Author Topic: 8.5 month old wants to BF every 3 hrs!  (Read 1055 times)

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Offline diyasmom

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8.5 month old wants to BF every 3 hrs!
« on: October 14, 2005, 16:00:49 pm »
My DD doesn't take a lot of solids. I still have to nurse her 6 times for her to sleep through! Also, she is able to go 3.5 hrs in the afternoons too without BF.She does this only if we are out and I am not very close to her. But she wakes up in the middle of the night for a feeding if I do that. Is my body trained to produce milk based on 3 hr feedings(meaning less milk than a 4hr feeding schedule)? Do I have to try changing the interval to 3.5 to 4 hrs so that I'll produce more milk or should I give her extra formula? I so badly want to do this so that we can increase her A time and change her routine so that she will have only 2 naps instead of 2 short am and pm naps & a 2 hr long catnap:(
Our routine:
8 BF
9 Solids
9.45 Nap(45 mins or 1.5 hr)
11.30 BF
12.30 Solids
1.30 Nap(45 mins)
2.30 BF
3.30 Solids
4.30 Nap(1.5 hrs:( )
5.30 BF
7 BF
8.30 BF and bed
I have posted the same question in EASY forum too.

Thanks in advance
Vidya
Vidya
Diya 1/25/05 Angel/Textbook and very spirited

Offline GraceKellysmom

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8.5 month old wants to BF every 3 hrs!
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2005, 00:52:27 am »
This problem seems to be more about her awake time? Try to keep her up as long as you can, and lay her down when she is sleepy. When she is developmentally ready to stay awake longer and sleep longer, she will. Some babies just do this later than others. My day care baby is the same way with short naps, although he could care less when/if he eats.

Your body is used to the 3 hrly feedings, so it knows how much milk to make for that. She is used to the calories of 6 meals to help her sleep through, so if you knock it down to five feeds without uping her solids - she may wake up like you say. Makes sense.

As she naturally starts taking more solids you will be able to drop feeds, and she will be able to go longer between nursings. Babies usually change a lot at this age, 9-10 months, I'm hoping yours gives you a little relief soon!  :wink:
Stacy, Mama to
Grace Kelly 01/03, Maximilian Alexander 07/04, Faith Noelle 03/07, Henry Patrick 12/08
and my angel babies

Offline branwen

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8.5 month old wants to BF every 3 hrs!
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2005, 14:08:01 pm »
Hi Vidya-

I just wanted to tell you that Eirwen still needs her three naps...when I was trying to force the two naps on her we ended up with a mess and a few night wakings.  I went back to offering her a nap every 2 hrs and now she is much happier.

Also wanted to offer the following that helped me up my supply during Eirwen's 6 month growth spurt and got her to go longer between feeds, eventually this also lead to the end of our evening cluster, which I also see that you still do.

I would pump after every feed so as to stimulate my breasts to make more milk, so there would be extra milk made for the next feed.  I just kept going like this for a couple of days until Eirwen seemed to catch up to drinking that much and that was how we got to 3.5 hrs and then 4 hrs at 7 months.  You can also try to put her back on the breast although I don't have a lot of luck doing that now- when she's done she's done! :wink:
Branwen
Mama to Eirwen 1/22/05


Offline diyasmom

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8.5 month old wants to BF every 3 hrs!
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2005, 00:00:41 am »
Thank you very much for the advice.
Vidya
Vidya
Diya 1/25/05 Angel/Textbook and very spirited