Hi,

It can be soooo hard to read their signs, can't it? And quite frustrating when we don't quite get it right. and, then just when we think we've worked it out, it changes again. The bed picnic idea can be great when you have newborn and getting over the birth - but you can't stay in bed for 2 years or so! Tell me, how many feeds does your little one have in 24 hrs? What have his weightgains been like? How long does he spend on each breast? Does he tend to have both breasts each time?
Usually, if your baby has been awake for one and a half hours or so (allowing for individuality) then he will be tired and ready to go to sleep. Some signs of this might be that he is whingey, sucks his fists (tricky, because that looks like "hungry" to adults) may be playing with you, and then suddenly "crack it" and turn away, or maybe rubbing his eyes. This means that he wants a little help to go to sleep. So you might give him a little feed, usually from the breast he last fed from, or wrap him firmly and cuddle him or rock him til he goes to sleep, or put him in the sling and go for a walk or do the housework, or whatever. The funny thing with babies is, the more sleep they get, the more they often want - as though they learn to enjoy and feel safe going to sleep. While I'm not big on timing feeds or sleeps, it can, in the early days, help to just jot down what the time will be in an hour and a half and when that time comes, start observing his behaviour and working towards sleep. There may be one time of the day when nothing you do seems to work, and times when you mix up the hunger cues and tired cues - that's Ok - you'll work it out in the end!

Warm Regards
Barb