how DEMANDing is demand feeding?

[jessica]

Hi everyone, please excuse the dumb questions but as a 2nd time mum after three years I've forgotten so much and feel so new to breastfeeding again!!!

Q1. Beautiful bubs is only a week old so I'm demand feeding, its abot 2-3 hrly at daytime but nights she is insatiable and won't settle after HUGE feeds - she could easily feed every HOUR!! I know her attachment is fine and she is doing enough poo's and wee's but is this TOO demanding? Has anyone done hourly feeds or less:eek: my boobs are coping fine so I don't mind the feeding just wondering does this sound right???

Q2. Clicking noise when feeding? Again attachment checked by nurses - all good - good wee's etc, will have weight gain checked tommorrow - BUT what is that clicking noise (her not me) when feeding?

I think that's it for now - she's hungry! got to go!!!
Taa:D

[our little treasures]

Not sure about the clicking sound. I found demand feeding easier than getting up at night and trying to resettle a bubby. I did demand feed for a very long time though until he was 12mnths.

[allysophia]

The feeds are most likely her way of saying "mum! You don't have enough milk. I'm going to work this nipples till they produce enough!"

So give it time and the hourly feeds will go down. Just her way of getting more milk out
. Very normal. Very natural and the best way to do things.

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

I get the clicking noise too when my milk comes in quite fast and Sasha cant swallow quick enough,sometimes he chokes on it poor bub.

Demand feeding is quite demanding but i couldn't do it any other way.If i left it until i wanted to feed him then he'd kick up a stink and would probably be alot less settled than if i were to demand feed.

I think that we eat when we are hungry no one tells us when we can and can't eat so why should it be any different for bubs.

Sounds like you are doing a great job,sounds pretty normal to me :)

[AM]

o god yes. hourly feeds. makes me shudder to remember. very normal. hang in there.

[jarrahsmumma]

both sound fine to me

the milk thing is completely normal, bubs usually feed more in the evening, the breast 'fills' with milk after 20mins, enough for a top up feed.

the click noise (i had this too) if you think attachment is OK then it may just be a high palate in bubs mouth and a little click noise is made when they suck, this is what i was told by ABA. it will dissapear soon enough.

demand feeding is now being called "feed to need" which is much more apt. you feed to the babies need, whether that be every 3 hours or every 20 mins :) or somewhere in between. i dont think a baby could every be too demanding:D

[aardvark]

Evening "cluster feeding" is quite normal.

It's bub's way of "putting the order in" for tomorrow's smorgasbord.

I'm even finding DS has started doing it again now I'm back at work (he's 17 months), because even with EBM during the day, he's missing his boobies. Guess why I am sitting at the PC right now........

Cluster feeding can b a nuisance, but develop some coping strageies, like preparing most of dinner earlier in the day, and its better.

[mini munchkin]

the clicking noise could also be bub regulating the flow. I had really fast flow and it was just how she made it manageable. Hope that helps xxx

[jessica]

Hi again, taa for responses - she definetly CLUSTER feeds (had never heard of that!) so that helps in understanding her feeds a bit better! Most books talk about bubs having on average between 6-8 feeds a day - DD2 is no AVERAGE bub then she feeds between 9 and 12 times a day - not that it worries me but do other bubs do this - can anyone beat 12? I've decided to stop counting to keep my sanity!!;)

[dancingchipmunk]

Hi.

My DS used to feed all the time. I mean ALL the time. I just thought that was normal and went with it. Your bub will get into their own little routine soon enough.

As for the clicking noise, like other people have said about milk comming down to fast I believe this to be why they click. My milk would shoot out and DS would sometime cop a face full :o but while he was attached he would make the clicking sound. After a couple of months though my supply settled and the noise went away.

Congrats on bub number two :thumbsup: .

[Pipsii]

My bub is just over 4 weeks too and is probably feeding between 8 and 12 times a day/night at the moment too... and sometimes for only 10 or 15 minutes then sleeping for half an hour or so and then wanting more. At night it's every 2 or 3 hours, but really long feeds, more than an hour at a time.
I guess they're all different and we just go with it. If they want it, we may as well give it to them :yes:

[dragonflyblu]

oh yes, every 15 minutes for threehours everynight. clicking sounds, gagging on milk let down, milk eveerywhere, waking up on a milk soaked bedsheet, sleeping with a hand towel under me..... all settled down at some stage, now she is nealy 6 monts and she feeds 3-4 hourly, with a mini cluster feed at 6-8pm.

[aries_moon]

yep it's crazy hey but you're not alone!! My bub was feeding hourly round the clock til around 8 weeks! It's lots to cope with I would imagine with another child, but just hang in there as once you're SO over it, bubs will sort out a more civil feeding pattern (hopefully).