DS (7 weeks) has been feeding every 1-3 hours since birth. He has one longer sleep in the evenining (3-4 hours) and otherwise it's boob-o-clock all the time! I've been coping ok, figuring he's only little and he knows what he needs but also thought that it might start to space out more over time. It's not. In the past 48 hours he has not gone for longer than 1.5 hours. I'm absolutely knackered and poor DD is utterly over being told that she has to wait while I feed the baby.
He's got a really windy tummy and is 'colicky' - arching, grunting, straining, frequently woken by pains in the belly - and often seems to feed for comfort. I wonder whether the feeding is being reinforced as it often helps to push the wind through and then he gets some relief.
Nothing wrong with his intake - last measure he was on the 90th percentile for weight and is quite the little Buddha.
If I try to stretch out the feeds with distraction, dummy, being held by someone else he just gets gradually more unsettled until he cracks it and then feeds like he is completely starving.
So he seems hungry. All the time. Is this just 'him'? Have others had experience with the endlessly hungry Buddha-baby? Is there anything I can do to gently help him / change this? In no way do I want to leave my baby hungry or schedule-feed... But I feel like I also can't keep going like this. My body is falling apart, I'm exhausted and my toddler is miserable. I also feel like maybe his weight is an indicator that perhaps it's more than he actually needs??? Even if you can just tell me that it might slow down in a few weeks time I think that might be enough to keep me going! Heeeeeelllpp!
wonder week!
He's still really, really little. It'll get better with time.
They feed for all sorts of reasons and comfort is one of them and that's ok. My DS was like this. My DD not. Just one of those things.
Just wait till 3-4 months, then all of a sudden he'll be so interested in theworld around him that you'll have a hard time getting him to feed
As is 7 weeks is a wonder week? I don't have the book.
On the up-side, I got my first huge gummy grin today. It was so beautiful it made me cry. Pulled him out of the bath and kept him skin-to-skin to keep him warm. He just gazed up at me and beamed for ages. Felt like I was getting a 'thanks Mummy'. Of course, after about 5 minutes he did a huge lunge, located a booby and resumed his favorite activity!
I remember reading that when a baby has colic they often can't distinguish the feeling between hunger, so perhaps he is feeding lots when he has colic because he "thinks" he is hungry...? Also, like you mentioned, I think feeding also soothes the colic as well. I'm pretty sure it helped with DS when he was a bub. DS also fed 1-2 hourly around the clock, but thankfully I didn't have a toddler at the same time. DD is still feeding at least 3 hourly around the clock, but I'm lucky that she is a really quick feeder. I really hope things improve for you soon! Can you try something like Infant's Friend to try to soothe the colic? I even went on from that to Infacol for a while to ease DS's discomfort.
My DS was the same and definitely worse when in a developmental leap/sickness/teething. After awhile our hour feeding sessions dropped to a few mins literally on both sides and the frequent feeding didn't seem so bad
Hi,
He sounds like he is doing all the normal things that a 7 week old baby does. Do you have a baby sling/ I recommend one like ABA's Simplicity sling - holds them close to you and securely. (and inexpensive) They are gold. It may take a little while to "get the hang of it" but worn correctly it won't be heavy on your back. You won't hear a peep out of him. At night, have him close to you - in your bed is great.
Thanks ladies. Another long night last night but at least he resettled after most feeds ok so I got the occasional sleepy-blink in! Amazing how relative it all is... 3 hours' sleep seems like bliss after almost none the previous nights!
Barb - I have an ergo, ring-sling and close carrier and he's not a massive fan of any of them. He's just so uncomfortable in himself so much of the time that he seems to want to writhe and arch and change positions. The ABA sling looks good... Just scared of spending more money.
Yes I have a boob o'clock Buddha baby. He doubled his birth weight in eight weeks and was off the charts at four months. He fed 1.5 to two hourly 24/7 until around 12 weeks then started it up again at four months and has really settled now to three hourly feeds with a stretch of five hours sometime at night.
Some babies are just hungry. Dd used to comfort feed a bit, but ds always seems starving when he feeds and won't take a dummy if boobs are around.
With your dd does she like sticker books? That was my saviour as we could do them together while ds fed...look at kmart or even supermarket.
my DS was the same - right down to the collicky behaviour & not liking a sling. time cured it for us because, as you said, trying (gently) to stretch it out just seemed to upset him rather than help. tbh though, in the end the time did pass quite quickly (even though it felt like forever at the time!). DS continued to feed pretty much 2 hourly around the clock i reckon till he was 9 or 10 months old but as they get more efficient at feeding, it wasn't quite the time consuming process it is at the start & feeds were over quickly.
Thanks again ladies. It is very reassuring to know that this is 'normal'. It sounds like it's particularly the case for little boys. DD is all I have to compare to and I had to wake her to feed in the early days and later offer rather than wait for her to ask or she'd end up going 6 hrs without.
Barb - was just going to add... we are co-sleeping. I don't think this is survivable without it. If I had to get up to him, I'd get no sleep at all. Praise-be to BB for making co-sleeping such a normal and acceptable way to parent or I'd be completely nuts by now! (instead of the 99% nuts I currently am!)
Help! Feeding every hour - 1.5 hrs.
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but as they get more efficient at feeding, it wasn't quite the time consuming process it is at the start & feeds were over quickly.
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