How to get LO to take more at each feed

[*Amy*]

DD is on 4 hour easy and she feeds for 10mins at the four hour mark - however she is now waking twice a night having gone from sleeping through from 10weeks to 14 weeks. Don't think she is feeding enough at each feed - but she is not interested in latching back on!

Do you think perhaps I could offer her a breast before a nap - but make sure she doesn't fall asleep on the boob?? I don't want her to associate bfing with sleeping so not sure if this will create a bad habit!

[shivi]

Hi Amy!

Do you do a DF?

One thing I did with my two, as I was so reluctant to intro solids early, but also insistent that they STTN as they had been doing from 10 and 14 weeks respectively was to feed them on waking so they would get one full boob without even noticing as they were still semi-comotose - I would lift them from the cot with breast ready to latch onto straight away (TMI sorry). This meant much longer (and such cozy) feeds at 11 and 3pm as these were so distracted otherwise and then a DF straight from the breast with Emma at 11pm meant she continued to STTN.

In saying that though, Emma STTN from 10 weeks consistently but had a bad week at the 3 mth mark of waking at 3am again to feed (GS) and again a bad few days at the 4 mth mark so it could be just GS territory. If she is very hungry I would try the semi-comotose almost DF style feeding partic at 11am and 3pm, see does it help and then if it seems to you should see a gradual stretch back at nighttime.

I wouldn't go giving the breast at nap time if she is going a good 4 hrs btw feeds daytime, just try getting those exact feeds to be more calorific so that she tanks up daytime only.

The avatar is so so cute btw.

S x

[firsttimemummy]

Is she having a little growth spurt?  I used to feed DS with one side, change his nappy etc then offer the other side ....

Do you do cluster feeds towards bedtime?

[*Amy*]

Thanks Shivi! She actually was hungry after she woke up today so I fed her, I felt it was a good feed so we will see how she goes tonight after 5 feeds today compared to her normal 4!

[shivi]

so she normally does only 4 in 24 hours?

Mine NEVER got that good. Dropped to 4 feeds (7,3,7,DF) only when they were eating a good 3 meals a day around 7.5/8 mths.

Hoping the tips work. So great to hear there is another ebf babe out there who CAN go 4 hrs and do 4 hr EASY and STTN at 4 mths. I was beginning to think Tracy's books were written for very few babes!

S x

[*Amy*]

Sorry should clarify! On 3 hour EASY she was having 5 feeds a day and STTN 12 hours on 4 hour EASY she is waking for food!!
No cluster feeding
She feeds both sides at each feeding.
Not sure if i can start the cluster feeding tonight - she is 5mins into her catnap and she should be going to bed at 6pm! She is really OT from the day, this is day 2 of paci weaning! this is my 4th 30min nap today!! Anyway, so she should wake at 4.45pm and I hoped to have her in bed by 6pm as that is the time she woke at this morning - so not sure where I can fit in a cluster feed tonight!

[shivi]

I never cluster fed at that age, they wouldn't have it at all. Far too interested in the world than in the breast unless starving...

I would try feeding on waking in the dark/quiet but then that will be hard with the 30 min naps. Our EASY finally fell into place at the 4/4.5 mth mark with delicious 2 hr naps for the first time so it was much easier for me to get there and get them latched on.

Do you think maybe she's not ready for the 4 hr EASY both in terms of A time and being OTd and in terms of taking enough at each feed?

Oscar was big (almost 8 kg when I went back to work at 4.5 mths) and always on the low end of sleep needs and moved really quickly from 3 to 4 hr EASY.
Emma was also big for a girl but smaller than him and not as efficient a feeder and more distracted etc so she needed closer to 20 weeks before we got there.

S x

[*Amy*]

She just kind of moved herself to the 4 hour EASY schedule - this is day two of Paci weaning but we had two great days right before I decided to wean the paci!
Anyway we will get there with that!
I think what I will do tomorrow is a 3.5 hour EASY and see how that goes, I was ready back over some old posts on the BF board and this is suggested!
Cassie is WAY too interested in what is happening in the world to re latch after she has come off!!
I think she has a doc appointment on thursday so will get her weighed then!
Yeah EASY fell into place when DS was about 4.5 months old too!