Infant Eating Too Often?

My second baby did this for the first few weeks after he ws born. It got to the point where I couldnt even pump enough to get my milk supply up. I ended up having to put him on formula. My advice is try and stretch the time inbetween feedings during the day. Even if this means she needs to listen to a fussy baby. That may incline him to eat more once she has waited a bit longer. If he is able to make it at night then there is a good possiblity he can make it a bit longer in the day without absolutely needing to eat. I dont know any of the numbers but if she is very gungho on breast feeding she can get in touch with a Lacation consultant and they can come out and help her. Wish her luck and congrats on your new edition from DEC!!!

1 mom found this helpful

that is technically every hour and a half which is normal. but if it is anycloser you might try a pacifier or your finger. he probably needs to just suck. I have not had any small babies but i have always let them nurse anytime they want during the day and they have all slept through the night by two weeks old. so i would say being little and sleeping 3-4 hours at night is pretty good.

TJ
Breastfeeding is a supply and demand relationship. If there is less milk demanded (because formula is given to the baby), the body will gradually make less milk. That preemie boy is so so lucky to get human milk! His mother is making special milk compositionally perfect for his prematurity level. He has catching up to do and I would lovingly suggest to her that she not limit his feedings during the day until 3 months AFTER his due date. Breastfeeding will protect him from illness as well as thwart off preemie maladies such as sensory issues, digestion issues and other problems. All hospitals have mom and baby groups. These groups serve as breastfeeding support groups as well for those first 6 months of nursing when demand is high and support and friendship are essential. Before she knows it, that baby will be on to solids and will have been given a golden start.

He's probably little from being so early and so will need to eat more often in order to have enough nutrition. Eventually he will eat less as he grows. Just tell her to hang in there!

She might benefit from getting in touch with the local La Leche League too. They might have some practical advice.

She should also keep in mind that for the first year or so you have to go by the baby's adjusted age, meaning when they were supposed to get here. So for a roughly 1 month old this isn't uncommon and he could just be in a growth spurt.

Hey there...
Okay so my advice is... dont worry about the baby eating too often. My son at a few weeks old was eating 4 ounces every 2 hours. His pedi. kept telling me hes eating too much for his age. But i figured if hes eating that much hes obviously that hungry. And now at 2 years old hes a very tall and skinny little boy. Hes not over weight at all! so dont worry let about the baby eating a lot.

Hello,
Some babies just don't get enough nurishment from breast milk. Others just have a different appitite and start eating earlier. I would advise her to talk to her doctor about it. I had this issue with one of my sons. My doctor had me a small amounts of rice cereal to a bottle of fomula. That seemed to fill him right up. Good luck!

If an infant seems hungry, he/she usually is. Some babies like the comfort of the breast more and just want to be attached more often. It would be great for her to call a La Leche League (LLL) Leader (free advice!) or a lactation consultant to make sure the baby is getting a good latch. Sometimes if they can nurse more efficiently, then they don't need to nurse as often. If her milk supply is fine, she should get some help tapering off the supplemental formula. A great book to read (or check out from the library) is The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Jack Newman. New moms always have lots of breastfeeding questions (I did) and it's so worth it to call LLL. They'll either give you great tips or tell you that you're doing everything just fine. Good luck!