HELP! 5 month old wants to eat every 3 - 3.5 hours

[bbwax]

I have a 5 month old who takes 30 minute naps. It totally screws up my EASY and I'm at my wits end. I can barely make a 4 hour easy work because of these naps and because he is awake too long. He gets OT and as a result, thinks he is hungry before. My EASY that I attempt looks like this:

6:30 E
6:45 - 7:45 A
7:45 S
8:15 A
10:00 S
10:30 E
10:45 - 12:00 A
and os on until 6pm when he goes down.

Because of his nap schedule he wants to eat every 3 - 3.5 hours. Any solutions? Should I just stick to a 3 hour EASY? I'm going crazy.

[*Ali*]

Many breastfeed LOs don't make it to a 4hr EASY until later on, often when they start solids. Breast milk is just so easily digestible.

Typical A times for a 5mo are actually 2-2.5hrs so he may well need a major bump in A times, especially that first one.
Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!

You could also try wake to sleep after 20 mins to help cure the 30 min naps. How do I address habitual wakings? (wake-to-sleep and other methods)

Does he go to sleep independently? I.e. In the cot happy and awake and puts himself to sleep without you in the room? If not then working towards that should also help.

[Fiver]

Agree with Ali - 3.5h is probably about the best point to aim to around 5m unless you're blessed with a massive oversupply (or should that be cursed?)

[bbwax]

He does go to sleep by himself with very little issues unless he is teething or OT. His pediatrician has said that he should be between 3 and 4 hours and that was at 3 months. He has made it to 4 hours with little to no problems, but I think the sleep issue has been making him think he is hungry when he isn't and sometimes I feel like he eats to go to sleep.

[*Ali*]

I'd be very surprised if your paed has any scientific evidence at all on which he has based that advice. The World Health Organisation who are the leading experts in BFing actually recommend BFing on demand rather than trying to make a baby go a particular period of time between feeds. I expect your Dr is just not up to date on current BFing guidelines perhaps.

Your LO probably is hungry earlier if he is sleeping less of the 3.5hrs. Being awake burns more calories than sleeping and he doesn't know he is hungry if he is asleep for the last two hours of the four hours he may otherwise be able to go between feeds. I'm sure he will go longer between feeds if you can get the naps to extend.

Maybe you can try to wake him or take him off the breast if he is using it t fall asleep.

If you can address the routine issues I mentioned above then that should help with the naps. Maybe post on the naps board for help with the 30 min naps if you don't have success with wake to sleep or extending A times.