When do feeding patterns develop?

[KrisM]

Hi,

My son is breastfed and I'm wondering at what age, if ever, he'll be on sort of a schedule with his eating. He's 4.5 months old now. The day time is fairly routine with 3-4 hours between feedings. In the evening, he seems to want to be closer to 2-2.5 hours. Overnight is anyone's guess. Sometimes it's every 2 hours and sometimes every 4 hours.

I just wish I could plan a little more. Even with the 3-4 hours during the day, it would be nice to have a better idea of what to expect when we're out and about.

thanks!

[sntm]

It's hard to remember, but I think Jack became more predictable around 6 months. Predictability may vary based on other factors, like teething, growth spurts, feeling unwell, learning a new skill, change at daycare, etc, though. I keep that in mind whenever I have a snack or eat my lunch early!

One advantage of BFing is you don't have to plan too much -- if you are out for a long time, or he wants to breastfeed sooner, you always have your breasts with you! No worries about forgetting bottles, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 15 months and counting

[KrisM]

Yes, it is convenient to not have to remember bottles. But, it seems like I think we should be set for the drive home, which is about 30 minutes from the stores, and part way there, he'll be hungry. I end up pulling over in a random parking lot to feed him. Good thing he's efficient and only takes 10 minutes or so.

We drove to Boston a few months ago and fed him in the most bizarre places - some road in Canada about 2AM, truck pull overs on the NY Thruway, etc. I am glad it wasn't a big deal, but it was funny to be pulled over with all the semis.

[sntm]

Yeah, we get that too sometimes now! It's always after I've picked him up from daycare but before he gets in the car. Have you tried offering before you get in the car? Will work well at that age and usually will tide them over enough to last you the cartrip.

On big trips, I used to just lean over the carseat. In retrospect, not the best idea with regards to my extra weight on the carseat if we were in an accident.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 15 months and counting

[TahliasMom]

I'm also breastfeeding and my daughter is 4 months old. She only feeds 5 times during the day (about 3.5 to 4 hrs aprt)and none at night. A typical schedule(subject to her moods):

7:30pm eats (sleeps from 8:00pm to 5:00am)
5:05am eats (sleeps from 5:30-8:00am)
eats at 9:00am (naps from 11:00-12:30pm)
eats at 1:00pm(naps from 2:30-4:00pm)
eats at 4:30pm (short nap from 6:00-6:30pm)
east at 7:30pm and goes down for the night

Your son is waking up at night out of habit not because he's hungry. My pedi told me to start cutting out one nightly feeding a night every few days at 3 months. If your son has three nightly feedings, cut out the first one, then the third one and then the middle one. First of all, don't go in there. The minute the baby smells you it's food time. I would have my husband go in and soothe her, either with "hushing" or a pacifier. After few night she got the picture. And we knew she wasn't starving because at the next feeding she would eat her usual amount of time. It took us 3 weeks to wean her off the nightly feedings and she will occassionally wake up at 3am but I just check her diaper and give her the pacifier, and she goes back to sleep. She doesn't wake up starving either.
What also helped us is that we established a really good night time routine for her and we also make sure that we're always, always home in time for her bedtime.
good luck!
Katherine

[KrisM]

Hmmm. Everything I've read indicates that some babies do need to eat overnight until 6 or 7 months. He sure seems hungry! He is about 19 lbs now and by the 2.5 ounces/lb ROT I've read, that means he needs somewhere around 47.5 ounces a day. It seems like that should be spread out over more than only 5 feedings. I don't know though.

We want to get him on some sort of repeatable night schedule before we try to eliminate feedings overnight. Unfortunately, no 2 nights are the same right now. It's something to do with the age, from what I've read. At 3-4 months, he only woke and ate 2 times/night. At 4 months, it all changed.

We've tried the hushing, but that just makes him scream! I have much more success than my husband, too. I don't mind feeding him a couple of times overnight, since he does appear to be hungry. I just wish it was a bit predictible...I'd go to bed earlier and get a longer chunk of sleep!

Thanks for posting your baby's schedule. It gives me something to think about and figure if it would start to work for us.

[TahliasMom]

Most BM babies should be eating 6-8 times a day a this age. I don't know how we got lucky! But the weight might explain it. Our daughter is only 15 lbs and if she needs 2.5 oz/lb, that would put her at 37.5 which is about right. When I'm at work few days a week, she eats four ~6.0 oz of EBM during the day. Every night she get one 7.5 oz bottle of EBM. She seems to sleep longer with the bottle than me breastfeeding her at night. Also, have you tried doing cluster feeding in the evening or maybe trying to get him to nurse longer during the day? just a thought...

good luck
Katherine

[tarahsolazy]

Forrest is 6.5 months old, and he is fairly predictable. He goes every 3-4 hours during the day, and truly, I just feed him every 3.5 hours or so out of habit. He's always willing to eat, so I figure its working ok. I feed him more often if he's fussy or seems out of sorts, he's always been a funny baby, difficult to read any real feeding cues. At night, though, I offer the breast no more frequently than every 3 hours. Unofrtunately, he wakes up more often than that. If offered the breast every time, though, he will wake all the way up, angry, if he's not hungry, I guess? I think he could probably go all night without eating, but I work full time out of the home, and I think those night sessions really help keep my supply strong. We haven't had to supplement with any formula, as of yet. Another thing to think of with night-weaning decisions. So, basically, I have little advice for you, but I know what you're going through! ITA on nursing in odd places, this weekend F and I flew across the country for a family thing and we nursed: airport, airplane, car pulled over, front yard, restaurant (x2), crying room at church.

[KrisM]

We've tried all of those things. It doesn't seem to make a difference if he gets a bottle or breast before bed. He'll sleep 3-6 hours at first. If I try to nurse him longer or more often, he just doesn't want any part of it. He might drink more, but then spit it all, or nearly all, up.

One of these days, I guess he'll get some sort of pattern. I would guess that typically, he'll eat 7-8 times a day. It sounds like we're within average.

I'm sure in a year or so, I'll miss these baby days, so I'm trying to enjoy them, but it's hard sometimes!

Thanks again.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

>Your son is waking up at night out of habit not because he's hungry.

That may not be true. Babies should be fed on cue and if they are cueing hunger at night they should be fed.

Also consider that skipping a naturally cued feeding may interfere with breastfeeding. It works on supply and demand and if you skip a feeding then you are signalling your breasts to slow down the milk production. That can be devastating to the milk supply, especially if done before 4 months of age.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
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