Non Stop BF - I am going mad

[Ponyboy]

Hi to all!

I just wanted to post this and see if anyone else has experienced this. My daughter Anaki is 10 weeks old (she was born 6 weeks premmie) and she wants to feed constantly all day - I mean we are lucky sometimes to have 1/2 hour between feeds. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just a phase? At night she doesn't do it as much (although does have her off days) - but during the day it doesn't stop and it really makes it hard for me to do anything. Shopping is an effort as I spend more time in the parents room then actual shopping. I really want to avoid formula feeding and the health clinic nurses don't seem to think anything is wrong when I tell them as she is putting on heaps of weight.

[misskittyfantastico]

I went through this with my DD several times...I know how hard it can be:hugs:
I just put it down to growth spurts. Sometimes I would express over a couple of days to get a feed and then my DH would feed bubs just to give me and my boobs a break. I promise it won't be like this forever (feels like it though) You're a great mum and you're doing a wonderful thing for your bubba:yelclap:

[SilverStarfish]

My friend's 4 week old is doing this. My friend calls it "permafeeding" as bubs is seems to be permanently attached to her breast!

Apparently its "normal" and the phase should pass. Hang in there! You must be doing something right as your little girl is putting on weight :)

[Funkychicken]

Ahh the old permanent attachment to the boob trick! My DS#1 was like this for about 4 months. He was gaining a pound a week for the first 8 weeks of his life. At 4 moonths he weighed nearlt 9 kgs!
I was so overwhelmed by it all-it is such a shock to find yourself in this role (24 hr milkbar). Although he loved all this feeding, hindsight showed me that he was just an exceptionally 'sucky' baby. I was dead against giving him a dummy so he used me as a human dummy instead. If you can stick at it, it is so worth it. And it will slow down-at some point. Don't feel as though this is your DD's whole babyhood because things will change. It actually takes, on average, 3 months to properly establish breastfeeding so this process is still happening. By 4 months she will have sorted out a feeding routine. It may still be quite often that she feeds but you will know what times this will happen by then, making it a bit easier to plan your days. Good luck with your Bubbagirl. You will be so grateful you stuck with breastfeeding when you see how strong she grows.:thumbsup:

[nemosmum]

Yep been there:D

It doesnt last forever so just try and get as much rest as you can and stick it out.............this too shall pass:)

[Tingles]

This is totally CRAZY!!!:eek: As a new mum back in 2001 the hospital asked if I would be 'demand' feeding...Oh yes! Wanting to nourish my little baby...my little baby was doing exactly the same as yours - she cried, I fed! TOTALLY CRAZY!!!:eek:

Baby was gaining heaps!! It took two visits to my health centre for my lovely health nurse to explain that my baby need only fed every three hours!

Please!!! You need a break!! And you're not having fun going out to the shops!Maybe you are missing your baby's tired signs!!

Babies generally have a 3 hour cycle - Feed for 1/2 an hour-1hour (depending on your milk flow) then after 1 hour of play / chat / stimulation they are ready to sleep again!!

My youngest (14 weeks this Sunday) is now stretching out to sometimes 3 & 1/2 to 4 hours... you have to aim for this! Up until last week I was feeding evey 3 hrs - health nurse advised 4 hours now!

Good Luck!;)

[Funkychicken]

This is totally CRAZY!!!:eek: As a new mum back in 2001 the hospital asked if I would be 'demand' feeding...Oh yes! Wanting to nourish my little baby...my little baby was doing exactly the same as yours - she cried, I fed! TOTALLY CRAZY!!!:eek:

Baby was gaining heaps!! It took two visits to my health centre for my lovely health nurse to explain that my baby need only fed every three hours!

Please!!! You need a break!! And you're not having fun going out to the shops!Maybe you are missing your baby's tired signs!!

Babies generally have a 3 hour cycle - Feed for 1/2 an hour-1hour (depending on your milk flow) then after 1 hour of play / chat / stimulation they are ready to sleep again!!

My youngest (14 weeks this Sunday) is now stretching out to sometimes 3 & 1/2 to 4 hours... you have to aim for this! Up until last week I was feeding evey 3 hrs - health nurse advised 4 hours now!

Good Luck!;)
You summed this up so well. It's what I thought as I typed my reply earlier but it didn't come out like that. Now that I am on bub no#3 I can so clearly see what was going on back then.:)

[Mum&bubs]

YES! OMG! My daughter did this from about 6 weeks onwards & geee did it drive me crazy!!! I couldnt even have a shower. I think it is just a growth sprout & it wont last forever. I know how you are feeling!! Chin up it will get easier just give it time :hugs:

[Goosie22]

Hi,
I would strongly advise not putting your feeds on a schedule (3 - 4 hrly feeds for Breastfed babies went out with the arc). Because at 10 weeks of age your baby is still stimulating your supply, having growth spurts and their little tummy just cant cope with the large quantities so they feed more frequently.

Routine feeding is a sure way to reduce your supply, I say hang in there and it will settle down. You could check your attachment to make sure baby is latched in the best possible way to empty the breast, and sometimes breast compression (while bub is feeding compress your breasts between the palms of your hands to help force the milk out while bub is sucking ) can help put more milk out of the breast into the bubs tummy.

[Tingles]

Hey, hang on a second! Our friend SharonU needs all the help possible to continue happily breastfeeding - If 3 hr feeds works for her, AND ALL OF US no need to knock it!! :shame:

Funilly enough it was also on the weekly program that channel 31 have on raising babies only last week (3hr routines)!

I've breastfed 3 babies this way! Your body will always make enough to supply your babe (Unless it's drying up - however I've never experienced this)... If you have a problem with not enough milk there are products available to help with an increase (fennel Grek, being one of them...I recall from my mothers group days )...
Out of 12 mothers in my mothers grp - only 2 of us b'fed!


Also, think of all the undernourished women in the 3rd world countries they still produce milk!

By no way am I a breast bearing earth mother, but happy breast feeding mother of 3 who knows where SharonU is coming from!

[Baby Girl]

IMHO all babies have different "routines" when they are very young but feeding all day long sounds like your bub is a really sucky baby and as someone said before could be using you as a human dummy. Even if you feed her and then put her down for a sleep or play and she is wanting to feed again, that seems too often.

It obviously isn't working for you or you wouldn't have posted a thread asking about it. Maybe you could try using a dummy between feeds and maybe trying to stretch her feeding times out to an hour or more gradually.

Just a couple of questions,

How often and how long does she sleep through the day?
and
Is she getting a good feed each time or just suckling and not really emptying the breast?

My DD2 was a very sucky bub and as soon as I 'gave in' and gave her a dummy, I realised that she was just happy to suck on something - not necessarily because she was hungry. Within 2 days I had gone from being constantly milked to feeding every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. She was still putting on the same amount of weight, fed more efficiently and slept better. It worked for us to give her a dummy but it might not work for you. Just a suggestion.

[misskittyfantastico]

Hey, hang on a second! Our friend SharonU needs all the help possible to continue happily breastfeeding - If 3 hr feeds works for her, AND ALL OF US no need to knock it!! :shame:

Funilly enough it was also on the weekly program that channel 31 have on raising babies only last week (3hr routines)!

I've breastfed 3 babies this way! Your body will always make enough to supply your babe (Unless it's drying up - however I've never experienced this)... If you have a problem with not enough milk there are products available to help with an increase (fennel Grek, being one of them...I recall from my mothers group days )...
Out of 12 mothers in my mothers grp - only 2 of us b'fed!


Also, think of all the undernourished women in the 3rd world countries they still produce milk!

By no way am I a breast bearing earth mother, but happy breast feeding mother of 3 who knows where SharonU is coming from!

I also know where SharonU is coming from but you have to bear in mind that some babies (mine included) Can't be "stretched out" for 4 hourly feeds....my DD is 6 1/2 months and has never fed 4 hourly. All bubs and mums are different and we can only offer our support and advice based on our own experiences. Goosie22 has been a godsend and wealth of info for many of us here at Bub Hub:)

[Goosie22]

Hey, hang on a second! Our friend SharonU needs all the help possible to continue happily breastfeeding - If 3 hr feeds works for her, AND ALL OF US no need to knock it!! :shame:

SharonU didnt say anything about 3rd hrly feeds you did. IMO it is not good advice and that is all I said.

When your baby is so little you need to feed frequently to get enough food and to stimulate your supply, notice SharonU said her baby is fine overnight, that leads me to believe it is feeding more during the day to make up for what it isnt getting overnight. She could follow a routine and feed 3 -4 hrly and then her baby would wake up at night more often to feed...............dosnt sound like a good idea to me when I would rather be sleeping?

[Tingles]

IMHO all babies have different "routines" when they are very young but feeding all day long sounds like your bub is a really sucky baby and as someone said before could be using you as a human dummy. Even if you feed her and then put her down for a sleep or play and she is wanting to feed again, that seems too often.

It obviously isn't working for you or you wouldn't have posted a thread asking about it. Maybe you could try using a dummy between feeds and maybe trying to stretch her feeding times out to an hour or more gradually.

Just a couple of questions,

How often and how long does she sleep through the day?
and
Is she getting a good feed each time or just suckling and not really emptying the breast?

My DD2 was a very sucky bub and as soon as I 'gave in' and gave her a dummy, I realised that she was just happy to suck on something - not necessarily because she was hungry. Within 2 days I had gone from being constantly milked to feeding every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. She was still putting on the same amount of weight, fed more efficiently and slept better. It worked for us to give her a dummy but it might not work for you. Just a suggestion.

'It's the old sucky baby syndrome' (said in a 'Get Smart' voice)...:laughing:

[Tingles]

No that's right she didn't say anything about 3hr feeds - but she wanted advice - we have all given her our advice/suggestions & what works for us...

[misskittyfantastico]

And that's the beauty of this lovely place called the Bub Hub:D

[Goosie22]

Hi Tingles,

IMO giving 3 -4 hrly feeds is undermining your breastfeeding relationship, for the first 6 months your supply is being established that is why demand feeding is recommended. The more your baby sucks at the breast the better able you will be able to met the demands of the next 2 years or more of feeding.

I know how hard it is to have a very wakeful hungry baby, My babies were big and hungry feeding every hour for 6 months during the day at some times, but that is what they needed to do. I know that I was doing what I had to feed my child giving him the nurtients essential for optimal growth and development. I feed until he weaned himself well into his 3rd year and my second untill he weaned himself also. Breastfeeding isnt just a means of providing nurtition it also provides comfort and emotional needs.

During those times of "frequent feeding" I took advantage of sleepy times and rested, let everything else go that wasnt essential and took care of myself and my baby.

G:)

[Baby Girl]

'It's the old sucky baby syndrome' (said in a 'Get Smart' voice)...:laughing:That's right 99 :laughing: :laughing:

I couldn't think of a better way to put it :rolleyes:

[elissas]

I would think that bubs is getting WAAAAY too much foremilk if feeding that frequently, therefore probably digesting it so quickly she feels hungry very quickly.

Can I suggest expressing some milk before your feeds for a day and see if it works. Get some more dense hindmilk into her and see if it makes a difference.

It might not work, but there's a good chance that it might help a little.

I was doing the same in the early weeks with DS and I think I preempted his feeding signals a little too early. I think I mistook some of them for tired signs (not all of them of course, many a time he was headbutting everyone and furiously trying to latch onto anything that was in his path, and you can't mistake that).

Might I also suggest learning to feed lying down if you haven't already. You can both doze off. She'll detach herself when she's finished and probably go to sleep with you.

Agreed on the demand feeding. Scheduled feeding is so old hat and designed with the advent of bottle feeding, so bubs does not "inconvenience" the parents. IMO babies will develop their own routine, they don't understand clocks yet, and rightly so.

[SilverStarfish]

I've had success with the lying down to feed thing.

It took DD and me a little while to work it out, but we've both found that lying down feeding is sooo much more relaxing than sitting up. She stays latched on better and usually feed longer and better.

[Tam-I-Am]

Hey SharonU,

Back to original topic - my DD went through this too, from memory at about the same age - although I didn't remember until you just made me remember!!

When it was happening to me, DD was sometimes sucking for up to 3 hours. One night in desperation I called an ABA phone counsellor. She told me at that age, a baby can get everything it needs in 20 minutes each side, of continuous, good sucking, so if its becoming really worrying, you can gently detach her after 20 minutes one side, do 20 minutes the other and then either settle back to sleep, or play and then settle to sleep depending on day or night.

This really worked for me - I didn't schedule her feeds as such, but I was able to get some relief from being a "mummy dummy".

You have to do what works for you though. My advice would be to contact the ABA - they are fantastic, and can really give you a good idea of where to go with your breastfeeding relationship!

Good luck!:fingerscrossed: :hugs:

[catalicious]

Hi all,
My second son, Jackson was like this a while ago, first 1 1/2 months. I was so anti dummy though. With my son having reflux though the paed doc said this overfeeding was making him worse.:thumbsdown:

He said to stretch it out to at least 2 hours, no routine, sent me too a lacttion consultant who said he wasnt getting hindmilk. I ended up giving him a dummy and it was the best thing I could of done he is now streching 2 hours and we are both happy and contented with this.:yelclap:

My son started putting on more weight this way.

jus my opinion though good luck

oh and the laying down feeding this is the best EVER!!!:sleeping:

[becca74]

I had this with my 1st son, whom I religiously co-slept and 'permafed' (as someone else so aptly put it in an earlier post). He was born on his edd, so I dont know if this might be a bit different (as I wonder if your premmie might be a bit different in that she is trying to catch up her weight - my 2nd son was 4 weeks early)....

but my 1st boy would leave very little time between feeds, he was just a crazy milk-o-holic .... so much so that he would throw up a feed just so he could keep feeding (he was successfully burping and wasnt collicky, so even the health visitor was in agreement that he just loved bf'ing)! He loved the taste and the connection to me I suppose....and I have to say it was driving me insane, as I barely even left the house! So I know where you are coming from :hugs: !! This all eventually settled down when he was about 2 - 3 months old, only for him to pick up again by 4 months - but living in the UK at the time I was encouraged to start babyrice with him. Worked a treat. So by the time he started solids, the 'permafeeding' became pretty much non-existant.

By my 2nd son, I guess for the 1st month I was really glad he kept feeding, just because I was worried about him catching up with others his age, and you hear so many horror stories about premmie babies not sucking properly etc, so was happy that he was getting fat. But about this time a friend introduced me to Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby Book....I was totally skeptical, being a co-sleeper etc, but read it anyway. I took on board the info I wanted and discarded the rest. But what I found useful was her information about how often a baby needs to feed, and ever since then I havent had the same feeding issues - in fact baby number 3 was fed on the schedule suggested by Gina Ford for 22 months....so a 'schedule' in no way slowed my milk supply!!

As someone else said, it is the hind-milk that is filling their tummys. If you think they have finished a feed after 10 mins it might just be that they need burping, and usually doing this will make them happy to go for another 15 mins on the same breast, and reach that hind-milk. Then offer a small amount with the 2nd breast, if she will take any (remembering to start on that one with the next feed). With my 1st it was like he was having a 10 minute feed, I would burp him, think he was done, and then lo and behold he was hungry 20 mins later, and then the whole cycle would just repeat itself.

Give yourself about 40 minutes to do a feed, keep offering over and over after burping. I also found that sometimes changing the nappy in between boobs would keep that particular feed going. I must say though that with my 3rd he used to drive me nuts and fall into a deep sleep after about 15 minutes, but he was still keeping to the schedule, so I just had to chill out about it, and he is still a big fat bubba!

3 hourly is what Gina suggests, between 6am and midnight, waking the baby for the schedule if necessary (though my 3rd refused to wake at times!). In theory they will sleep longer at night (and this worked brilliantly for my 3rd till he hit 4 months, got more hungry, and though my instincts said to give babyrice like with my 1st 2 sons, being in Australia now I didnt wean to solids till 6 months, and his sleeping went out the window!)

If you are desperate, check out her book, but I have to admit it is not for everyone.....you have to do what is right for you, dont try and fit into other people's ideals if it is going to make you stressed, as that will only make the situation worse.

I find that sometimes all this natural parenting/demand feeding/co-sleeping stuff is all good and well, and I would *love* to do more that it all entails, but the reality of my life just doesnt allow me to dictate to it in that way. Maybe that is the same for you. The boundaries of real life just dont allow you to 'permafeed' as some of the more pro-natural people might suggest and insist upon (if one's life is conducive to such parenting, then go for it, I say, but not everyone can live 100% that way - my husband was a yuppie when I met him, and though my philosophy on life has changed *alot*, his hasnt, and we have to compromise most of the time). You have to do the best you can, and that is what will be best for your baby.

If worse comes to worse, she will actually grow out of it soon, and you will look back on it as a short period of your life.....I am able to do that now about my 1st son's constant feeding.....

You are doing a brilliant thing here, giving your baby the absolute best, so please know that, in the very least :thumbsup:

[vicsta]

Hi I breastfed all 3 of my bubs first 2 for 12 mnths number 1 was 11 weeks premie, I am still feeding number 3 (will wean 1 day:rolleyes: All oif mine fed lots, I went to the health sister when no.3 was about 2-3 mnths and said I seem to always have her on the boob, she said to me around this age there is a major growth in the brain and they need extra feeding to help with this, whether this is true or not, it certainly made me feel good about feeding her so much and yes she did grow out of it, I figure whatever works for you is right and there will always be different opinions:eek: . Lets face it the are not going to need you so much for long so enjoy it while it lasts and to hell with the housework while it does:smiliedance:

[Goosie22]

schedule for a 22 month old is very different thing to a 10 week old, recommending limited/routine feeding while trying to establish your supply will reduce the stimulation to the breast also the milk removed and in turn the milk produced. Trying to get the most Hind milk in is a good idea though and you do that by feeding of the same breast for extended periods, not constantly (although you can if you like) but for say the morning just feed from the right and in the afternoon just feed from the left ( this sometimes dosnt work as the baby will not reattach to the same breast if it is still wanting volume and not comfort)

This is what one of the leading aspousers of all the Natural Parenting/Demand Feeding/Co-sleeping stuff thinks of Miss Gina (no kids) Ford.
http://www.kiddicare.com/page/news15113283

[Ponyboy]

Thanks everyone for your advice. After a dreadful night full of a windy baby, I'm looking at trying using the same boob for a couple of feeds and seeing how we go - make sure she's getting the hind milk. I did try the 20mins on one side and 20 on the other but that didn't work. I'll keep you all posted.

[Ponyboy]

.

Just a couple of questions,

How often and how long does she sleep through the day?
and
Is she getting a good feed each time or just suckling and not really emptying the breast?



Most days she will have 1/2hr sleeps after each feed. Some days she constant feeds all morning thn has 3-4hr sleep in afternoon. Some days she feeds all day and no sleep till we go to bed. Other days (usually following constant feed day) she will do 3hr feed routine and sleep inbetween.

And yes she is sucking me dry - feel empty a lot of the time.

[Goosie22]

Thanks for the update SharonU, your doing a fantastic job and you should notice a bit of improvement if she will take to the same boob thing as the hind milk is not as great in volume but better to satisfy:fingerscrossed: . Your boobs are never really empty as the milk ducts keep producing milk all the time:D .

Let us know how you get on.
G:)

[Sherrie]

Hey Sharon you never did say (unless I missed it!) how long she feeds at a time?

Now mine wasn't a premmie but rather a big baby which I havn't used a dummy with either. Anyway she was also a very hungry baby who especially in the beggining used to feed pretty much every 1.5-2hrs day and night. But for ages her feeds were very long say atleast 30mins, what I used to do is feed her on 1 boob then the other boob on the next feed. When she was around 2 months her nights started to stretch out but days remained the same then a couple of weeks later she hit a milestone and was back to 2 hour feeds. I did find if I tried to feed her both boobs she was worse.

As some others have said some babies are just hungry babies. Mine is almost 12 months and still feeds alot and through the night, but that is just her, she was a big hungry baby and still is, she also very clever so maybe she needs all that fat and cholesterol from my breastmilk. My milk has dried up before after taking the morning after pill and I had a heck of a time trying to get it back despite the frequent feeds so for me a routine of 3-4 hours would have been bad news. Even now it can be a struggle keeping up supply sometimes like when shes been sick or around period time.

It does get easier, I am just used to it now, I'm on the same sleep cycle as her so provided shes not extra restless like when sick I am not a walking zombie anymore. Shes also very clingy but thats just her, I take it as a compliment now that she just loves my company :)

She gets less clingy the more mobile she gets, now I chase her!

[Ponyboy]

Her feeds can vary in range - sometimes she feeds for only 15-20mins and other times she is on there for up to an hour.

My sister said her second son was the same - no routine and used to feed pretty often.

For me it doesn't happen so much at night as she goes for usually 3-4hrs between feeds after her last one around 9.30-10pm. It's just from when she wakes at around 6am she can be on the boob almost every 1/2 hour sometimes less. Makes shopping very difficult as we will usually just be in the middle of kmart or somewhere and she will cry and I'll have to double my speed or put the stuff back and go find a parents room to feed her. only to have to suffer again after the feed. She certainly is putting on weight so the feeds aren't for nothing just feel somedays (majority) that she's a permanent attachment to the boob.

Have tried the one boob thing today and it seems to have made a bit of a difference - an hour to hour and half between feeds, but she also has a cold and seems to be feeding for a short time and then sleeping and feeding for a short time and then sleeping etc etc.

[becca74]

This is what one of the leading aspousers of all the Natural Parenting/Demand Feeding/Co-sleeping stuff thinks of Miss Gina (no kids) Ford.
http://www.kiddicare.com/page/news15113283

It depends on the type of mum you are, and this works for some and not for others.....

Some parents need a schedule, that is their personality.....I personally dont adapt well to schedules, so Gina Ford is someone who I gleaned a few ideas from and turfed the rest! I also read 'Three in a Bed : The Benefits of Sharing Your Bed With Your Baby' by Deborah Jackson before my 1st baby, and found the whole thing totally overwhelming, and totally racked me with guilt for not being able to be 100% into it.....not healthy! I swear I did my best, but I was making myself sick.

I totally agree with Sheila Kitzinger, and it is up to the mother.....so I personally will read a wide variety of ideas from very different sources, and use what works (usually a small 10%) and chuck out the rest!

SharonU, you really have to do what is natural for you......

ps, actually the best parenting book I've ever read is
"I'm Okay, You're a Brat! : Setting the Priorities Straight and Freeing You From the Guilt and Mad Myths of Parenthood" by Susan Jeffers, and even then I dont agree with her on everything....But at least I stopped myself feeling guilty for not being able to be the totally natural parent I wish I could be!

[Goosie22]

Hi Becca74,

I agree with your approach, reading these books and seeing the approaches you think fit in with your Baby and ditching the rest.

G:)

[Ponyboy]

I've been trying the feeding from one boob for a few feeds - well i actually have been doing it till it feels totally empty and the other boob feels a bit fuller. Plus Anaki lets me know when she is sick of sucking on one side (probably not getting much out - not sure, but when I put her on the other side she goes for it).

Had a day yesterday of constant feeding - no sleeping until 8pm. Today she's been good. Bit of constant feed in the morning then sleeping in the afternoon. One of my friends suggested that she may just be playing catch up since she was premmie.

Thanks to those that PM'd me. I'll give it another week and then talk to the Health Nurse about it again and then give ABA a call.

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions!!

[Funkychicken]

Hi Sharon, Just wanted to give you a big :hugs: . You're doing a stellar job by the sounds of it. It is sooo hard at times and sooo hard to keep perspective but you sound as though you are getting there. It really does get easier-just have faith in yourself and your bub and you'll do great.:)