12 wk old falling asleep at the breast?

[armcan1103]

Please help me figure out how to solve this problem... My 12 wk old DD has always been a sleepy eater, but it seems to have gotten worse over the last week or two. At the end of the day I find myself exhausted because I am trying to wake her up during most of every feeding. I thought it was a nap problem (she had been sleeping only 20-40 minutes) but we have been working on that for the last 5 days or so and now her naps are a little over an hour. She follows the 3 hour EASY for the most part - I used to feed on demand. I use the compression method when it seems she isn't getting as much and that used to work pretty well, but I'm not seeing the same results lately. Any ideas? TIA...

[Samuel's mum]

As you say you are doing EASY, are you waking her from a nap? Perhaps you need to give her a  few minutes to wake up before feeding?

A couple of quick questions:

How is she going for wet nappies (6 in 24 hours?)
Do you feel she is feeding well before falling asleep?

Would you mind also setting out your schedule - thanks.

[armcan1103]

Yes, sorry - I was tired when I posted and it didn't occur to me that more info would be helpful.

I do not wake her up from her naps, as she never sleeps longer than about 1 hour and 10 minutes. She does have plenty of wet diapers, and sometimes she eats well and sometimes she doesn't. It seems as if her feedings go a bit downhill as the day goes on, meaning her first feeding she eats the best and her last feeding she eats the worst.

An average day for us starts between 7:30 and 8AM - she wakes, I change her diaper and start feeding her. Her feedings usually are around 40 minutes, followed by Activity, wind down, and napping about 90 minutes after she started feeding. So, it will likely go something like this:

8:00 E
8:45 A
9:30 S
11:00 E
11:45 A
12:30 S
2:00 E
2:45 A
3:30 S
5:00 E
5:45 A
6:30 S

At this point in the day we are still trying to find what works, as she definitely is sleepy, but usually is difficult to get to sleep. Cluster feedings do not seem to work for her - when she was younger she would just spit everything up, now she gets mad and fussy when I try to feed her before 2.5 - 3 hours have passed. We normally bath her after the 8PM feeding, but sometimes before if she is awake and in the mood for it. This has her last feeding around 10:30 or 11. It is sometimes a dream feed, sometimes a normal feed. Most nights she wakes around 4 or 4:30 to eat and that feeding is usually 30 minutes tops.

I hope that helps, but please let me know if you need more info. I am new to this message board and haven't quite got the feel for what helps. Thanks again!

[Samuel's mum]

Thanks that's helpful.

Sorry I keep asking questions!!!

So to clarify...
She wakes up from her nap herself, then you feed her and she is falling asleep again during the feed? Does she remain 'sleepy' throughout A time or are there times when she is fully alert?

What techniques do you use to try and keep her more alert? There are some suggestions on this thread: https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63428.0

Question number 5000!

sometimes she eats well and sometimes she doesn't. It seems as if her feedings go a bit downhill as the day goes on, meaning her first feeding she eats the best and her last feeding she eats the worst.

How are you defining eating badly? Does that mean bobbing on and off/ falling asleep more/ seeming dissatisfied?

I promise I'll try and say something useful other than ask questions next time!!!

[armcan1103]

No, questions are helpful!

She wakes herself up from the nap - sometimes happily babbling to herself in her crib - then I change her and feed her. She eats anywhere from 20 minutes to 5 minutes after she wakes. She starts the feed alert, but a little while into it she will start dozing off with no sucking. During A time she is always alert, though - I usually always have to changer her diaper after she eats, so that wakes her up is she was sleepy. During the feeding if she dozes, I tickle her feet, her chin, her cheek, her ear, her belly OR strip her down to her diaper OR (when she's really sleepy) cough or clear my throat repeatedly. I do have to say that today she has NOT been dozing during the feeds! I've fed her 3 times so far today... Today is the first day in a week or longer that I have had 3 feeds in a row that I haven't had to keep her awake for! Also today she has been really feeding only on one side, but emptying it more - her choice, not mine. When I give her the other side, she'll suck for a few minutes and then doesn't want it... Again, this is not how things usually go...

By eating badly I mean that she falls asleep more. She never really seems dissatisfied after eating, I am just worried she doesn't get enough because I know she didn't take in as much (my breast doesn't feel as empty)...

Thank you - I will look at that thread, too.

[Samuel's mum]

I do have to say that today she has NOT been dozing during the feeds! I've fed her 3 times so far today... Today is the first day in a week or longer that I have had 3 feeds in a row that I haven't had to keep her awake for! Also today she has been really feeding only on one side, but emptying it more - her choice, not mine. When I give her the other side, she'll suck for a few minutes and then doesn't want it... Again, this is not how things usually go...

Of course, you post and she picks up your concern through the 'vibes' and all these women reading about her around the world!

Let us know how the next couple of days go.  Sleepy babies wake up as they get older - maybe now is her time?
I think you are right to let her go as long as she wants on one side and then offer the second if she still seems interested.

When she's woken up, do you move her into a different room for feeding? It might help to completely move away from the place where she sleeps if you are not already.

Some women manufacture a lot more of the oxytocin hormone which induces sleep. You could be one of those. This also tends to drop off as baby gets older and nursing is more established.
Good Luck.

[armcan1103]

Thank you! As I've been thinking about this I was wondering about my oxytocin, because I get very sleepy when I feed her, too! I had just attributed it to new-mom tiredness, but maybe I need to reconsider that...
I usually don't feed her in the same room she sleeps in - I'd say 75% of the time she is in a different room.
Again, I appreciate your help!