Length of time between feeds
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Topic: Length of time between feeds
Posted By: millymollymandy
Subject: Length of time between feeds
Date Posted: 04 February 2010 at 10:05am
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Have made some really good progress this week. New plunket nurse has got me onto a course for helping deal with PND and have joined a great new play group, and DH has started new job so we have some money again, so things are much brighter.
This weeks questions is how long does a 5/6 month generally go without a feed? DD feed at 5.30 is morning and nearly 5 hours later she's really not interested yet. Yet between 5pm-5am she'll wake up feed and go back to sleep between 1 hour (evenings) and 4 hours (ealry morning). I know I'll get told not worry but she's dipping below the 3 per centile trajectory and not gaining weight as fast as she could. I can't force it into her and would like to see her thriving and obvioulsy eating more during the day. |
Replies:
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 04 February 2010 at 10:17am
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That does seem like a long time for a baby to go without food ... Elias was three hourly on the dot (he set the routine, not me) .. if he was asleep I wouldnt wake him UNTIL it had been four hours .. I wouldnt let him go any longer than that.
Although, Elias is in the middle of the weight chart, Ive heard of kiddies that are in the lower parts of the chart being "made to eat" more often than that. Hopefully it comes right for you soon (and awesome how things seem to be falling into place for you on all levels) ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 04 February 2010 at 11:05am
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Apologies as am FAK but we are anywhere from2-4hrly during the day and she (DD2, 6mo) mostly sleeps through at night.
Maybe if you persist in offering a little more frequently she might eventually get the idea and start to feed a bit more often. ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: myonlineself
Date Posted: 07 February 2010 at 10:58pm
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Can you wake her to feed while she is still half asleep? she might take it that way? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mumtooboys
Date Posted: 08 February 2010 at 11:04am
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Depends on the baby. DS2 was basically a 3 hourly feeder, except during growth spurts, for 7 months. He then did 3 weeks of sleeping 10+ hours at night but was still feeding roughly 3 hourly and sometimes "cluster" feeding in the evening (usually associated with a newborn). # weeks later we were back to 3 hourly feeding and he was waking at lest 3 times overnight, at least one of those times to be fed. I night weaned him at 11 months (started at 9 months) so he was going about 7ish hours overnight without a feed by the time we were done and again, 3 hourly during the day until he self weaned at 18.5 months.
I'd offer more often, and I agree with the PP who said try feeding her when drowsy or mostly asleep. As for the weight gain.....I've had 2 "poor" gainers, despite what they were fed...sometimes they are just meant to be small. IMO ANY weight gain is great and you're kind of damned if you do damned if you don't anyway. If they gain alot of weight quickly they imply they are being fed too much and if they don't gain weight quickly at all then you're not feeding them enough. Makes me  .------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: bun_in_the_oven
Date Posted: 08 February 2010 at 11:30am
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DS is 6 months and he usually Bfeeds around every 2n half hours.. hes a big baby and loves his milk. You can offer it..and she will most likely want it once she is there.. i wouldnt wait until she is upset or "looking hungry" just go ahead and offer it.
Plunket suggest Feed Change Play Sleep thats pretty much what we do in cycles throughout the day.. Good Luck with the feeding and well done getting support with the PND.. never easy. Im sure you are doing a great job mama ! |
Posted By: millymollymandy
Date Posted: 10 February 2010 at 8:08pm
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Thanks everyone. My Plunket nurse (who is a gem) says to encourage her when I can, I like that way of putting it. She also reckons it might give her the idea.
mostly she grizzles and refuses to eat, but will sometimes go "oh yeah" and gup it. She's a happy little thing too bust smiling at everyone and not into demanding feeds, except evenings/night. Despite a not very hungry day, she wolfed down nearly two ice cubes of veggies and two boobs before sleep tonight! She is actually chubbying up a bit! Have had good success with drowsy feeding, and some eat,play, sleep cycles too. |