Breastfeeding and 4 hour EASY

[SSM]

My DS is 16 weeks now, and according to the BW I should be going towards 4 hr easy, but I have noticed that when I feed him at the 3 hour mark, he is quite hungry and takes a full feed. Some days he can manage 3.5 hrs and some days 2.5 hrs. Should I continue on 3 hour EASY for a longer period? Also he used to sleep after having his DF at 10.30 till 5/5.30/6, but since the last 10 days has started waking up once or twice at night usually at about 1.30/2, then again around 4 and then 6. I have tried giving him the paci, and patting and shushing, but it does not work and if I feed him, then he sleeps again. It could be that he is hungry and waking, but when I try to get him to take longer feeds during the day, he screams blue murder. Since I am breastfeeding how do I increase his daytime feeds, should I change it from 3 hours to 2.5 hours?

Thanks

[Samuel's mum]

Here's a recent thread which I think the 4 hour EASY topic pretty comprehensively 

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85278.0

I think your nights are a bit more complicated though. I would add that night wakings aren't always a clear 'progression' e.g. babies who may have previously slept through wake at different times because of developmental reasons/ teething/ growth spurts.

Have you noticed any growth spurts? Could one have been going on recently? Sometimes nightwakings continue after a growth spurt for a little while.

Another issue at this age is that a baby can get more distractible and feed less effectively in the day and end up taking more calories at night to compensate. As you say, you can't force a baby to feed for longer but some respond well to feeding in a room with less distraction during the day - even a darkened room. Some babies also take more if they return back to the first breast for a new letdown which keeps their interest (and it will be fattier hindmilk too) OR if you are single-sided feeding then it could be time to move to two sides.

Although at 16 weeks it's not uncommon for a baby to need night feeds if he can go at least 2.5 hours in the day then I would try not to encourage him to feed after 2 hour intervals at night. If he gets into this pattern he may end up taking less in the day and you get into a pattern which is hard to break. It's often thought that if a baby is waking up at a precise time it may not be related to hunger. Even when a baby has woken for another reason they may be sent off to sleep by the breast (as it is so relaxing and contains a sleepy hormone). And it's also so tempting for a tired mummy to offer the breast. Ultimately I think you need to try and focus on getting night intervals to be longer than in the day (again, barring a growth spurt when things might be different for a few days).

Some babies wake for other reasons and then request the breast to help them get back to sleep. Does he drift off to sleep 'independently' at the beginning of the night? I'm guessing as he is on EASY he obviously has got these skills but sometimes I think at night babies seek that comfort (which is perfectly understandable). People feel differently about night feeds - for some people they are not a problem and they actually quite enjoy the chance to connect with their baby so they focus less on getting rid of them. Other people put a higher priority on their own need for sleep as they can function effectively without a certain amount and the need to ensure their baby is not using the breast for comfort every time they wake (which can develop into waking after every sleep cycle and asking for the breast).

I would try your hardest to settle using another method (or even another parent) and see if you can skip the 4am feed at least. If you really have to feed him then give him the minimum you can possibly get away with to try and minimise the calories he takes overnight.

Have you visited the sleep boards too? You could try night wakings. Have a look at the sticky on the gentle removal plan: https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=52857.0
as that technique might be useful for stopping him falling asleep on the breast if you do feed him at night.

I probably wouldn't advise going to 2.5 hours in the day UNLESS you feel he is showing signs of a growth spurt and your supply could benefit from a temporary boost. How confident do you feel about reading his hungry cues?

[SSM]

Actually i do not wait for hunger cues usually, I feed him at the 3 hour interval, so he does not usually ask to be fed. Thanks for the above info. I will try to see what works. He is able to sleep independently about 50% of the time, other wise I cuddle with him on the rocking chair and put him to sleep. I am struggling a lot with nap and sleep issues at the moment and have tried wake to sleep, holding at the jolts, pat/shush and even pu/pd to extend his daytime naps but it is a struggle as he is a 45 min napper. He is quite a tiny baby, at 15 weeks he weighed 5.57 kg. Could that be a reason for the night awakenings?