Several BFing Questions: Routine, Pulling at Breast, NW

[kcamelia]

I just read a post where several moms commented that their EBF lo's can't seem to make it for a four hour EASY.  I'm having the opposite problem: my lo (4.5 months) easily lasts 3.5-4 hours to feed.  He has good A time (I think) of 1.5-2.5 hours as the day progresses, and he takes two 1.5-2 hour naps plus a catnap.  But he wakes a lot at night.  It's all over the map, so I think maybe he's hungry.  We did have a problem that he was getting too much day sleep, so once I cut back a bit, he began sleeping through the evening.  We've had a few nights where he woke twice to eat and went right back to sleep, but usually it's much more than that.  What am I doing wrong?  Lots of non-BW people have told me to feed more often during the day.  I feel like his A time and sleep are good during the day, so I don't know how to feed him more often without having to wake him.  Is it worth it?  Will he sleep better at night?

I'm getting a lot of advice that I am making him go too long to eat, and I feel really guilty when I hear that, even though I always feed him earlier if he seems hungry.  He just doesn't!  And sometimes, when I try to cluster feed in the evenings, he spits up a lot like I overfed him, right when I pick him up to burp him.  Does that mean he's overfed?  And what if I can only cluster feed 1.5 hours apart?  Is that enough time?  Once I tried to nurse only an hour later, and he got really frustrated because there was no let down at all.  I don't want to do that to him right before bed.

[RachelC]

Can you outline a day for us? 

E
A
S
E
A
S
.
.
.

Does he seem hungry at night when he wakes?  Could he be teething?

[EllenS]

How long has this NW been going on?  Has he already been through the 4 month growth spurt (it's a big one!)?  Does he take a full feed at his NW's, or does it seem like he feeds shorter/less vigorously?  It's also possible he got in the habit of NW during the gs, and is using it as a prop to go back to sleep.

Many EBF babies don't get on a 4h routine till later, but by the same token many DO get on a 4h routine around 4 months.  It just depends on your breast capacity, his stomach capacity, and metabolism - it's really an individual thing.  It sounds like you are being really responsive to his cues during the day.  If he had his days and nights mixed up, I would expect longer intervals between feeds during the day. 

There are many possible causes for NW, hunger is only one.  Is he working on any new physical skills, such as rolling?  Could there be environmental factors, such as drafts or noise?

[kcamelia]

Thanks for your responses.  Here is what our day *usually* is like:

630-730 wake, feed
8/9a nap until 10/11, feed
1/130 nap until 230/3, feed
430/5 15-30 min nap, feed upon waking
6p bath
630 nurse
700 bed

This is since I have begun feeding him every 3 hours.  He's willing enough to eat that often, but I'm not sure he's very hungry.  Sometimes, sometimes not.  He is getting to that distracted age.  He may be teething.  He does seem hungry at night.  He gets upset if I try to give him only one side and put him back down.  He goes back to sleep easily if I nurse him on both.

He may have had a growth spurt.  I remember the 2 month one when I thought I would die.  That time he nursed every 1.5  hours for four days and nights.  Hopefully that is not happening again.  He has stopped pulling so much and my nipples are not constantly sore.  I didn't know that some bf babies don't get on the 4 hr schedule right away.  My first baby was formula fed, and a little different all around.

[EllenS]

Has moving back to a 3-h routine affected the nw's at all?  The theory is that if he's ready to go on a 3.5-4h routine, he'll wind up taking bigger feeds and more overall.  that 4-5 month area is one of constant routine tweaking, distractions, everything goes haywire.

Hugs,