Slow or no letdown

[Martini~]

Catherine suggestion of feeds are similar to what I suggested so I would give it a try. When she will be taking more solids you can try for changing noon feed to solids and that's how you will have 4 nice feeds a day. Until she doesn't eat solids I would go for more milk feeds but still full ones.

[newkidontheblock]

Thanks Marta!

So earlier, when we still had a CN. I wouldn't feed when she woke from CN. Instead I would split it around bath. Should I do that with last feed? Worried that she will take a full feed before bath then and again trouble

[Martini~]

Do you still DF or have NF? If yes, full feed before bath won't harm you as E will be even more hungry at DF than before. You may also be surprised as F took overall more milk in full feed at 6:30 than in feed at 5 and 7:10 altogether as at 5pm he was not hungry and at 7:10 he was too tired. For us it also helped to make the bath nicer as F always had a boost of energy after this feed and could play nicely during bath.

Moreover at that age I started to make sure not to make feed just before BT. When F was younger it helped me much to calm him down before sleep. At 5/6mo I started to teach him to go to sleep without BT feed. First days was more difficult, but quite quickly he learnt to.

Still you can give her a top up after bath, but if he takes a full feed at 6:30 even if she doesn't take much at 7 it should harm her.

[newkidontheblock]

We don't have any NFs. We do a DF though. What you are saying makes complete sense. Going to move to this routine from tomorrow! Muah to both of you!

[jessmum46]

Good luck!

[newkidontheblock]

I'm sorry to bother both of you again but I just can't figure this out
If she wakes at 7, feeds are at 7 (10), 12 (3), then I should go straight to 6 before bath and 6.30 ish after bath?? Won't the same letdown problem happen? I'm very confused. Last 3 days, she has woken from pm nap at 4, so I fed immediately. So then bedtime feed is at 6.30. No problem with the letdown BUT she nurses great on one side and then wants more from the other but isn't willing to suck anymore. She gives up, I put her down, she starts fussing in a few minutes -- renurse - again slow slow slow sucking but she hangs on till she gets a LD. Then she goes off to sleep happily. I just don't know what to do. Should I just cut out the top ups before naps and take a few short nap days to encourage her to take full feeds on wake up???

[Martini~]

I think that at 6m+ and not much solid intake you should feed 3-4h apart. Not 2-2,5 as the feeds will be smaller but it may be that 4h w/o solids these days will be too much. Moreover usually afternoon/evening hours means more frequent feeds as kiddos know they are preparing for night:).

With 4pm feed, I would try one side before bath, one side after bath. She will be happy enough thru bath bath should happily take top up from second side later. If you feed at 3pm and give her full feed, she also should be ok with that routine. If not you may try both sides before bath, and nothing after.

With feed I would plan to go for full both sides feeds at 7, 10/11 (she has to be hungry here so you decide when to feed), 2/2:30. And than one side at 5/5:30 let say and second side at 6:30. If she is hungry in between I would try to offer max one top up and do both sides at 7, 10/11, 3, 6:30 and top up at 12 just after nap.

HTH!

[*Ali*]

My DS2 wasn't a big solids eater and couldn't do the 3hr+ A time followed by a long nap between the first and second feeds so I gave the second feed before the nap. I then did solids shortly after WU from nap one and fed again either mid-A or shortly before the second nap. Then he had a top up BF when he woke from nap 2 (4.30pm) and the BT feed at 7.15pm. As he increased his solids I replaced the top up feed after nap 2 with dinner.  We didn't 100% BLW and he took quite a while before he was taking large quantities.

[newkidontheblock]

Okay. So I will do solids first and push the feed at 2 /2.30 ish after WU from second nap. I also think she is growth spurting right now. Suddenly struck me yesterday! Thank you both!

Ali, all the best! So close now! Vibes for a smooth and safe delivery

[newkidontheblock]

Hi ladies,
So today I fed at 7/10/2/4.30 and then split around bath at 6 & 6.30. I did that in the evening thinking that it might help with this growth spurt ish thing we are going through. I remembered that Tracy said during growth spurts, going back to cluster feeding helps. But yet the child started crying at lights out. DH went in first and really tried a lot to settle her. Finally I went in and since I couldn't bear the thought of her going fuss fuss fuss as after cluster feeding and her being sleepy, I knew she wouldn't bother sucking even, I offered a bottle and she took 3 oz and went off to sleep independently as usual. I tried to cut her off at 1 oz but she cried again when PD.
I pumped after that and I got 3 oz.

So although spacing feeds has definitely helped with the LD issue, a new one seems to have cropped up and nothing seems to be working. I'm just writing out the feeds from the last few days. Please tell me if I should start a new thread. I have been googling like mad to no avail!
This started from the 18th..so, feeds at
 18th - 6.40/ 12.30/5.15/6.30 - cried- re -nursed 7 (tough time nursing with cold & ear ache) DF - 41/2oz
19th - 6.40/9.30/12/4/6.15 - cried renurse - 6.30/ DF 5oz
20th - 7.30/ 10.30/1/ 2.30/4.30/ 6.30 - cried renurse - 6.50/  DF 61/2 oz
21st - 6.40/9.15/12/2.30/6/ 6.30 -fuss cried renurse Bottle 2 oz DF 61/2 oz

Can you see a pattern? One thing though, she is not taking both breasts. I simply can't make her! It isn't that I don't have enough..it is just that the child doesn't want to put in the effort. Grrr! Is it fine if on days that I can't letdown for the renurse, I give a bottle and pump instead? Or is that the wrong way to handle a growth spurt?

[jessmum46]

She doesn't need to take both breasts, she may be getting plenty from one . DD single side fed from four month on, DS more variable but still on occasion only interested in one side.  The times he is fussiest nursing are when he is teething (on, off, on, off, cry, on, off, fuss etc etc) or not actually hungry because he's fed too recently.  I would personally avoid doing a split feed around bath, I would just do a proper feed either before or after and then not nurse again for fussiness.  I worry slightly that you could have a bit of a sucking association developing if you continue to respond to fussiness with more food?  She has plenty of opportunity for a good feed, so I would let her have that opportunity once and then settle her in other ways - shh pat, PUPD, WIWO, whatever that may be.  Have you tried pain meds in case it is teeth?

[newkidontheblock]

I agree. I even thought this could be similar to a child asking for 'just one more' story at bedtime. That's why I have been sending the husband in. He usually can settle her no time. The thing is, she isn't trying to go to sleep while sucking. As soon as she gets the milk, she will nurse and then is happy to be put down whether it takes 5 minutes or 15. She is also taking double hey normal quantity at DF and last night woke at 5 for another 5 oz. Not hungry this morning though. Ugh, hate that this is happening as we start our holiday. Hopefully she will nurse on the flight