Combined feeding

[paola]

Hi!  I've been having a big problem for the past couple of weeks, I breastfeed and bottlefeed my baby, she had been in a feeding routine of every three hours (she hardly ever naps and when she does it's only for abput 20 minutes in the morning and an hour long nap in the afternoon). Now, she will bf for about 20 minutes and about 40 minutes later she will be hungry again and I bf again or give her a bottle (up to 3oz.), sometimes she falls asleep but only for a short time.  It had not affected her night feedings which were 4 hours apart (I only bottle feed her at night), but now her nights have changed as well and she has been waking up every 3 hours at night to feed (she only takes 3.5 oz or so).  Help!  it seems like I can't get a flow going with the EASY, although I try everyday.

[stephanie 78]

Hey Paola,
How old is your lo? Also, what is your daily routine like? How long has your lo been waking every 3 hours at nite?
Sorry to ask so many questions m8 but it does help to know a little more about a stuation!!
Stephanie

[paola]

Sorry! I forgot to write down my baby´s details.  She's 14 weeks old (3.5 months) and her routine goes pretty much like this:

7:30 wakes up
8:00 breast feeds for about 20-30 min
9:30 2-3 oz. bottle
9:45 naps for 20 minutes
between the time she wakes up and ehr next feeding we will either stay home and play or we'll go out, in which case she sometimes naps in her car seat but wakes up as soon as we get home
12:30-13:00 breast feeds for 20-30 minutes
14:30 2-3 oz. bottle
15:30 naps for about an hour
16:30 wakes up from her nap
17:45/18:00 breast feeds (sometimes she falls asleep at the breast, but I wake her up by putting her down)
19:00 bedtime routine (bath and a 1-2 oz. bottle)
20:00 I put her down to bed

She had been sleeping for 4 hour stretches at night, but she's now waking up more often.

Thanks for your help.

[stephanie 78]

Hey Paola,
WOW! Your lo seems to eat loads!! Are you finding it hard to stick to the 3 hr EASY? I struggled with it too for a while and just when we got it right it was time to adapt to 4 hr EASY!!
Does your lo not want to latch on as soon as she wakes? How much A time does she do and wot kind of A is it? I only ask as in the morning she BFs from 830 - 9am and then is eating again 30 mins later. Do you think she actually needs the bottle at this point? Have you tried expressing milk and giving her that from the bottle first thing so you can see how much she is taking? Do you do a DF? That may help you out with the evening stretch? How long has she been waking up more often? Do you think she could be having a bitof a growth spurt?

Stephanie

[daisymelan]

It seems like a napping issue.  Have you tried wake to sleep?  You stay in your little ones room or go in right before when they usually wake up....  Your case it seems 20 minutes, and pat or hold your little one until she falls back to sleep?  You could likely find more advice on this in the naps forum. 

By offering the bottle you are encouraging snacking and it will continue as a cycle.  You may need to drop back down to a  2.5 hour routine until you get her used to going every 3 hours again.  It seems as if that's what she's on a 2 hour eating routine right now anyway.  Also, each time you offer a bottle after a feed you are hurting your supply.  You should encourage your little girl to nurse those few ounces, rather than the bottle.  Your body will adjust back to offering that much again, our breasts are smart that way.

I would also try breast compressions during feeds so you are getting as much as you can into your los mouth and tummy. 

Can you hear her swallowing the entire time she is on?  Or do you think she is using you as a pacifier?  Listening to her swallowing paterns will help you figure that out. 

I hope this helps you.