often (every 2, 2/12 hours or so still) but she should be nursing, not snacking. If she snacks she doesn't get the hind milk, and your breasts don't produce adequate milk supplies for her growing body.
I am trying to think back (7 years ago when my youngest was an infant) and I don't remember a lot of crying because of the BabyWise methods. We used the feeding/play/sleep schedule they recommend, and our kids were sleeping 7 hours a night, every night by 3 months old. My daughter had her first 6 hour sleep at 5 1/2 weeks (I wanted to wake her up and got a resounding "NO" from my husband AND mother).. But I don't remember crying...beyond typical babies cry when they're wet, when they're hungry, when they're tired...
Are you using a paci with her? Maybe if you can find a paci she likes (we went through a half dozen before I found a style my daughter would use) you can try that some and see if she just wants to suck some of that time. All babies have an urge to suck, that doesn't necessarily coincide with hunger. It is just comforting for them. And if you are concerned about pacifier addiction, not all babies become that attached. My son started refusing to use one at 6 months old.. just didn't want it anymore. My daughter used hers until she was 2. On her 2nd b.day, she gave them ALL to the lady at the bakery in exchange for some little cake top toys, and never asked for them again.
One thing I remember about nursing... I was given conflicting info about how to go about it. If I did what some suggested, and switched breasts partway through, my son quit. If I let him nurse uninterrupted at one breast, he would empty it. He MIGHT or might not start on the other. Then at the next feeding, I started with the "unused" one. That way he got the hind milk each time and each breast got stimulated to produce more milk.
If you are still worried, it is ALWAYS okay to check with your doctor. Or your daughter's doctor. That is part of what they do...
Congratulations on your newest little girl!

My child did the same thing, and actually everyone else that fed on demand that I know went through the same thing. I think it's just what they do at that age. If you want to feed on demand, in my opinion, it's just one of those hurdles you'll have to give time and it solves itself. I theorize it has something to do with a natural way to build your milk supply. Also, eventually there stomachs get bigger and they can take in more food. One thing I did, very rarely because I really didn't want to get my child dependent on it and I wanted my milk supply to match what the baby needed, is at nite before bed I would give one formula feeding and it helped my baby to sleep better through the night and allowed me to get some much needed sleep.

I did feed on demand with my first children (twins) and they did not sleep through the night till they were 18 months. I did Baby Wise with my third and he was sleeping through the night at about 8 weeks and on a schedule which was much nicer than my first go around. I don't remember him "crying it out" much. I would strongly recommend going back to the Baby Wise or some type of scheduled feeding. Good Luck.

Honey, you are not offerring the breast too much. There is no such thing. You are doing the right thing by listening to your baby. I felt the same way, then all of a sudden, my little girl started to look at me while she ate. She would smile and sing while eating. Her way of saying "Thank you, mom". Hang in there. Also at about 3 wk and 3 months they go through a growth spurt and increase feedings. They do eventually calm down and eat more and last longer in between but not at 3 wks. If you need real advice and not just what worked for others, please talk to a lactation consultant. I just had a class with Kathy over at Winnie Palmer. She is great and very helpful. They give free consults over the phone during normal business hours. Don't change what you are doing this weekend and call her on Monday. Trust your instinct, you really do know what to do.

I just wanted to add that when my son was snacking and cluster feeding like that at such a young age, my pediatrician told me it was simply to prepare my body for the milk supply he would need in the following weeks. They have to nurse more to stimulate increased production in us. I have seen him go through phases like this several times now and while it is frustrating, I'm always relieved to see it calm down and my milk supply increase for him.

So, while you've gotten some great advice already, keep in mind that your baby's behavior may be an effort to prepare you for her voracious appetite in the near future.

Good luck!

ooo you've gotten some great advice! I did Babywise also, but did my own version of it b/c I didn't want to do the cry-it-out part haha! It still worked wonderfully for both of my babies. It helped us get on a schedule, they ate well each time, slept for longer stretches etc. but I rocked them before bed-which we both just loved....so you can do your own version of whichever method you want to go with--do whatever works for you and your baby!

You may need to make her wait longer between feedings and exercise her more so that she is good and hungry. After a few days, she will adjust.
Take Care

Hi K.! My son is 19 mos old, so I may be a little rusty about the early stuff...but, I seem to remember that 1-2 oz is the correct amount at that age. As your daughter grows she will take in larger quantities.

Good luck...hang in there!
M.

Congratz on your newborn! Breastfeeding on demand is quite a task... I have a 6 month old and at first I did feel like a cow. Soon enough, as your milk matures with the baby, you won't be needed as much. Remember those growth spurts that happen at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, etc... Keep up the good work!

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer will answer all of your questions and help you a great deal.
The biggest mistake I think I made with my first 2 babies that the book pointed out is that every time a baby cries it doesn't mean she is hungry-- and nursing moms tend to make the mistake of sticking the boob in the baby's mouth every time she peeps. It's not healthy! I'm sure some moms will disagree with me, but she needs to nurse better to get that hind milk-- any doctor worth their salt will tell you that. Sleeping beside her and allowing her to nurse throughout the night is accomplishing very little other than turning you into a zombie and teaching her that the only way to soothe herself is to nurse. At 3 and a half weeks old, she needs to eat often, but not constantly throughout the night, and not short snacks. She should be sleeping for a couple of hours at a time and waking for a strong feeding. Read Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for the techniques of how to make that happen.
{By the way, anyone who believes in attachment parenting and does co-sleeping may disagree with me that sleeping with your baby so she can nurse on demand throughout the night is a bad idea-- I am not telling you to stop doing it-- I am answering this pareticular mom's request to make changes because this method is not working for her.}

K.,
She is only 3 weeks old. I'm sure you already know this, but breast milk is digested very quickly. That's why your daughter has a dirty diaper everytime you feed her. Two oz/feeding is all she needs right now. Just give it some time and when she is a little older you can try to spread out her feeding. She too young to be filling up her belly that much right now. Oh, another thing. Do not switch breasts during a feeding. By leaving her on the same side you are allowing her to get your hindmilk. This milk come down after she has emptied your breast of the formilk. The hindmilk has more cream and should stick to her ribs so to speak and keep her full a little longer. You're doing a wonderful job hang in there. I did babywise with my first and I swore I wouldn't do it with the rest. You routine will come with time when she is a little older. I know, I have three!

I saw on Oprah 'The Baby Whisperer' she was amazing! She helps you determine which cry's mean what! Like being wet, hunger, just wanting to snuggle or be held. I believe she put out a book! I was totally amazed & just thought I'd share that with you! I hope it helps! Good Luck!

I felt the same way for a while, following the advice from the lactation consultant from the hospital telling me to let them eat when they are hungry. I felt like he was earing alll the time, so with the help of my mom we came to a compromise... for a few days when he would act hungry between what i deemed "normal feedings" we would dip a pacifier in karo syrup and let him suck for a while. we did this to early at first and he suffered a little nipple confusion so we stopped and a week or so later started again and he's been fine ever since. He's going on six weeks old now and will go three to four hours between feedings most of the time. every now and then he'll sneak an extra one in there if necessary. hope this helps, i know at that point we were ready to try anything.

Oh, you have a "snacker". My daughter was the same way. I didn't always put her in bed with us, only if I was extremely tired. I would put her down in her crib and go into the nursery and nurse her until she fell back to sleep. Sometimes I felt like I spent more of the night in her room, even falling asleep in the rocking chair frequently....soon she was only waking wanting to be fed three to four times, and eventually it was only two to three. She just turned a year and is not sleeping through the night for the most part. I've stopped nursing her during the night, just getting up and briefly going in to soothe her. Hang in there, next week it'll be something different!!

Yay for you, K.!! Right choice. Baby wise has led to the only failure to thrive babies I ever saw as a LLL leader and midwife. About two ounces a nursing is normal but how do you know it's two ounces? Curious. :) Babies tummies are little and can only hold so much. Your baby should nurse 8 to 12 times a day on normal days. On growth spurt days, it is more, as she is trying to increase your milk and they do that, usually, around 3 to 4 weeks, then again at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. I know it sometimes feels like all you do is nurse but, believe me, in a heart beat, they will be done, gone and you will miss these days! For a longer sleep at night, try to "tank her up" by putting her to the breast every hour until you are ready for bed and hopefully, she'll give you a 4 hour sleep. (mine never did but some do!!)
Warmly,
D.

Dear K.,

You are doing what she needs you to do right now. She will change as the weeks progress. Does she fall asleep while eating? If she does you might want to try and keep her awake while she eats. Use a cold washcloth on the bottom of her feet. That may help her eat more. Have you tried a pacifier? She may just need to suck and you are the most convenient paci.
Hope this helps.
L.

i understand the promise to yourself not to follow that "let them cry it out" routine but you have to understand letting her cry a little builts alot of things in different areas that is also her only way of commnication at this point it also will build her voice so she wont be a whisper child my advise would be to gradualy train her to go longer in between feeding times

Im curious why you gave up babywise? Did it not work with your first?
there are some other less strict methods out there now too based on a routine for sleeping and eating that give you more techniques on calming them other then just closing the door and letting them CIO that you may want to look into.
The two books that come to mind are "the Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and "Good Night Sleep Tight"
I think you will find the easier to follow than Babywise but you will still get the same results--a well-fed and rested baby who will be sleeping 8-10 hours a night by 12-14 weeks...
both use the idea and routine of babywise (sleep, eat, awake) but give you gentler techniques and ideas on teaching them how to sleep on their own.
If you've read babywise you know how important it is to get them to eat longer and get the nutritious hind milk, so I would suggest trying to get her to go longer but trying a pacifier (she's old enough that nipple confusion should not be an issue...)
and check those two books out--you won't be sorry!

I know exactly what you're feeling. I hate to say this, but my husband was right on this point. He suggested that I pump my milk for a while and let our daughter only have bottles of breast milk. For some reason, she's less apt to snack on the bottles. I do, however, save some quality time right before bed, so that even if she's only drinking a few ounces, we still have some time together.