Do breastfeeding babies have more naps than formula fed?

[slmoise]

This has really bugged me. Lactation consultants have told me that breastfeeding every 2 hours is normal. Therefore, breastfed babies will have more naps than formula fed. Correct? When should the standard 3 naps a day apply? Why is there not an EASY routine for this?

[Pens Fan]

Hi ya- how old is your LO?   I am not sure if BF babies have more naps - but what I do know is that BF babies do eat every 2 hours to start with- thats because their tummies are really tiny and with Breast Milk its digested really easily.  formula is not digested as quickly so formula fed babies can tend to stretch to 3 hours a little sooner.  When babies are really little I would not focus on the timings for 3 hours EASY - I would just try and get the EASY steps in the right order and then when the tummy is a bit bigger and feeding is a little more stretched out focus on timings.

I found with both my LO's standard 3 naps a day and a cat nap started around 6 weeks

Hope this helps.

[anna*]

I guess advice varies, because the lactation consultant and BF counsellors I spoke to said every 3 hours. Not sure what you mean about the 'standard' 3 naps a day, the number of naps depends on the age of the baby, how long they nap for and how long they can handle being awake? At 2 months, a 3 hour EASY would be 4 naps, probably more if the naps were short! I think they would mostly stick to 3 naps plus a cat nap until about 4 months, then go to 3 naps once they can handle about 2 hours awake time and nap for about 2 hours. Then to 2 naps somewhere around 8 months, and 1 nap at around 14-15 months.

[slmoise]

She is 6 weeks but was 2 weeks early. At first, I thought she was snacking but LC said that she would not be gaining weight as well as mine. My LO gains close to a pound a week!

[Pens Fan]

If she is gaining a lb a week she is not snacking and sounds like she is doing wonderfully well.  I may help if youpost your routine.  thanks eliz

[spanna]

Hi!

Therefore, breastfed babies will have more naps than formula fed. Correct?

 From looking around my Mother's group, (a variety of BF and FF babies),  there was no difference in the number of naps they took from the start to now.......and I've never heard it said before either. I know that's not scientific but is a cross section of some kind I guess!

[Tansy]

My lo was 2 weeks early and i breastfed him every two hours during the day for the first two months. During the night i tried to stretch it out to 3 hours. Around six weeks they also come into a growth spurt so your lo could be at the beginning of that. I found when bfing and going through a growth spurt, their feeds were all over the place and it felt like we would never get back to a routine

[Adaias mom]

Tansy,

I a now going through my 6w GS! How long did it last as i had a dream routine going, and now its all gone wrong and i feel like it will never get back to that

I am BF and so she just seems to feed for ages in order for her to get full as obviously my milk supply starts to run down once she has emptied my boobs for the 3rd time! 3 days ago i would have told you i had loads and loads of milk, now it seems my boobs don't get engorged at all and they are permantly running on semi-low! She still gets to sleep eventually so i must have enough milk, but i thought after a day of constant nipple sucking, my boobs would be like melons the next day, bt nope they are not! Then again could be the constant NW for feeds too!

Oh where has my 6 hour sleep stretch gone

[Tansy]

Adaias mom,
I think a gs can last anytime from a few days to two weeks. After two weeks, i would definitely try extending their feeds if they haven't done so themselves, and see how they go.
Also, when going through a gs it can take a few days for your breasts to up their milk capacity. A
nd yes, it worried me too when you are used to being engorged and then lo starts drinking more than usual - you worry that you dont have enough for them. I think when my ds was around this age, i ran out late one evening to grab a tub of formula just in case we didnt make it through the night lol We did of course, and i didnt need the formula. But it is still scary.

[Adaias mom]

Tansy,

I was very close to getting some of my frozen milk out last night, but everytime i wanted to give up, i seemed to get yet another letdown reflex and she got some more. She eventually got enough and went to sleep, but sometimes i just think how much easier it would be to just give her a bottle. I know BF is not the easy option, but i have to say sometimes it does seem very difficult! I just have to remind myself of the benefits to my LO.

xx

[slmoise]

Schedule is all over the place but I am keeping track of her routine on paper. The only thing consistent is the amount of sleep she gets between 12:00 am and 9 am. About six hours. She would always wake up at 5 am and I tried ignoring it but she would cry. I fed her and she would wake up an hour later and cry.

I finally figured out that she was congested and felt better sleeping vertically. I had to hold her up so I don't think that is a case of accidental parenting

I know she was congested because I tried the cotton trick. One nostril easily blew away cotton and the other did nothing.

If she would just not have the congestion she would get more sleep at night and so would I.

[Adaias mom]

slmoise,

Have you tried getting a room air purifier to help with her congestion? JML do an Air globe and it comes with Eucalyptus scent that you put in the water to help with congestion. Its not cheap at £39.99 but its good. I use it in my LO's room as white noise and it works a treat. It also comes with calming lavendar that smells lovely!

[Tansy]

Humidifiers or air purifiers do work a treat when lo's are congested. Also propping up one side of their mattress in the cot, so their head is slightly tilted up on an angle if that makes sense. When they are blocked up like that, they do wake more often as they struggle to breath deeply.

Adaias mom, stick in there with the bfing - it is worth it in the end

[CLJK]

I noticed with all three of my LOs that if I fed any sooner than about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, they would get a lot more gas.  Sometimes feeding more encourages them to get the foremilk, which is rich is lactic acid and can cause a lot of gas.  Plus they get in a snacking cycle where they only take a bit of the foremilk, which is not as filling, and don't get to the hindmilk, which is full of the fats they need and that help keep them full.  Of course, try to read your own baby, but feeding more frequently never helped any of us.  During growth spurts I would do, for example, left side, then right side, then left side again to encourage more milk.

[slmoise]

To CLJK,

I do notice that she wakes up from gas and pooping. I asked my lactation consultant about snacking and she said that she is most certainly not snacking. She said snacking babies don't gain weight as well as mine. She is gaining close to a pound a week.

At least three of my colleagues have assured me that eating every two hours is normal as they went through it at the beginning. They are telling me to keep it up as it gets easier.

One lady who breastfed 30 years ago said she felt like a human pacifier from 7 to 11.