question about feeding times, paci

[my2monkeyboys]

Has anyone else had a baby that seemed to nurse a lot in the mornings and evenings? Waylon usually eats like this:

6 am - full feeding (empties breast completely)
8 am - small feeding (about 1/2- 3/4 empty)
10 am - small feeding
12 - small feeding
3 - full feeding
5:30 or 6- full feeding
8- small feeding
9:30 - small feeding
11- small/full feeding (depends on the day - sometimes he eats more at this time than others)


It seems like he's nursing a lot, with only the middle of the night and the middle of the day more spaced out. Is this normal, or should I try to adjust things? It's a bit inconvenient in the am and pm, trying to get showered/dressed in the morning and cooking dinner/going off in the pm, but as long as it's ok for him to do this then I'll just go with it.

Also, does anyone know of a paci that a BF baby is more likely to take? Waylon refuses them all so far - the flatter shaped ones, those weird shaped ones, the round blue ones... he's only taken one a total of 4 times since he was born.

Thanks!

[ZandersMama]

with zander i just nursed when he wanted me to. somedays it was spaced out, somedays every hour. i think its ok.

ETA- he never took a paci, ever. he wanted the real thing


This post has been edited by ZandersMama on Jan 5 2009, 07:25 PM

[my2monkeyboys]

Thanks for the help -- I think I'll just keep letting him set the pace then. As for a paci, he doesn't seem to have a big need for extra sucking time, I just thought he may would want one but I just wasn't giving him the right one, ya know?
Thanks again!!!

[Kaitlin'smom]

I just nuresed when Kaitlin wanted, she regulated herself and when she nursed more she was going though a growth spirt. she never took a paci, and only took a bottle after nearly 7 months, the sitter finally got her to take one.

[moped]

I think it is called cluster feeding and yes it is very common and normal!!! At his age I would say just do what you are doing!

How is everything going with 2 kids now?

[my2monkeyboys]

Things are going easier than I expected. The hardest part really is the BF - the fact that I am the only one that can feed him - it's a little inconvenient at times, but the idea of all the extra work to pump just doesn't appeal to me. I did that with Will bc we could never get BF going, and I don't care to do that again anytime soon... I'm too lazy!
I'm glad to hear he's feeding normal -that makes me feel much better.

[boyohboyohboy]

I agree it sounds like cluster feeding..I always just let them feed when they wanted and more often then not sometimes it was just that they wanted to use me as a paci, and I have to admit that I let them.I would cook during the times when you are free, and then you would only have to reheat them when the meal time comes..so that you dont feel like you have to hurry him thru a feeding to cook or get something done..also is there another time you can shower?

I hated pumping also.
I used a green paci that the hosp gave out..I am trying to think what they were called...they dont have a handle and had that whole for you finger..but honestly he never took to it.

and if he is bfing well, I dont know that i would want to chance the nipple confusion.

had he ever tried to find his thumb?

how is Wil doing now, has his behaviors tapered off?

[my2monkeyboys]

Will had gotten much better, thank you for asking. It took a little adjusting on all of our parts, but we've been making sure to spend extra alone time with him and to really praise him for his behavior when he is extra nice/helpful, too.
As for my shower time I have to shower in the am simply bc my hair is an oil factory. When I shower at night I still have to re-wash in the morning or I look like the Exxon Valdez wreck site. I try to do that when he takes his brief AM nap, though sometimes he wants to nurse 2-3 times over an hour before he's able to go to sleep.
I may have to try cooking earlier than I need it and just reheating it, though I really don't like reheats too much. It'd probably be easier than what I'm doing now.
Waylon has found his thumb 2-3 times, but wasn't satisfied with it beyond just a couple of minutes. That's not really a habit I'm wanting to encourage, either, to be honest. At least with a paci I can take that away, the thumb is there to stay.