Ask Anne…
Apr 25, 2018 Ever wonder what a Puppy Feeding Frenzy looked like? Well here it is. Sky’s Puppies Feeding and enjoying there dinner. And whats a puppy video. And at this point, many pediatricians will tell you that your baby can begin to transition away from on demand feeding and get into a feeding and sleeping schedule, which means more time for mom! When your baby is 1 to 4 months old — about4 weeks to 16 weeks — she will be eating approximately 3-4 ounces of formula per feeding, increasing.
Question:My seven week old baby girl wants to nurse constantly from the hours of 5:00 pm until she goes to bed, which is normally around 11:00 pm. What is causing the constant eating? Is she getting enough from me to satisfy her? She wants to nurse again 45 minutes to an hour after she finishes eating. Please help!
Answer: It is completely normal for a baby this age to still nurse frequently. Your baby will double her birth weight by the time she is five or six months old, and triple it by a year. That’s a lot of growing to do in these early months!
Breastfed babies do tend to nurse more often because human milk is more easily digested than formula, and empties from their stomachs faster. This means more frequent feedings, but less colic, illness, constipation, and allergies.
All babies will start going longer stretches between feedings as they get older, but the timetable is different for each baby. Is your baby gaining weight adequately? That’s really the most important thing at this point.
6 Week Old Baby Feeding Frenzy 1
Babies will periodically go on “growth spurts” during the early months of nursing. This means that they are growing so quickly that your milk supply needs to increase to meet their demands. The most common time for growth spurts is around 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The best way to boost your milk production is by nursing more often for a few days (“Cluster Feeding”) until the supply catches up. She may be going through one of these growth spurts now.
It is also a very common pattern for babies to have their fussiest period of the day during the hours from dinnertime til bedtime. For some reason, they will fight sleep even when their eyelids are drooping and you KNOW they must be exhausted. This nightly period of cluster feeding and fighting sleep also coincides with the time of day when you are the most tired, your milk supply is lowest, and you are trying to cook dinner and spend some time with your partner. I know that is is a frustrating situation for you, but maybe knowing how common is it and that it won’t last forever will make you feel a little bit better. Eventually your baby will be on more of a predictable schedule, I promise.
Anne Smith, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Basics
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It’s simple: You should nurse or offer a bottle whenever your little one is hungry in the first few months as a newborn. And your baby is going to let you know, loud and clear! But crying isn’t the only clue.
Following your child's lead, instead of trying to stick to a strict time-based schedule, is often called “demand feeding” or “feeding on-demand.” Since your infant can't actually say 'I'm hungry,” you’ll want to learn to look for cues that it's time to eat. These may include:
- Leaning toward your breast or a bottle
- Sucking on his hands or fingers
- Opening his mouth, sticking out his tongue, or puckering his lips
- Fussiness
Crying is also a sign of hunger. But if you wait until your baby is very upset to feed him, it can be hard to calm him down.
How Often Will My Baby Act Hungry?
Every child is different. It also depends on whether your baby is drinking breast milk or formula, since they digest breast milk more quickly.
If you're breastfeeding, your newborn will probably want to nurse every 1.5 to 3 hours. As he gets older, he'll slowly start to nurse less often and fall into a more predictable pattern.
Newborns should nurse 8-12 times a day for the first month; when your child gets to be 4 to 8 weeks old, he'll probably start nursing 7-9 times a day.
If he's drinking formula, your baby will probably want a bottle every 2 to 3 hours at first. As your child grows, he should be able to go 3 to 4 hours without eating.
You may notice that your baby sometimes wants to eat more often or a larger amount than normal. This usually happens when a child is growing rapidly. Your child may go through growth spurts at 7-14 days old, between 3-6 weeks old, around 4 months old, and around 6 months old.
Not sure if your baby is getting enough to eat? You can probably relax. If your child has 4-6 wet diapers a day, regular bowel movements, and is gaining weight, then chances are he's doing just fine. If you have any concerns, give your pediatrician a call.
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