A time increasing. Where to fit in feeds? 5 hrs between feeds?

[centrestage88]

My lo is 5.5 mths. I might hold off solids till 6.5mths.
Thks to you lovely ladies, he's just started on a 2 nap schedule. ( 2 days ago)
 He used to be on a 4hr milk feed with 3 naps. (He takes the 4 hrs very well. Does not get hungry between at all)
Now his A times have increased to 3 hrs and he can nap 2hrs. Can the duration between feeds be 5 hrs?
Any recommendations for feeding times?

He usually wakes up for 1 night feed but on rare occasions does STTN.

Current schedule for past 2 days:
WU: 730am
E:8am
S: 10am
E:12 noon
S:230 or 330 pm
E:5pm
E and zzz: 730pm

1NF(430-530am)

There is one 5hrs spacing between feeds. Is that too wide a spacing? ( he doesnt cry for food at all though)
should I put his feed at 230/330 instead?(but it brings it back to 3 hr feed) (and also I thought it was better to feed closer together to tank them up at night that's why I was thinking of 5pm feed instead)

Also, will he STTN with just 4 feeds a day? Will 4 feeds a day make him always wake up for 1 NF?

Advise please.

[newkidontheblock]

You have to get a bit creative with feeds around this time, especially when solids are added to the mix. Remember that solids before one are mainly for fun & exploration and milk remains the main source of nutrition. At that age, I was not too comfortable with too long a gap between nursing DD - I worried about my supply and so on. So I would feed her twice in each A time. So I nursed her on WU in the morning and from both her naps and I re-nursed around 45 minutes before each nap as well. This worked well for us. At around 7 months, she lost interest in the second nurse in the morning A as she was happy with her porridge (into which I also added 2 oz milk) and later I stopped nursing on WU from nap 2 as she wasn't hungry enough at BT as a result.

Hope that helps!

[*Ali*]

At this age I would top up before the first nap so you can fit 5 feeds in the day. That is what we still do now. Sometimes we even have 6 feeds if we won't be having 3 solids meals. Some babies do well with 4 feeds a day but it does depend on your supply a nd storage capacity as to whether he will be able to get big enough feeds in to manage in just those without a NF.

[becj86]

There were times DS was fine with the feeds 5hr apart and other times he needed a top up. I did the top up an hour after the first feed so there was still 4hr between feeds as DS struggled with gas and my supply went crazy if he snacked. Then when I started solids, I replaced the top up feed with solids and it seemed like a natural progression so he'd have milk feed then solids an hour later.

[centrestage88]

Thks ladies. How do I know when he needs a top up? And how would you know to give a top up an hour after the first feed? ( wouldnt baby be full after having eaten just an hr before?)   rooting is not a signal as his hands are always in his mouth.

[centrestage88]

how do you know if a baby is hungry or sleepy when it's not quite near sleep time but quite near the last feed?

If he's sleepy, he will sleep at the breast?
If he's hungry, after drinking he will stop fussing?

Or can a sleepy baby stop fussing after drinking and stay awake happily after that?

[*Ali*]

I'd just offer the extra feed so you can get as much milk in him in the day as possible. Otherwise he is more likely to wake at night if he gets less calories in the day. If he isn't hungry he won't feed IME unless you wait until he is really tired and he just has a few sucks and falls asleep.

[centrestage88]

Thanks ladies for your advice!  I've decided to give him a top up in the morning. I was very afraid of it leading to snacking, but he's very happy with the additional feed and doesn't seem to be snacking. Still waking up for a night feed though, but I gladly give it to him.

[*Ali*]

Really normal to still have a NF at this age too.