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feeding erratically in the day & crying before each feed
Hi,
I'm looking for your help as my son used to have quite a good feeding routine - going about 3 hours between feeds. But lately this has changed to going for between 1 and 4 hours in the daytime. Night is fine.
He's now 7 weeks and I wonder if its because I'm less strict with him? Initially we had to keep him awake to feed as he'd drop off. I'd change his nappy when he came off one side and sometimes strip him off. But then he started getting a sore tummy and the midwife suggested he was taking too much on. So I was paranoid I was forcing him to take more than needed.
The other thing is he's waking up for feeds and is in a state from the off with very little cues beforehand. This makes it tricky and our latch is now not as solid as it was causing some 'lipsticking' and sometimes pain towards the end of a feed on one side. He's obviously waking up 'too late' and when he's starving which then means he drinks too quickly and gets bad wind and we end up waiting for this to ease before he can finish. Each feed can therefore take a while and its hard to distinguish when the wind stops and the crying is more hunger again. If its wind he won't go back on but then 5 mintues later and he might if its subsided.
Any ideas on how to improve things?
I'm thinking I probably need to look for a pattern to his daytime feeds to see if I can pre-empt his next feed and get him on earlier. Not necessarily wake him but grab him if he starts the feeding cues in his sleep maybe.
Also need to be strict with the latch again.
I probably also need to address the wind too as he's on infacol but this doesn't seem to be doing enough. Will try to ask the HV. I'm almost tempted to ditch the infacol and see what happens.
I'm looking for your help as my son used to have quite a good feeding routine - going about 3 hours between feeds. But lately this has changed to going for between 1 and 4 hours in the daytime. Night is fine.
He's now 7 weeks and I wonder if its because I'm less strict with him? Initially we had to keep him awake to feed as he'd drop off. I'd change his nappy when he came off one side and sometimes strip him off. But then he started getting a sore tummy and the midwife suggested he was taking too much on. So I was paranoid I was forcing him to take more than needed.
The other thing is he's waking up for feeds and is in a state from the off with very little cues beforehand. This makes it tricky and our latch is now not as solid as it was causing some 'lipsticking' and sometimes pain towards the end of a feed on one side. He's obviously waking up 'too late' and when he's starving which then means he drinks too quickly and gets bad wind and we end up waiting for this to ease before he can finish. Each feed can therefore take a while and its hard to distinguish when the wind stops and the crying is more hunger again. If its wind he won't go back on but then 5 mintues later and he might if its subsided.
Any ideas on how to improve things?
I'm thinking I probably need to look for a pattern to his daytime feeds to see if I can pre-empt his next feed and get him on earlier. Not necessarily wake him but grab him if he starts the feeding cues in his sleep maybe.
Also need to be strict with the latch again.
I probably also need to address the wind too as he's on infacol but this doesn't seem to be doing enough. Will try to ask the HV. I'm almost tempted to ditch the infacol and see what happens.
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Replies
I think it was definitely another growth spurt and trying to make sure I latch him on properly each time has helped. I also think he's starting to tire more now he's more aware of his surroundings and trying to stay awake!
Kazzie - I'm now holding him up for longer both after and during his natural pause during feeding and its helping lots. I'm also being much more religious with the infacol and using it again if his break during a feed is quite long. Seems to be working much better.
He's definitely a big boy though - 12lbs14 today and only 7 weeks!