less frequent feeds?

[lepetitmatin]

My 5mo is EBF (we plan to start solids at 6 months or so). She is/was a reflux baby - we are currently slowly weaning her off her medicine as she seems to have improved. I returned to work a couple of weeks ago though and have been pumping 3 times for the 10 hours or so that I am away. She has been getting three bottles during that time, totaling anywhere from 10-12 ounces (that I pumped the day before). She finishes all her bottles. I try to nurse her before I go to work, and when I get home/before bed, as well. So that's 5 feeds during her 12 hour (or so) day. She usually wakes around 10/11pm to eat, and anywhere from 2-4 am again to eat. (I sometimes also feed her an additional time as she wakes and is hard to get back down any other way - but we are working on that with routine fixes as well as she doesn't actually seem hungry).

I'm just wondering whether it is necessary to consolidate her feeds / feed her less frequently (but the same amount) - in other words instead of giving her 3 bottles of 3-4 ounces each, giving her 2 bottles of 5-6 ounces each. Her A times right now are 2.5-3 hours, so the time she has between feeds varies, depending on her naps. I know usually at this age babies cut down to 4 feeds a day or so. Is that true even with breastfed babies, and if so why is this necessary?  I pretty consistently pump about 4 ounces every 3 hours or so, no more. So I worry that if I consolidate her feeds, I'll never be able to give her 5-6 oz at a time when I nurse her, such as on weekends. Is there reason to cut her down to four larger feeds during the day?  Should I try to expand her tummy for some reason? Would this somehow help eliminate her night wakings for food? And how can I make my body adjust to produce more during the day for her and less at night, in order to try to eliminate the night wakings for food?

Thanks for the help!

[*Ali*]

The main reason many babies start to extend the intervals between feeds after 4mo is to fit in with longer A times. As they start to be awake for 2hr+ they tend to still be napping at the 3hrly mark and by the time they wake up it has been 3.5 or 4hrs since their last feed. Then because they haven't fed for so long they take a really big feed which keeps them fuller for longer.

You don't have to reduce the number of feedings if she is happy with 3hrly. Typically a 5mo will take 25oz of milk a day (although normal range is anything 19-30oz) so bear that in mind. If your DD is only taking 3.5-4oz per feed then she will need at least 6 or 7 feeds a day to get enough based on a 25oz average. If she will take more milk at daytime feeds then I would offer it to her but keep the number of feeds the same so that you are adding to the daytime total rather than just shifting it around. That way you might lose a NF. I guess it may be a problem for you if you can't pump more milk to offer in the daytime though. In which case you may have to accept the NFs for a bit longer. It is well within normal range to have 2 NFs at this age. Remember breast milk is her only drink too before 6mo so she may just be thirsty and need a little quencher rather than a full feed, especially if it is hot where you are.

[lepetitmatin]

Thanks for your help!

How are others able to offer more during the day; their bodies are just able to produce more immediately? How can I encourage my body to do this?

[*Ali*]

When feeding by bottle we normally say to offer an ounce more if they are draining bottles. With breast feeding directly from the breast baby just suckles more and that sends the message to the body to make more milk within the next couple of days. You can either pump more often or for longer at each pumping session. I'm guessing that is hard whilst at work though.

There are tips in this FAQ about supplements and foods etc. to increase supply. I'm worried I may have low milk supply