Cameron has been a very fussy eater lately. She keeps pulling off and crying. I was at my wits end so did the typical mom move. I Googled it. What did mothers do without the Internet?!?
I was really worried that Cameron was just not getting enough food from me to keep her happy. But based on my research she is fine and has enough appropriate diaper changes each day. I so wish I had my own scale for her just to double check but that's just my Type A personality talking.
It turns out that Cameron just wants her food very fast and doesn't want to work for it. She seems to favor the hare over the tortoise. My solution? Add in an extra feeding so she doesn't get frustrated.
I found a couple of really great links I wanted to post here for current and future breastfeeding moms:
http://www.askmoxie.org/2008/02/qa-fussy-baby-w.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/fussy-while-nursing.html
Cameron's extra feeding now means she eats consistently every 3 hours. It adds another nap too but since we will just have to deal with that on the weekends, I'm OK with it. Plus that means her naps are shorter which I think is a good thing for daycare. It was sometimes a battle for me to keep her asleep for 2 hours and I had a dark room and cradle swing.
Has anyone else experienced this an increase in number of feedings? I figured she would reduce her feedings as she gets older but it appears with breastfeeding that she needs more. I assume if I had a larger supply at any given feeding she would not need the extra one. Will my supply eventually increase so we can reduce the number of feedings or am I stuck with every 3 hours?
Hey, It's Okay
1 day ago
3 comments:
Brady ate every three hours for about the first 7 months. I don't remember if that's what it was like the first month or so, but it was definitely his schedule for a looong time. He also woke up several times to nurse.
Your breasts will make as much as she wants for the most part. I know that doesn't work 100%, but it should even out.
Also, it may not be that she's not getting enough at each feeding (not saying it isn't, just saying it may not be). I know that's really hard to believe - and it really throws you for a loop when you go from wondering if they get enough to wanting them to stop.
Anyway, she may just be going through a phase, she could be starting to teethe (yes that early), she could just be bored, she could just want one more feeding a day and this is her way of getting it.
And don't worry about that changing the way she'll eat at daycare. They'll regulate it. I haven't done it myself, but I know a lot of bf'ing moms who've gone through it and they all say the bottle schedule at daycare/nanny is different than their at-home nursing schedule.
They do space out their feedings somewhat, but really, an exclusively BF baby is highly unlikely to go more than 3-3.5 hours without feeding during the day (especially if she sleeps one or more long stretches at night. As Danielle said, it's probably not a matter of you not producing enough at a feeding. Remember her stomach capacity is also finite! Up until they are about a year old, they are likely to nurse anywhere from 5-8 times a day. (some babies nurse even more!)
Also, if the problem is she wants a faster letdow/flow, there are a couple of things you can do. 1) Relax and imagine your milk flowing like a river or waterfall. Sounds hokey, but it can speed up your letdown. 2) Lean forward slightly while you nurse- let gravity help the milk flow! 3) Massage and compress the breast while she feeds. This will help empty all the milk ducts. Always massage towards the nipple, from your collarbone down and all the way across from your armpit. Careful not to get too close to the areola or you may break her latch.
You're doing such a great job Stacey!!!
I agree with Lori that you're doing a great job! I found Ned would pull off a lot around month 4 (so adjusted around now for you). I did a lot of switching back and forth breasts to keep him interested. It actually worked for us. Then he got whatever his sister didn't eat in her bottle. But I probably wouldn't recommend that part. :)
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