How Much Should Our Daughter Be Eating at 4 Months Old?

It's hard to say what is normal. In our breastfeeding support group the quantities varied. The amount they want also varies throughout the day. Hense we are generally producing less milk. To increase your supply you can try a number of things:
1) pump after each feeding, generally your body will increase the supply if the demand increases.
2)An herbal supplement called Fenugreek can help.
3) you could ask for an RX for something called Domperidone. Ask you OP. This is a med for digestion but it ups your supply. A little pricey but some moms order it from Canada if it works for them much cheaper than an RX here.

The whole solids increases sleep time is kind of an urban legand. No sleep studies support it and since solids start when they are older the stories supporting it may be just because the kids are older.

Kids have growth spurts around 3 and 6 weeks and 3 and 6 mths. They start nursing more often during these times. If the change isn't temporary you might ask your husband to help with this one. I found if I went in every time my daughter wanted to nurse...I was the "boob." My husband would take up until a certain time...say 1 am? He would cover wake-ups then I took over and he would get a box of sleep for work. To start I would try decreasing the number of night feedings...say two a night?

All this is only true if your kid is gaining weight at a good rate. If they are gaining weight then try some of these ideas..

Good Luck
D.

Hi N.,
It sounds to me like you are doing everything "right". My twins woke every 2 hours for 12 months, and they staggered on me so I never got more than 1 hour of sleep in a row! They didn't sleep "all night long" until 18 months. I'm still alive, they're 2 1/2 now and I sleep most nights all the way through. WooHooo! They were exclusively breastfed for the first 5 months too. Breastmilk is so very easily digested that they need to eat this often! If the pediatrician thinks she's growing well and she has 5-6 wet diapers a day (I think this is the number) then she is getting enough nutrition.
The only way to increase production is by feeding more often (length doesn't matter) or pump more often (or both...which I did).
One last thing...putting cereal in formula or breastmilk can be dangerous because they can choke. I would ask your pediatrician about this. Giving her cereal at bedtime unfortunatly is not going to get her to sleep longer. She needs to grow (and her stomach along with it).
Good luck and you will sleep again one day.:>)
L. D.

Hi N.,
I'm not a doctor, but I have two children, ages 3 and 20 months.

6 oz of milk each feeding isn't too much - especially considering how much babies grow at that age. Your baby could just be waking up and need the nursing to be soothed back to sleep - she might not be starving each time, she just hasn't learned how to put herself back to sleep. At nap times, do you nurse her or put her in her crib awake to fall asleep on her own? She might just need to practice self-soothing.

To produce more milk, pump or nurse more. But, if your daughter isn't fussy, she probably isn't starving and I'm sure you are producing enough for her.

Some people swear by the oatmeal before bed trick to get babies to sleep through the night, but it has never worked for me! Neither of my children slept through the night at 4 months old and I nursed them both when they woke up. In fact, my 3-year-old did not sleep through the night until I stopped nursing her completely at 18 months old. My 20 month old still does not sleep through the night, and I stopped nursing her when she was about 18 months old too. All kids are different and have different sleep patterns. Also, how she sleeps now could change next week...

Good luck.

It sounds like your baby is definitely getting enough to eat, but she has just gotten into the routine of eating all night. It is fine to give her a little formula mixed with breast milk before bed. I think its a little early for cereal. Wait another month or so for that. Make sure every time you give her a bottle you pump. It will keep your milk supply up. Even if you don't get a lot pumping it is still doing something. She should not be waking that much. She is probably just doing it for COMFORT and HABIT. Do not feeding her every time she wakes. Try a binkie. She might just need to suck. At 4 months you should only be nursing every 3-4 hours during the day. I guarantee she is not hungry every 2 hours, if your feeding her regularly and she is sucking the whole time, at least 15 mintues. Don;t forget to eat and drink yourself. At night it should be 5-6 hours at first then stretch to 8-9. Is she on a set eating sdhedule during the day? Once that is in place, she should be sleeping through the night. If she is eating at set times during the day she should start sleeping 8-9 hours at night. I just had my 3rd child and at 2 months he goes 6 hours at night right now. The books that really helped me get all my kids on the sleeping through night routine is The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer(They have one for toddlers too that i recommend getting) and Baby Wise!! These books really helped me and many of my friends. I hope this helps.

Below is a summary of tips to increase milk production. There are no real guidelines as to how much to feed by month. But you can use the formula guide of 2-2.5 oz of formula(or breastmilk) per each pound. My 4.5 mo. twin girls weigh 14.5 lbs and they eat around 28 oz of BM/Formula. They have 6 feeds per day- eating about every 3 hours. The last feed is a sleepfeed before I go to bed- usually around 10:30 pm and they sleep until 6:30-7:30 am. They go to sleep around 7:30 each night.

Here is what was suggested:
rest
water
Fenugreek
Mother's Milk Tea (sold at Day One)
One Guiness a day with Fenugreek
Regalan
Two glasses of 2% milk a day

In addition, in the archives there was this solution:

4 tablets per/day - more milk plus (by mother love)
6-8 Fenugreek tablets per/day
FYI - Per DayOne this is the most aggressive approach one can taken.

Here are the responses I got:

Fenugreek (tea and/or capsules) often helps boost milk production -
it helped me. Also, drink lots of water (if you aren't already).
__________________________________________
You might want to try fenugreek and Mether's Milk tea. Also, you
might consider More Milk capsules or tincture (these are all
available at Day One). If you search the archives, there is
a "recipe" posted as to how much fenugreek and More Milk to take to
boost supply.
__________________________________________
It's not uncommon to have a drop in supply after an illness or a
stressful event, such as a
long trip. Rest up, eat well, drink a lot of water and that should
bring you right back. Of
course you also want to pay attention to your baby to make sure that
he/she isn't showing
any signs of dehydration, lethargy, etc.

I once got a stomach virus on a trip to visit my mother in Florida.
My milk just about dried
up or so it seemed. I couldn't pump anything, so I was nursing all
over my mother's
retirement community. Oh, well. One does what one must. :) It
took me about three
days to get back to normal.

Also, pumping isn't nearly as efficient as your baby's suckling, so
just because your pump
can't get it out, doesn't mean your baby is going hungry. The body
produces milk in real
time, so as long as the baby is nursing or you're pumping, your body
is producing milk,
and your baby can get it out. You may want to try just nursing for
the next few days, if
that's possible. It will certainly be less frustrating for you and
your baby and ,ay help get
your supply up faster.

I don't think the mastitis and/or the antibiotic had anything to do
with your drop in
supply. Three weeks is a long time. It takes way less time than
that for a weaning
mother's supply to dry up, so I would expect if there were a
correlation, you would have
had this problem weeks ago.

Have no fear! It will come back.
___________________________________________
When my supply dropped, a lactation consultant at Newborn Connections
suggested I try the drug Regalan (sp?) which is for another condition
(irritated bowel I think) but has the side effect of drastically
increasing your milk supply. I think that they'll prescribe 10 days
worth, with 1 refill, which will hopefully restore your milk supply
back to normal. If it drops again after stopping the meds, then you
shouldn't get another prescription.
_____________________________________________
It could be from the disruption in your schedule, that is not
uncommon. Don't worry too much about it, your milk supply will bounce
back. Just keep nursing/pumping. I had that happen a few times and it
was never permanent.
_____________________________________________
I don't have much insight as to why you had a drop but I struggled
with this when my son nursed irregularly. I took Fenugreek (you can
get dosage suggestions online) and pumped quite a bit to stimulate
production.
_____________________________________________
Try Fenugreek –you can buy these herbal supplements at Day One and a
lactation consultant there rec them to me when my supply dropped b/c
my son started sleeping 12 hr stretches at night.

It worked like a charm. One thing, take in the AM not before bed.
They irritated my bladder (ie: I wet the bed!).
______________________________________________
I think traveling to NY affected my supply too.
Something about the body clock I guess. I started
fenugreek pills (4 or so a day) and drinking a Guiness
a day and it really helped. Obviously rest and lots
of water, too.
______________________________________________
Have you tried Mother's milk tea and Fenugreek. These definitely
helped boost my supply.
______________________________________________
I had two significant drops--once after really bad food poisoning and
another after I tried to diet to lose the rest of the baby weight.
These were not as early as yours, but I started drinking two full
glasses of full or 2% milk a day and this really increased my
supply.
It worked for my coworker, as well. Also, there is a tea they sell
at
DayOne that helps.

You'll be able to get your supply back up. Just hang in there.
______________________________________________
I noticed a drop in my milk when we flew to the east coast. It
returned in
about 2 days. I never did seek an explanation, but perhaps the time
change
affects milk supply...?

Also, there is some herbal product (safe for babies) that Day One
sells
which people say really does increase milk supply, so ask about it
when you
hear back from them.
_______________________________________________
Only a couple of possibilities for such a sudden drop come to my
mind…

(1) You're about to get your menstrual period.

(2) You were dehydrated.

There may be others, but those are the only ones that occur to me.

Well, all I can say is if the doctor says your daughter is thriving well for her age, then you are doing fine. I have a 7 year old who was breast and bottle fed until he was 1 years old. He was a very "easy" baby who, even with just breast milk, started sleeping through the night when he was only 2 months old. I used to pump out so much milk that I ended up throwing out alot. With my next child, who is now 1 year and 5 months, never used a bottle. He hated it, only wanted the breast. I began to doubt the amount of my milk supply because whenever I pumped, I barely got an ounce out. Why did I pump if he didn't care for the bottle? Mainly out of curiousity to see if I was making enough for him. I've been told and read that even a pump can't stimulate or simulate the sucking your baby does. My young one still breastfeeds when I get home from work and sometimes in the middle of the night. He can go without nursing, but it is more of a comfort thing than for nourishment because he can sure eat table food. Either way, we're doing okay, even with his mouth full of teeth! I really have no straight answer for your question on how much she should be eating at 4 months. I've only been told to start solids at 6 months. Some people told me to start solids to get the baby to stay asleep longer, but since I was not working at the time, it didn't bother me to get up every three hours to nurse.

I don't know if this will help, but, my daughter is 3 months old. I let her eat as much as she can, sometimes up to 6 and a half oz. before bed. Formula. I couldn't satisfy her and never made enoughh breast milk. I chose to go with only formula. She sleeps all night. From 10;30 till 6:30. My pediatrician said not to start cereal until 6 months. She does eat 3 and a half to 4 oz. every 2-2 and a half hours through out the day. I don't know what it is, but, she knows when bed time is and chooses on her own to eat a larger portion. Good Luck!

It sounds like she is getting plenty of food. I think that she is just wanting some mommy time. Have you tried just going in there and not feeding. If she goes back to sleep after a visit from mom without food, she is just seeking some affection. My daughter did this too. So, what i did was i went in there (every time) and at first i would hold her, then i would just pat her back, now we just go tuck her in and she is fine. My daughter was really heavy as a baby, the doctor told me to basically put her on a diet :(
She too would eat whatever, whenever.
She's almost 2 now, and doesn't eat much, but maybe some milk or a cracker after dinner if anything. She goes to bed at 7pm, and i change her diaper into a night time diaper around 11pm when i go to bed. She sleeps real good through the night now. I had to give up breast feeding because i wasn't sure how much she was eating per feed and it got to be an all day event of eating and it was just too h*** o* everyone.
Good Luck!

My daughter is 6 months old and still wakes up thru the night, most nights she wakes up every two hours almost on the nose. She just had her 6 month check-up and I asked that very question. "Shouldn't she be sleeping thru the night by now?" thinking I would get a much different answer...I was told the good ol' myth about feeding them cereal before bed is just that a myth...He also told me he gave me "permission" to stop feeding her thru the night. He said that sometimes they wake up because they know they have "it" (mom=breast) right there, he told me to try holding her at night and try rocking her and maybe she would fall asleep. I tried that, sometimes it works, most of the time I end up feeding her. She eats thru the day at least 3 servings of fruit or veggies that I make myself, and I nurse her throughout the day, she is a healthy 17 pounds. This is my third baby, and they were all different, but I do notice that my 2 breast-fed babies were the ones that ate every 2 hours, the other one went longer in between feedings.
My doctor prescribed something called REGLAN while I was pregnant because I was very sick, and as it turns out it also increased my milk supply. I continued to take it after I delivered for a couple weeks and she told me it was ok to do so, she said it was not approved by the FDA for "increasing" milk supply, so she could only tell me to take it for a couple weeks, but it helped. Maybe your doctor would do something like that for you. Drinking ALOT of water also helps. Good luck, I hope this helps.
G.

Your baby should eat 2-2.5 oz for every pound that she weighs, up to 32 oz in one day. And did you consult your doctor before giving her the cereal??? I have read that you are not suppose to give cereal through a bottle.

My twin daughters are 5 months old and I am breastfeeding them exclusively. They are sleeping 12 hours at night now. With one of my girls, she woke up every couple of hours. I thought she was hungry, but she really just wanted nurturing. It may be a tough couple of nights, but you really need to teach her that nightime is for sleeping and daytime is when we eat and play. Remember that we are the ones teaching them!

I would be happy to help you out if you had more questions. It is not easy, but after 5 months of broken sleep, it feels SO amazing to be getting good sleep now. For all of us!

K.

Hi. I am still bf my little guy and he is now 15 months. At 4 months you should not give cereal. Breast fed babies eat a lot more than bottle fed babies, so you will get up through the night . I still am! I started cereals at 5, almost 6 months. Their tummies are still developing and to introduce solids so soon can cause allergies. She may be waking just for comfort, I dont really know. Liek I said tho, bf babies eat alot more than bottle fed. Some nights I still get up 5 times to nurse. Its mostly for comfort now, but just the same. Realistically dont expect an infnat to sleep through the night, or even close. Soem do, and yahoo for thier parents. My little man didnt sleep through until a year, and as I mentioned, is back to waking. There are all things to consider. With my guy I am pretty positive its new teeth. As far as producing more milk, Im sure your fine. Just eat whole fat dairy foods. I pumped a couple of times to relieve the pain, but he never used a bottle. I hope this helps you somewhat. I never knew how much he ate as oz go, but I did on demand nursing, I still do. He of course eats solid food for main meals and snacks, and still nurses.

I don't know if you have read the book "Babywise," but if not, you might want to pick it up. Your experience sounds just like my experience with my first daughter, who woke up every 2 hours all day and night! Our first year was rocky to say the least. I gave up breastfeeding at 6 months because I figured I wasn't making enough milk, and then we did the whole formula with cereal thing to no avail. Finally she started eating real food and that helped a little, but she would still wake up crying all the time anyway.

Then someone recommended the Babywise book to me before my second daughter was born. Wow, what a difference! Basically, the book talks about getting your child to eat FULL meals, rather than "snacking." A lot of times my older daughter would fall asleep at the breast or bottle, so I would assume she had eaten enough, and would put her down. Well, in reality she had just had enough to relax a little but was not completely full - hence she would continue to wake up every 2 hours. With baby #2, I made sure she ate until she was really full, and she started sleeping through the night at 1 month old (and was chubby and happy!). The book also gives tips about babies crying at night. I can't remember all of what it said, but the bottom line was, every time she cries, you don't necessarily need to feed her. Maybe she is cold, hot, wet diaper, or maybe she's not even really awake, etc. So sometimes if you just leave her to settle herself down, she might go back to sleep in 5-10 minutes (an eternity when you're hearing her cry, I know!). If she can gradually learn to comfort herself, she'll be happier and so will you!

A few of my friends have tried the babywise method as well and we have all had similar experiences. I just wish someone had told me about this earlier. I hope it helps you as well! Good luck!

Hello, I breastfed my daughter for 2 years. I followed the demand method - when she was hungry, I fed her. There was never a consistent pattern to her feedings. When she was going through growth spurts, she nursed frequently, sometimes a few times per hour. We didn't sleep through the night for 3 years and I viewed it as simply being part of the process (I was in graduate school at the time). That was her nature. No need to stress out about night wakings - it too shall pass. Your little one is tiny and brand new to this world - she just needs you a lot right now!

I would suggest not feeding your daughter cereal at night and sticking to the breast. You will produce the exact right amount for her! Just be sure to drink lots and lots of water and maintain your good nutrition. Keep the cereal feedings to the day time.

I think you answered your own question. Sleep cycles and newborns has nothing to do with how much or what they eat. Feeding your four month old cereals only increases the likelihood that she will develop allergies. Infants sleep cycles are different than adults, however, they are the same in that frequent awakening is normal. Over time we learn that just because we are awake doesn't mean we need to be active, we just roll over and re-establish a sleep cycle. Newborns don't know this yet, they need to learn it. Most newborns don't sleep through the night (a duration of more than 4 hours) until they are at least 15 pounds and usually 6 month old. Be patient with yourself and your newborn, she will learn how to sleep!

Hi N.. My son ate every 2 hours. I didn't sleep for years! I always took it as a good sign that the kids are eating. If you are worried, I think you can call a children's medical facility and talk to a nurse. There are Women's clinics too that are very helpful. Also WIC is a government funded program for breastfeeding mothers.

I think babies eating on demand is a good idea- your daughter may be going through a growth spurt and need more calories at this time. She may be waking up at night for other reasons too like nightmares or gas or something not related to calorie intake. 6 oz does not seem like too much milk to me- my son can down that easily when he is hungry. I know that the herb Feunugreek can be helpful in stimulating more milk production- hope this helps, good luck, remember the sleeping will get better at some point

We did start any solids until age six months - this recommendation came from our pediatrician (most of them are getting on board with this advice), kellymom.com, and other trusted resources that have info on why solids should and can be delayed this long (and even longer!)

Just curious... you didn't mention why you are formula feeding in addition to the breastmilk. The best way to keep up your supply is to have the baby nursing as much as possible... (the whole supply/demand thing.) For more info on this, visit kellymom.com for articles and really helpful message boards. That site saved my breastfeeding career so many times!!! : )

http://lactationconnection.com/breastfeeding_questions.aspx
... This is a good site that answers many of your questions, including average intake by age & weight. La Leche is a great source too. You can find your local leader on www.lalecheleague.org. It's worth it to make a personal contact and get personal help and support.

Also: www.motherlove.com sells herbal products to help increase milk supply if you need another boost. More Milk Special Blend worked for me.

I think the cereal before bed idea is a myth. At least, that's what Dr. Sears says and what many mothers seem to experience.

The most important thing is not to give up. Your baby needs you and you will both benefit so much from the relationship you're developing with the gem of breastfeeding.

Expectations are troublesome indeed. Try not to let anything you read or hear make you feel like things are "supposed to be" some other way than they are. I think that society's expectations of babies has dramatically changed in the last 80 years given the invention of formula. It has made us all think that our babies are "supposed to" sleep through the night much earlier than they really would otherwise on average. And remember... averages imply that all babies/toddlers are different. We live in a society that overemphasizes standardization. Don't let that get to you.

Sleep is important and can be rearranged. Helping your baby develop a healthy sense of trust is more important and will last the rest of her life. Think of the wonderful impact you are having on her whole life, just in these early months and years. So pamper yourself and let others pamper you as much as possible. You're doing great things - just keep doing what you're doing. :)

Our daughter is almost almost exactly a month older and she's been eating 6 oz per feeding since she was 2 weeks old. That is crazy - I know - but she would cry and root until she was fed that much. Anyway, now she eats between 6 to 7 oz. So her appetite hasn't increased much since then. I was only able to breast feed for 2 months because she was so demanding (and they gave her formula at the hospital because she was so big (9lbs 4oz.) so we never were able to wean her from it. So at one point I was breast feeding her and then giving her a bottle right after and the feeding took FOREVER! I've tried to give her rice cereal once a week as the Dr. suggested, but she can't seem to get the tongue action down - it just dribbles out her mouth cause she tries to suck it like a bottle.
I should also mention she was sleeping for 6 hours a night when she was a week old and at a month she did 8 hours. Her record so far is 14 hours straight - I know - we are blessed. So as far as sleeping I think it is a few things.
1. She was a big baby and thus ate a lot.
2. At 2 weeks old she started unswadling herself and then would wake up. So - I know its "bad" as they say, but we started putting her down on her stomach to sleep. We follow all the other SIDS directions (only a fitted sheet in the crib - nothing else, we put her in a sleep sack that goes over her pjs.)
3. I also noticed that she sleeps better w/ a sound machine.
4. We keep her room really warm - like sometimes she will even wake up a little sweaty.
So hope that helps. Good luck :)

It sounds like you are doing great as far as nursing goes. This is very common for breastfed babies to wake often even during the night to nurse, much to our dismay.

Their tummies even get used to eating the cereal and formula after awhile. Your little one just might not be ready to sleep through the night yet.

I wouldn't worry about wether or not you are feeding enough, as long as she is growing, you know that you are.

If you think that she has eaten enough at night, you might want to try just rocking her back to sleep. Maybe she is waking up and just can't sooth herself back to sleep.

Good luck!

From what you have said I don’t think she is waking entirely because she is hungry. I think she is hitting that light place in her sleep and wanting to be soothed back to sleep. It’s a normal part of sleep. If she is just nursing, you don’t need to change her, and going back to sleep your still in pretty good shape. I don’t know what others would say but my guess is that to get her to sleep more you would have to do the cry it out thing. Some how I don’t believe there is anything wrong with your milk production. The way you would know that is about her weight (for a nursing baby it is different then a formula fed baby) and how often she pees. As far as I’m concerned there is no such thing as to much breast milk! If you want there are some good nursing teas on the market and it helps to keep taking your prenatals. The nutrition is key!
Good luck :-)

This may be as simple as you've trained her to EXPECT food when she wakes up in the middle of the night. It sounds to me like you could start to let her cry. A 4-5 hour feeding is reasonable. I would let my kids cry for 10-15 minutes then go in and comfort them if they were still awake. Does your daughter use anything else for comfort other than eating? She needs to learn how to put herself back to sleep without mommy.

It's so hard to know the best thing to do! We have a 6 month old, and I have struggled with how much she is getting or should have. Our Pediatrician told us that it is a myth that babies sleep longer once oatmeal or rice cereal is introduced, and that rather it's that they are older. She told us it is recommended NOT to feed the oatmeal or rice until the baby is 4-6 months old at a minimum, and that the baby should be able to sit with a little assistance only before you start. She also told us that a baby this young should not get more than 3 -4 ounces at once at the most. The stomach cannot hold it and it can cause other problems. When our baby was 4 months she woke up about every 2-4 hours too. It wasn't until she was 5 1/2 months that she started sleeping through the night. I also weigh her every week at Mommy & Me to make sure she is thriving. Talk to your Pediatrician though just to make sure everything is fine! Good luck!
:-) M. & Kate

Hi, I think every baby is different so although its hard to not compare to others, keep that in mind.....it helps in a lot of situations! In regards to eating, I know that I switched eventually to formula at 4 months with my son b/c I was going back to work and it was way more satisfying for him especially at night. I wasnt producing as much milk anymore, and the formula mixed with rice cereal, was so nice and satisfying and he started sleeping through the night. (10 or 11pm to 5ish am) Sounds like you've tried this maybe, but keep at it! Adjust the amount and see what makes her sleep the best and longest....good luck.

I had to stop feeding my 4 1/2 month old son breastmilk recently. He has been strictly on formula since 3 mos and eats between 4-6 oz each feeding. So to answer your question: 6oz sounds normal for one feeding. It sounds like your daughter's not getting enough milk when breastfeeding, which could be why she's hungry through the night.

Feeding a child to 'get them to sleep longer' is never a good idea. I know it's what our parents did, but studies have been done that show that trying to carbo-load your baby before bedtime at an early age can lead to diabetes. They just aren't ready for that many carbs at such a young age, and that's exactly why they sleep longer! Their little bodies have a hard time digesting the grains/cereals, and that's where all their energy is going, hence sleeping longer. It is quite common for a 4 month old not to sleep through the night. We all have been there. This too shall pass. Just hang in there, and breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed! The more you feed her, the more milk you will product. Also, be sure you are drinking lots and lots of water.

You got a lot of responces so I'll keep this short. Neither cereal or formula will make a child sleep longer at night. It's just an old wives tale. Many babies wake every 2 hours at this age. If you want you baby to sleep longer you should start some sleep training. I recommend Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. My daughter is 4 months and sleeps through most nights. Sounds like everything you're doing is great. Keep up the good work and congratulations on the little one.

many babies dont start eating food until 6 mo, and many babies nurse every 2 hours well into their first year. can you handle being woken up? do you sleep with/near your baby? it is very normal for a baby this age to nurse through the night, and i would rarely recommend trying to set up a feeding schedule for a breast-fed only baby. its pretty temporary that they need so much, so try to be patient and enjoy the time. for sure this is true -- the more you nurse the more milk you will produce. and unless your baby is obviously underweight, you are producing enough milk. if you absolutely can not live with the night-time feedings, there are ways to encourage that, but dont become too attached to the result. i found every time i did, things turned into a big deal and then a month or two later, it was a non-issue anyways.
FYI I night-weaned my son at 14 months and it wasnt easy, but i knew he didnt need the nourishment and i felt like he could understand my words enough to know i was still there for him. good luck

My daughter started solids at 4 months old, and she didn't need to have any night feedings. She slept about 7 hours at a time at around 8-9 weeks and 10 hours by 6 months. I did breastfeed on a schedule (every 3+ hours) rather than on demand, and my daughter gained weight just fine and was happy all the time. I think your baby may be waking up to have you soothe her back to sleep. If you put your baby to sleep awake and help her learn to put herself to sleep she may be able to do this in the middle of the night. Most 4 month old babies don't need to eat in the middle of night, but they will wake up out of habit. I was feeding my daughter 30+ ounces of formula and around 3-4 Tablespoons of rice cereal at breakfast and dinner.

It is, sadly, easy to make it an self-fulfilling prophecy when you start worrying about not making enough milk. While it can happen, it's rare. When a baby is in a growth spurt and needs to increase intake, they nurse more frequently for a while, and the consistent stimulation eventually increases the supply. My son had periods when he would nurse every hour during the day! And then things would settle down. By providing food through another source, you take away a feeding meant to stimulate more supply, and signal your breasts to decrease supply instead. Does that make sense?

I wish you the best. If you continue to worry but want to stay committed to breast feeding, I suggest meeting with a nurse or lactation consultant who specializes in these issues. One did wonders for us when my son was first born.

Hi!
I have a 1 yearl old who I am still breastfeeding. To produce more milk you need to drink lots of liquids. Every time you are feeding our pumping make sure you drink a full glass of water. You can also pump more. I used to pump 3 times a day (10 minutes or until my breast was empty)in addition to breastfeeding my baby once in the morning and once before bed ( I am full time working mom). I always kept a milk bamk of 50 bags (6 ounces each) in my freezer. The key of keeping your supply is the consistency when you pump and breastfeed the baby. It takes about 2-3 days for your body to increase the production of milk.
I hope this helps, you have to be patience, keep pumpin regularly. I used to got out travel for work and always took my pump and used it every 4 hours. Like I said I am still producing milk (I pumped until my baby was 10 months old). She now drinks regular milk and I breastfeed her in the morning and at night.

Hello,

I am a mother of 4 1/2 month old twins. I understand what you are going through. I am going through the same thing. Everynight I try something different to see what might work. Lately I have been bathing my twins everynight around 7:00 with lavender baby soap. After their bath I feed then rice cereal with a spoon and a 4 oz bottle afterwards. They may take it right after or they wait about 1/2 hour and then they take the bottle. Then I put them to sleep and we are all out by 10:00 pm. Sometimes earlier if I am lucky. I have noticed they are waking 3 to 4 hours after bedtime or not waking up at all. I have only been doing this for about a week and each night it gets better and better. But I make sure I do the same routine everynight so they get use to it and will associate the bath and cereal with bedtime.

Good Luck!!

She should be eating enough to keep her hydrated. Maybe 5-6 wet diapers/day. Don't doubt your ability to produce adequate milk. Self-doubt lowers the milk-producing hormone. REMAIN CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO TO CARE FOR YOUR CHILD. Even if that means supplements or new techniques. My 4mo old boy eats about 4oz per feeding and is a "rester" - he likes to eat for a few minutes then sleep for a few on the breast then wake and eat some more, etc. Sometimes feeding last almost an hour. Not the easiest for me but whatever! I drink Mothers Milk tea (a few a day, maybe 3) and i allow the baby to suckle often because I've read that baby's sucking triggers body's milk producing reflex. Call La Leche League. The have great advice for your situation.

I think each baby is different in how much they need or want to eat.
Some babies seem to want or need more than others.
Increasing breastmilk- hmmm.
How much fluid water, juices, milks etc., do you intake?
Remember too that the baby's intake can have an impact on the volume you produce...If you "feed on demand" rather than on a predefined schedule, you may find that your milk volume increases...
My daughter was a very hungry baby, she wanted cereal often.
Even though she had plenty of breast milk, and i did feed on demand, she was not content with the breast milk alone after 2 months of receiving only breast milk...I made a brown rice cereal at home using cooked brown rice pureed with breast milk and provided it 3 times daily until she was about 5 months old
when i then began slowly introducing other home made baby foods such as steamed and pureed sweet potatoes, and banana.
Good Luck!

I had the same concern with my boys about not producing enough breast milk. If you're eating and drinking plenty of water and your daughter is nursing on demand, you'll produce enough to meet your daughters needs. She's probably going through a growth spurt.

My son was the same way we fed him cereal through out the day breakfast lunch dinner and just before bed and he slept all night from then on

My in-laws swore to me that if I fed my daughter cereal before bed she would sleep through the night. Well I thought she was too young to eat cereal at that time, but I did start giving her extra feedings right before bed. I made sure her tummy was nice and full before bed. The results were nothing changed. They have actually done studies on this and have found that how full a baby's tummy is can have no effect at all on how long they sleep. They say it may help some babies while not helping others at all. I would look some where all together differently to help your baby sleep. My kids hated sleeping on their backs so I used a sleep positioner to prop them up on their sides. They slept much better and longer after that. Also, my nephew wouldn't sleep very well in his crib, but sleeps really well in a portable crib. How is the temperature? Is it possible your daughter just wants your warm body next to hers? Finally, is your daughter sleeping by herself in her crib? She may not be ready for that. My firstborn was a very independent sleeper and made the transition to her own bed at a young age. However, the 2nd born was much more cuddly and dependent on having me close by and so she stayed in my room for about 6 or 7 months. She slept mostly in a little crib next to my bed, but when she woke up to nurse we often fell asleep in my bed. Every baby is different and they all different requirements for a good night's sleep. I hope you figure out what works for your baby.
P.S. - when pumping milk it takes a couple of weeks of trying before you will be able to pump out anything significant. If you pump every day for 2 weeks you will notice more milk coming out by the 14th day.

my quick thought is that she isn't necessarily waking up at night because of hunger, though that may be a contributing factor - babies have a different sleep cycle (shorter) than older children and than adults. The Sears Baby Book has a lot of good info on infant sleep. It sounds like she is hungry and is a good eater - but the quantities don't sound unreasonable or large to me. My son was a voracious milk-drinker (easily 6+ oz each feeding) and then eater, so that's my point of reference. He also woke up multiple times a night until he was about 3 (that might not be so encouraging for you to hear). I also remember my midwife telling me that as a rule of THUMB, a newborn should never go more hours without nursing than they are months old (2 hours for a 2 month old, 4 hours for a 4 month old, etc.). I breastfed exclusively for about 7 months and then as he was interested in eating we added in mushed foods, etc.

Other thought: If you're not producing as much milk as you'd like to, be sure to drink some Mother's Milk Tea and/or cook with/consume plenty of FENUGREEK. Also, I think I remember my doctor recommending that I boost my nutrition by taking a natural supplement called Floradix. Both fenugreek and floradix can be bought at Rainbow Grocery in the city.

The problem is probably not so much that she's hungry, but that she's gotten used to falling asleep nursing. When she wakes up, she's thinking "Where's Mommy?" It's as if you fell asleep as usual in your bed with your pillow. Then someone takes away your pillow in the middle of the night. When you turn over or adjust (which normally wouldn't fully awaken you), you realize your pillow is gone. My daughter was awakening every 2 hours, only going back to sleep nursing, so around 7-8 months, we did sleep training with her. There are a lot of different techniques, you'll have to find one that suits you (if you want to curb the nighttime awakenings). I would start with reading "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" and "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems". By 5 months, they should be able to go at least 8 hours during the night without eating.

Dear N.,
First of all, let me assure you that it is completely normal for breastfed babies to start wanting to drink more frequently at night between 4 -6 months of age. Nobody knows why this is so but it most likely has nothing to do with you not having enough milk. If you want to make sure your milk supply is adequate, leave out the formula altogether and have the baby nurse on demand, night and day. If you want to make it easier for yourself during the night, just have the baby sleep with you, or in a baby balcony attached to your bed, if you're uncomfortable sharing a bed. This way you won't have to get up and your baby will not wake up fully for nursing.
About the solids - according to WHO and UNICEF recommendations, your baby should not receive any solids at all before 6 months of age. So you can relax and leave that topic be for another 2 months at least. Sleeping through the night is not tied to being fed solids before bedtime.
And please don't pump to see how much milk you have. This does not work at all - in a lot of women pumping does not allow the let-down reflex to occur and thus the amount pumped in no way reflects the amount a baby would drink. Also, as breastfed babies drink more frequently than bottle fed babies, it is not how much they consume at each feeding that matters, but how much weight they gain overall. So, if your babies growth and weightgain are normal, you are producing plenty!

So, I hope this answered most of your questions. If you need any hands-on help, please contact the La Leche League or a certified lactation consultant in your area.

Kind regards,
Hannah

N. every baby is different. You MUST use your own instincts. When my first son was born I nursed him for 4 weeks. He weighed 8.9 @ 21.5 inches long. After 1 week he was only 1 ounce more than his birth weight. My breasts were bigger than my head (not kidding) and he had such a fierce latch on that it pained me beyond belief. The doctor said my let down reflex was "jambed" due to the pain. When he was 3 weeks old I started making a 2 ounce bottle of formula to supplement him. I fed 20 min. on the left, 20 min. on the right and then gave him the bottle. He always finished it!
At 3.5 months he weighed 14.2 pounds. He was drinking eight 8oz bottles of formula a day. His stomach was so full of fluid he started spitting up, something he'd never done before. All the books and magazines said not to introduce solid food until 5.5-6 mos. I started giving him a couple tablespoons of plain rice cereal mixed w/water twice a day and within a week he was having 3 servings of at least 1/4 cup of ceral a day. At 6 months he was having cereal, bananas, applesauce, cherios, cheese, yogurt, whole wheat bread, strawberries, potatoes and eggs.
Fast forward...in kindergarden he ate twice as much as any other child. A Capri Sun drink would be gone within 1 minute, other kids never finished theirs. At 13 he consumed 3 hambugers and 1 hotdog at a little league BBQ.
He could have eaten more. Other moms were always amazed at how much he ate. He's never been overweight, not even a little.
At 17 yrs old and 6ft 1.5 in. he weighed 230, solid muscle, football player, top weight lifter....big guy.
He has ALWAYS had a fast metabolism and NEEDED more calories than the average kid. His younger brother was bigger at birth yet ate only about half to 2/3rd the amount of food.
Trust your instincts and listen, watch and feel your babies disposition. You will know what she needs.

N., a baby's digestive system is a little immature to handle solids at this point.

In order to increase your output for pumping, you need to be pumping for 15-20 minutes with a double-electric pump at the same time every day. It is as if you are adding a nursing session. It took me about a week to up my output from 1.5oz to whatever I needed at that time. For me it was before I went to bed. To increase your output overall (all day), you are supposed to pump 10-15 minutes after each feeding, so this is time consuming. I should know because I had to do it TWICE. My boy was a hungry little guy. Be patient, drink lots of water before and during pumping. There are teas, fenugreek, etc. to increase your milk output as well. I used Herblore nursing tea. I agree that it would be helpful to contact your local La Leche League or see if there is a lactation consultation center nearby that you can call. I know El Camino Hospital in Mountain View offers free advice over the phone.

I would also call your pediatrician and ask for advice. Maybe you can do cluster feeding before bed or feed every 2 hours instead of 3 to stimulate your breasts more for milk. In any case, breastmilk digests in an hour, so it's not abnormal for a baby to wake up a lot.

Hi,

Your daughter sounds a lot like my first son when he was 4 months old. He woke up every hour or 2 screaming. Convinced he was hungry, I nursed every time (though I didn't give formula at night nor did I serve solids until he was 6 months old). I became so exhausted and so was he b/c he was not sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time.

It's actually an old wives tale that babies will sleep through the night w/formula and solids. If your baby is at least 4 months old and a minimum of 14 pounds, and has no health issues and not teething, then she's ready to sleep through the night and can do so for 10-12 hours straight. The way to achieve this is to read or watch the DVD of the SLEEPEASY SOLUTION, available at Amazon.com, or you can go to their website: http://www.sleepyplanet.com/index.html.

I'm partial to this book b/c one of the writers is a dear friend and a sleep specialist to thousands of families, including many celebrities. The techniques in this book are gentle, understanding, sympathetic, yet grounded in years of research on the effects of sleep on babies and children.

The techniques in this book/DVD have made both of my boys excellent sleepers since they were 5 months old. Both have slept (and continue to sleep) 12 hours a night and are expert nappers. As a result, they're happy and rarely do they get sick.

If your baby isn't teething or going through a new milestone, then it's possible that she needs help learning to put herself back to sleep w/o the crutch of eating all the time. The book will also explain how to wean the night feeds so that she'll eat more during the day and not need food at night.

Good luck!

You may not want to hear this but a 4 month old not sleeping through the night isn't exactly unexpected. :( Sorry, but it's pretty normal, especially for being hungry. Keep nursing and don't worry about the formula and cereal (you should get your doctor's advice before giving so much cereal at such a young age). Unfortunately some little ones just get the munchies. Keep nursing and if it's a problem it might make it easier for you to keep her in your room until she's sleeping longer periods (so you don't have to trek over the house) or enlist your S.O. in getting her when she wakes. Kids will change their sleeping habits a lot at such a young age, after a month or so she may go back to sleeping longer and eating less at night. You have to remember her tummy is the size of her fist so even if you fill it up at night it's going to empty pretty quick and if she's in a growing spurt she's going to need to eat more often. Hold in there *hugs* it won't last forever.
As for your pumping, some women's breasts do not respond well to the artificial pump, you can always continue doing it if you're getting enough to store for a rainy day (it will last 6 months in the freezer or a week in the fridge) but don't worry about it, you make much more in your actual breast while your child is eating. If you are concerned take your daughter to the doctor and ask him or her to look her over and see if she's thriving. Keep in mind if you are supplementing with formula too much it will affect your breast milk supply- they work on the supply and demand factor. Don't worry about the number of oz your little one is eating (your breasts don't have labels to help you there) just focus on whether or not she's still growing strong and healthy.

Hi N..
You're producing PLENTY of milk. Don't think otherwise. :) Every baby has their OWN eating schedule. Don't read the dang baby books that tell you they should only eat every 3 hrs...ect. Its. B.S. Maybe you're baby just wants to know you're there and cries for the comfort of being close to you and nursing? Do you work? Is she with a sitter during the day? Maybe she is waking because she is too hot, or too cold? Or, maybe she is HUNGRY. I dont want to make you feel like it's not going to get better, but I have a nursing 15mo. old that still wakes at night to nurse. (once I stop nursing him I know he will sleep through the night, I'm sure he is waking just to get the comfort by this point) but my point is, she is fine. she is hungry and your breastmilk is exactly what she needs at 4 mos. most parents dont feed their babies cereal til 6 mos+ so, she is getting more than she needs at this point. You're doing great. keep it up. keep nursing her. Possibly try nursing her a little more before bed in the evenings?...remember some people just can't pump, it doesn't mean that you're not producing enough milk...you can try to take fenegreek. I dont think I spelled it right?...You will have to go to whole foods to get it. that can help you produce more milk. It's one of those things that docs' say "hasn't' been proven but tons of moms say it worked for them...that and lots and lots of water and rest..and of course...your boobs are on supply and demand....so, the more your nurse, the more you make. give it a few days and you will see....please don't second guess yourself. Your baby is fine. Some moms like to brag that their baby is sleeping through the nite at 3 mos...dont listen to them. listen to YOUR baby. :)
Good luck.

First of all, have you called your doctor? There are many causes for this behavior and the starting place should be the doctor. Other reasons is a need to be close to mom. Your doctor is closer than e-mail and may know your baby alittle more than stranger though we have lots of personal experience with this. Do you have a coach/mid-wife or contact with someone that can help you one on one? That's another avenue. You are not to blame yourself. You are producing enough milk for the baby's needs. Don't go down that avenue. You baby is growing and with that growth there are constant changes. It's a normal process.

Consult a lactation specialist. My sister-in-law was facing protective services as her baby was "failing to thrive" though she spent all day nursing. La Leche League weighed the baby before and after nursing only to find that 20 minutes of nursing produced only about 2 or 3 ounces of milk! Another thing to keep in mind is that babies and children wake up in the night during growth spurts to "practice" whatever new skill they are working on.

Does she weigh over fifteen pounds - this seems to be a key wieght for sleeping through the night. I would suggest that she is actually in the habit of waking up every two hours and then the habit she has learnt is to put herself back to sleep by nursing. If you want her to sleep through the night and she's over 15 pounds then (painful though it is for about two/three days) you will have to let her cry it out. Not fun, but I've done it three times... they all survive and you will feel so much better having slept well. The idea that formula and cereal or solid food induce sleep is a myth. They don't help children to sleep any better than breastmilk, so be comfortable breastfeeding as much as you want and setting a routine. You may have some engorgement in the night the first couple days but you'll adjust as quickly as your baby. Breastfeed as long as you can, it's so healthy , your baby will wean herself at some point or you can wean her when you're ready. Sometimes, it works out that the only good times are right before bed and first thing in the morning... especially as they get older or if you are working.

Hi N.,
Way to go on the breastfeeding!!! It sounds like you are doing great! I know it's tough, but most babies that age usually wake up three or four times a night -- it's totally normal -- as long as she is not losing weight the breastmilk is all she needs --I breastfed my daughter exclusively until she was 7 months old, then we started a little cereal. It's just the way their little bodies are designed, they can only take in so many calories at one time. Also, sometimes the cereal doesn't actually help because their little bodies can't digest it very well, most doctors recommend waiting until they are 6 months old (my daughter was 20 lbs at 6 months!!) Co-sleeping can help make this much more tolerable -- or at the very least putting her crib next to your bed, so you can get the most sleep possible. It's going to get better soon-- as she gets bigger she'll sleep more. Hang in there! Some kids just sleep more than others, mine was like yours -- but it just gets easier -- eventually they keep sleeping a little longer and a little longer. Now mine is 5 and sleeps like a champ! I feel like we all put our time in one way or the other. Also, your daughter might just be going through a little growth spurt -- which shouldn't last much longer than another week. My best advice is to take it day by day, week by week. :)

6 oz for that age is not bad at all. That's great! Expect her to want up to 8 oz sometimes. The old wives tale, fill them up at night, did not work for me with our son. I had to load him up all day and eventually he was satisfied.

A couple of thoughts:

Every child is different, but 4 mos. is a little young to be eating solids. If anything, it might be causing her more digestive upset and thus causing her to wake up more.

We sleep trained our children using Jodi Mindell's "Sleeping Through the Night". It may not be for everyone but it worked for both of our children. Both were sleeping through the night by 4 mos. but they were also very LARGE babies. I think how much they weight has a lot to do with if they can sleep 6 hours straight. With the sleep training, they learned to put themselves back to sleep if they woke up in the night. At 7 mos. and 2 1/2 yrs., both now sleep about 12 hours straight. They are happy and really alert during the day and so is Mommy!

For breastmilk volume, I drank Yogi's Nursing Mother's Tea and also took Fenugreek extract. They really helped a lot. I had low breastmilk production too but with these supplements, I had copious amounts!

Good luck!

You are probably producing plenty of milk. At 4 months, it is probably a growth spurt. She should have those about every 2 months until she is almost 24 months. You can take fenugreek capsules several times a day and drink Mother's Milk tea that will help to increase your milk supply. Just be aware that you may leak! I've never been able to pump much, but I know my baby is getting enough because he is growing and gaining weight. Let her nurse or eat until she stops, babies are great self-regulators. If you can, try sleeping with your baby. It will make it easier to nurse her in the night as you won't have to really wake up. I couldn't sleep with my baby because I'm a light sleeper and my baby is a crawler - I'd wake up with him on top of my head... Good luck!

It is totally natural for babies this age to nurse alot at night still.I would however be very careful with beginning feeding this early - it is possible to cause allegies.Very doubtful somthings off on your milk production little babies have tiny stomachs and are growing like crazy.
Eat tons of good healthly full foods - don't skimp on the fat and protein and drink water water water

COntact La Leche in your area - they can really put your mind at ease

all the best R.

Waking every 2 hours is totally normal. She's still very small and really does need to eat that often. If you nurse her more and cut out the formula you will make more milk. Usually the advice is to wait til 6 months for solids, so the cereal is an extra right now. Some babes really like playing with food while the adults eat dinner, but she doesn't need anything but your milk.

She shouldn't have solids at all until 6 months. I would also stop feeding her formula if you are concerned about your breast milk supply. Breast milk is created on demand, so if more is demanded, more will be made. The absolutely wrong thing to do is supplement with formula or cereal, that will just cause you to stop making enough milk. My baby is a year old and still likes to eat every four hours. Yours is very young still to be able to go long stretches. The Dr. Sears book - Breastfeeding - is wonderful and detailed on this topic. I highly recommend it! Just keep feeding her, there is plenty of time for sleep later (or consider cosleeping if you really need rest)! Breastfeeding is too important to give up! Good luck!

I wouldnt start any solids until at least 6 mos. Its not going to make a difference with sleep- at least thats what Ive heard and experienced, plus you run the risk of food allergies before her digestive system is ready for those foods. She is still very young and having breastmilk every 2 -4 hours at night sounds normal. My son ate at least that often. The Lactose Support formula from Gaia Herbs is great for building milk supply. Plus drink 1/2 your weight in oz of water daily. My son slept with us(and still does)it made night feeding and sleep for both of us better. Good luck!

The advice that I received from our pediatrician when my now 14 month old was four months was that he should be able to go at least six-eight hours without eating. Sleeping is a trained behavior, and if they aren't trained - they won't do it. My suspicion is that she's really not hungry, she is just used to getting up and being fed. I had to let my son cry it out when he was about that age and we needed to lessen the frequency of his nightime feedings, and it worked! He'd cry for a bit, realize that he wasn't going to get fed...and the next day he completely bypassed that request. I strictly breastfed at that age, with the introduction of rice cereal and various purees following in the fourth-fifth month. It was hard for me to understand if he was getting enough food as well...but the bottom line was that he just needed to be "trained" to sleep.

Hi!
it is normal for 4 month olds to wake up every second hour, so I think you just have to go with the flow and accept that, it is only for a short while! (They sleep much better after they turn 1!) And the milk is richer at night, that is why they want to breastfeed more during the night usually. The more frequent you breastfeed the more milk you produce. The baby knows when she is hungry so let her decide. Don't worry about her eating too much, that won't happen, breastmilk is the best they can get! Skip the formula I would say, so that you produce more milk, the best is to only give breastmilk until they turn 6 months. It is only for a short period so let them do it, it is so good for them! Hang in there!

Hi N.!
First, 6oz is about right, depending on her weight. Some babies eat more and some less but the general rule is 2 & 1/2 oz a day for every pound. You just divide that total by however many feedings (most likely 6 at her age) and it tells you about what she should be getting at each one. Remember, it's just a ball-park.
Some might say that your daughter is not ready to sleep through the night yet and that you should continue to feed her when she wakes. I have a different take on things. All of the research I have read seems to say that sleep (especially long periods like through the night) is vitally important for the developing brains of our little ones. Sleep doesn't always come naturally since it is a skill and needs to be taught.
Also, breastmilk has all of the components your daughter needs (unlike formula or rice cereal) so there is good reason she seems to be wanting it!
What has worked wonders for me-- (my babe has always slept through the night using this method) --is to breastfeed her on a schedule (I do 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm but any 3 hour schedule would work).
The best way to increase your milk supply is to nurse MORE often. So if you suspect that is part of the problem then I would up the feedings from every 3 hours to every 2 &1/2 during the daytime AND pump for 10 minutes after each feeding...(I understand this might be very uncomfortable and you may not have anything even come out BUT the pumping/sucking tells your body that it needs to produce more milk and soon [as in 1-2 wks] you will see a difference in your supply).
Another thing you can do to increase your supply is to stop the formula and rice cereal. Baby will still be hungry but that's where the increased feedings come in. All of this is done to increase milk supply, satisfy baby and give her the nutrients she needs, and in turn train her to sleep through the night.
(There are also some herbs you could take to increase milk supply but nothing works better than nursing more often).
At some point you may need to let her cry herself back to sleep for a few nights until she doesn't wake in the night. This is because if you continue to feed her at night, she will become used to it and wake naturally around the same time for her "routine" night-time feeding. Remember, sleep is a skill and needs to be taught.
***It's always good to run your ideas by your doctor first.***
Hope this helps you have many wonderful (and wake-less) nights soon!
KC

Have you considered it might be a sleep issue & not a food issue? We exclusively breastfeed & didn't introduce cereal or solids until 5 3/4 mos. One of my twins woke up during the night after a couple months of sleeping through. I reread Healthy Sleepin Habits Healthy Child & decided to "experiment" if it was a sleep problem by moving bedtime up a 1/2 hr. It worked! On nights that we are socializing & don't get them to bed on time she'll wake up in the middle of the night but doesn't won't to nurse, I rock her & put her back down awake & she usually goes down right away.

I produce a lot of milk so dropping feedings was hard for me. In the beginning I pumped even if they didn't wake up & then froze it or saved it to mix with their cereal. Then I pumped only 1/2 the time & not to empty.

Breastfeeding is based on supply and demand. Feed her on demand, let her nurse until she is full and you will both be fine. If you supplement with other food your supply deminishes. She is at the age where all she really needs is your wonderful natural nourishment. Most new babies are hungry every 2 hours, some sooner. That is okay. Get your rest and know that in time you will both fall into a routine that works! Solid foods can come much later when her system is mature enough to tolerae it. You are doing a great job.
R. RN ex La Leche League Leader, now grandma!