Author Topic: Nighttime feeding confusion - HELP!  (Read 1044 times)

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Offline AMBZ

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Nighttime feeding confusion - HELP!
« on: January 03, 2014, 16:54:07 pm »
I am so confused by how to implement EASY in the first few weeks.  My LO is due soon I am planning on breastfeeding and all the books say you need to feed a newborn 8-12 times a day and shouldn't let a newborn sleep more than 3-4 hours without a feed.  Does this mean I am waking my baby up every 3 hours to feed? I have seen sample EASY schedules at 4 weeks old, but nothing before.  Help!

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Nighttime feeding confusion - HELP!
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2014, 17:19:53 pm »
When they are tiny tiny the A part of EASY is usually just feed/burp/diaper change before it is time for S again, really in the first while just separating E from S is a good start.  I would say it is hard to know what will happen as every baby is so different....mine always woke to feed so I did not need to wake them that young and each of mine had very different feeding and sleeping habits - from a 5 min lower bf to one who was taking 45-1h feeds until recently!!

As for waking them up...if you mean at night...yes you may need to, but again I have no experience there mine always made sure I knew they were hungry!
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Offline Mom-of-boys

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Re: Nighttime feeding confusion - HELP!
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2014, 19:59:03 pm »
Congratulations on your soon-to-be baby!  I just had my second 3 months ago, although it feels like just yesterday!  The first few weeks are all just a big adjustment period, in my opinion.  More than likely, your baby will wake up and want to be fed, although newborns can be very sleepy.  It is good not to let your baby sleep too long before feeding because the more often your baby eats, the more it boosts your milk supply.  How long you wait before waking your baby up might be totally dependent on your baby too.  My DS2 wasn't latching right and wasn't gaining back his birth weight as fast as the doctor was hoping, so they recommended I try feeding every 2-3 hours.  It might be hard to follow EASY in the first few weeks, but I think the main point to remember is the general routine of eating, then, activity, then sleep, and not watching the clock. 



Offline *Ali*

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Re: Nighttime feeding confusion - HELP!
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2014, 20:04:37 pm »
Have you seen our FAQ on EASY and BFing in the first few weeks? Breastfeeding and EASY in the first few weeks

The reason we don't have sample routines for the first 4 weeks is they vary so much and often every day is different. You really do need to just follow your LO's cues.

I had to wake ds1 for the first few weeks and try to keep him awake during feeds. DS however was only sleeping 30 mins between feeds so I always seemed to be feeding him about every 2hrs and that was with waiting until he seemed hungry rather than when he woke.
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline shivi

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Re: Nighttime feeding confusion - HELP!
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2014, 22:08:54 pm »
I had two very different experiences too...
One was a barracuda style baby and screamed the house down at 3 hrs or earlier. We did implement the cluster feeding with him (or tried) but he refused, only wanted to be fed every 3 hrs, period.

The second wasn't as keen on eating (though funnily enough the first had the jaundice and should've been the sleepier one) but still woke for feeds around the 3 hr mark daytime and then would be on full alert and cluster feeding ALL evening and collapse into a deep sleep around 11pm with only one real night feed after that around 3am.

You'll get to know the pattern of your LO before long xxx


Siobhain - Mammy to Oscar and Emma, forever spirited, currently bilingual and curly, formerly baldy, extended breastfeeders!