CHN says Im feeding too frequently!

[Lipsmacker01]

Not sure what to do. DD1 who is 6 months old this week is currently feeding about every hour and a half all day long. Sometimes she can go without milk a bit longer but this is usually the longest she seems to go without my breastfeeding.
Shes been on solids for the past 3 weeks but doesnt seem to completely finish her meals all the time. I give her one at lunch time and one in the evening at 6.30pm. Im also having an issue with her waking 2-3 times a night for extra top ups. I know that she could be going through a growth spurt so I want to feed on demand as this is what Ive been told. She also has two teeth now and seems to be getting more, moans a lot after being settled at 4am.
Im freaking out as Ive been told she should be only having about 5 breast feeds a day when this is no where near what shes getting now. Im guessing at least 8!!!! just today. She feeds for about 15-25 mins roughly. The CHN said that feeding her less frequently would help me out a lot as she thinks that Im going to get very tired feeding constantly. PS I dont have family close by that can help so I guess she was saying this in my best interests. She also thinks that bubs is bigger now and can handle going without feeds for a bit longer and that ive sort of got her used to frequent feeding.
The CHN also seems to think I can stop feeding her during the night when she wakes but somehow I dont think it will work as she wakes screaming and does eat fairly well. Ive yet to try it. Its very frustrating. If I take her out to a restaurant she seems to always want a feed when my meal is due to be served! The Gran parents seem to think shes always eating!

She seems to be stacking on a fair bit of weight, about 170g a week since she was 4 months. Shes 6 months this week.

How did everyone else cope and am I doing something wrong?

[punkbaby]

I demand fed all mine if they wanted it they got it, they would have been about 8 months before i got a solid night (meaning hmm 6 hours at the most) out of them, apart from ds who was FF from 4 months. I cant see why she would drink if she didnt need it unless its merely a 5 minute feed and you know its just for comfort. You could try stretch them out a litte but personally i dont see why you should if you are coping. Does she have a period through the day or night where you get that litte bit extra out of her where she will sleep for longer? I did try the whole make them wait and time feeds etc but it just caused upset with bubs and made me moody so i gave in and just let them have it when they wanted they soon worked out a routine where they did eventually learn to hold on and wait that little longer during the evenings it takes time

I cant see how you can feed too much when babies will only drink/eat what they need :) I dont think your doing anything wrong, thats just my view though! Naturally if its wearing you down though by all means you might want to try other methods, if not then keep doing what your doing, sounds like your doing a great job!

[shed]

am I doing something wrong?


Yes you are.

You should stop going to the CHN so much!!

okay, jokes aside, maybe you could try and space it out a bit, and start the next feed from the breast you finished up on the last time so she gets the hindmilk. That might help her go a bit longer between feeds.

Do you use a dummy? She might benefit from comfort sucking? just a thought, you will know more than me about that because you are there.

The amount of feeds doesn't sound wrong at all. My 15 month old feeds at least 6 times a day, and then at least once during the night. I must teach him to read so he can read the books that say he doesn't need it anymore. He has definitely cut down lately (I miss it :( ) because I have recently put him on more solids. We took ages to get to this point and he was on about 8 feeds a day till 12 months (I think, I never did count them).

That's my advice hun. There is actually nothing wrong going on here, your baby is normal, but if its affecting you and you WANT to space the feeds out a bit, then try it. Otherwise, just persist and wait for her to change (she will, I promise you she will).

And most of all, don't let people make you doubt yourself. You are doing a wonderful, instinctively correct job.

Btw, my MIL always said I was feeding DS too much because I fed him before he was screaming :rolleyes:

[Fuchsia!]

wow i can't believe your nurse told you that!

you can feed the baby however much you like! i don't have a special amount of time that i feed ds, i just feed him when he wants it! Sometimes it could be 10-15 times a day!

If you are comfortable feeding him through the night then keep doing it. If not you can try and offer him water or try putting the dummy in his mouth each time, but i find it very fustrating having to get up all the time!

170gs is a great weight, my nurse told me that they should average around 200g a week. My ds puts on a bout a kg a month.

you aren't doing anything wrong. You are doing everything right in my book!:hugs:

Im not sure if b/f bubs can get unhealthily fat can they? I have never heard of it:no:.

Good luck! my advice is to feed whenever your bub wishes!

[cherryripe]

I've found that CHN's I've spoken to often say things that don't sit right with me and I think it's because they try to place the mother's needs as a high priority, whereas us mums are putting our babies needs first.

Both my children have been frequent feeders and there was just no stretching it out. Keep following your instincts. Sounds to me like you're doing a wonderful job.

[the_queen]

:hugs: oh mate :hugs: you sound like a wonderful mummy who is doing a wonderful job. Some babies love their booby so much that they want it more than others. CHN's have a script of what they're supposed to say, and generally they are complete idiots. Mothers need to have faith in their own instinct, and judge for themselves what is best for their own child.

Some babies feed more than "the books" say they "should". My boy was feeding about the same as your gorgeous one, at the same age.

You are doing a great job. Ignore that CHN. YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT :hugs:

[KatiesMum]

I wholeheartely agree with shed - dont listen to the CHN

I FF bubs so dont know much.... but from what I understand you cant give a baby too much breast milk. If she is hungry - feed her!!!!

Having said that - if it is comfort sucking a dummy or some other comforter may help....

[our little treasures]

Are you happy feeding your baby that often??

If the answer is yes ignore the CHN and carry on.

If your answer was no / not really try to stretch bubs outslowly so just wait an extra 15mns then 30mns etc.


I have had a 3-4 hourly feeder, a 2hrly feeder night and day and I will tell you the 2 hrly feeder ds was a lot less stressful than trying to extend the time out
Good luck.

[Beany]

Tell that nurse to get bent :yes:

Your little one knows what she needs , how often and how much. If you are happy with her setting the schedule, just carry on doing as you are.

Waking at 6 months is a normal thing. It's tragic when we are the ones with the normal babies, ain't it? :( :p My son, at 14 months, still wakes at least twice a night for feeds. Perfectly normal. Nothing wrong with it. Buy some concealer for the bags :D

[stellarella]

P!ss that nurse off!

Demand feeding will make life easier for you. Whats easier - BFing a hungry baby on demand or wrestling and fighting with a screaming hungry baby to try and stretch feeds out?

Pfffft! Where do they find these CHNs????

Pathetic!

Demand feed all the way. It will slow down and naturally stretch out over time. Dont worry about solids my son wasnt eating them til about 10 months old. BM is the best nutrition.

Teething is a big indicator of my sons BFing habits. He is 15 months old and when he is cutting a tooth i'm pinned to the lounge all day. Its ok, it doesnt last forever.

:hugs:

[AM]

Feed your baby exactly as many times as your baby wants to be fed. That CHN obviously is working under very outdated assumptions, and is spreadng dangerous misinformation.

You are doing a brilliant job!!!:thumbsup: Keep it up.:)

[Lipsmacker01]

Thanks ladies for all your responses, Ive slowly got it down to about 5 or six feeds a day. I guess the nurse did sound a bit unrealistic and I do agree with demand feeding too but I should understand when bubs is hungry too and not just letting her snack feed.
If she goes over the five feeds a day I dont complain. She knows when shes hungry and at 6 months and the growth spurt thing it wouldnt surprise me if she did want more.

[Ashleigh<3]

I'm so glad I never went to the CHN.
I was demand feeding every 30 minutes.
She would of hated me!

[nemosmum]

Glad to hear your doing great lipsmacker:)

everyone has given you brillant advice!

I love the fact I can comfort feed my baby, especially now shes teething and in heaps of pain
I just pop her on and shes instantly comforted! love it!

that said I also love the dummy and my 9hours of uninterrupted sleep...which thankfully bubs gives me!

she makes up for it though by feeding all day long:)

[tanni_83]

i ageree about the CHN!! :yes:

Elise didnt start on solids properly until 12mths, she pretty much demand fed up until then. She hated the pureed mush foods and went straight onto finger foods.

Until i weaned her RECENTLY at 2 1/2yr she was still having night feeds.

You are doing everything right! Keep up the good work :hugs:

[mischief79]

Glad someone else is having the same problem I am! I'm feeding pretty much every 1-1.5 hrs during the day, but only once or twice at night. She feeds for about 5 mintues on one side (big deep gulps) and then isn't interested in anymore until about an hour later.
I just got off the phone with the CYH before I read this, and they told me as well to bring feeding out to about 3 hours. I can't have her cry that long! Tried a dummy, kinda works.
I know she must be full after only 5 or so minutes because there's some overflow that always comes out.

From what most people seem to say, CYH need to update their thinking from our parents days!

[ZooKeeper]

next time a CHN tells you something like that, suggest you'll bring bubba to their place for the night and THEY can listen to the crying of a sad and hungry bubba.

I'm due to take starfish for her six month in two weeks, and am already polishing up my fangs and claws for the adventure.:laughing: she's feeding every couple of hours if not more often unless we are out, when she makes up for it with overnight cluster feeds. even after three solids meals a day plus about nine to ten BF, she still has at least two night feeds on a good night, up to six or more on a not so beaut one. and some of her feeds are still up to half an hour long. some are ten minutes. whatever keeps her happy, healthy and growing, that's my motto, even if it makes me tired keeping up sometimes.