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problems with toddler getting bored with me constantly feeding...
posted in toddler... I won't go into detail here again.
I just wanted to ask whether or not your babies are feeding often or going 3-4 hours between feeds, expecially the formula fed babies? I am seriously thinking of changing to formula. I love breastfeeding and it is going well - ish, I haven't got sore this time like I did last time. The problem I am having is his constant feedings, every half and hour to an hour this weekend and today, my toddler is getting so bored by it so therefore is getting silly/naughty. I can totally understand why (just no idea how to handle it)...
I am worried my milk isn;t enough for him, or will he be just the same with a bottle???
sometimes he can go 2-3 or even sometimes 4 hours between feeds, but then most of the time, like I said it is really often. There is no pattern to it at all.......
any tips?
if I change to formula will it be the answer or not? she'll get just as annoyed if I'm sat on the sofa bottle feeding constantly.
I don't know what to do.
I feel like I am failing by her by not giving her enough attention, her personality this weekend has really changed, and i feel like I am failing by him by not giving him enough attention when he is awake because I am busy trying to sort out my DD.... ARGH!!! mothers guilt.
No idea when I am meant to have time for myself. I hate my post pregnancy body and no idea how to sort myself out, don't even have time to pee some days!!!!
sorry for the moan. been a long, hard day (and up most of the night so feels like I've been on the go for a while now...)
I just wanted to ask whether or not your babies are feeding often or going 3-4 hours between feeds, expecially the formula fed babies? I am seriously thinking of changing to formula. I love breastfeeding and it is going well - ish, I haven't got sore this time like I did last time. The problem I am having is his constant feedings, every half and hour to an hour this weekend and today, my toddler is getting so bored by it so therefore is getting silly/naughty. I can totally understand why (just no idea how to handle it)...
I am worried my milk isn;t enough for him, or will he be just the same with a bottle???
sometimes he can go 2-3 or even sometimes 4 hours between feeds, but then most of the time, like I said it is really often. There is no pattern to it at all.......
any tips?
if I change to formula will it be the answer or not? she'll get just as annoyed if I'm sat on the sofa bottle feeding constantly.
I don't know what to do.
I feel like I am failing by her by not giving her enough attention, her personality this weekend has really changed, and i feel like I am failing by him by not giving him enough attention when he is awake because I am busy trying to sort out my DD.... ARGH!!! mothers guilt.
No idea when I am meant to have time for myself. I hate my post pregnancy body and no idea how to sort myself out, don't even have time to pee some days!!!!
sorry for the moan. been a long, hard day (and up most of the night so feels like I've been on the go for a while now...)
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Replies
But first of all, remember you are doing a great job!! I am knackered looking after Jazmine, and I have only her. It must be so much harder with a toddler too, so I really feel for you sweetie.
As you know we are bottle feeding Jazmine and she goes approx 3 hours between feeds, and takes about 120ml each time (not sure what that is in oz). Sometimes its shorter inbetwen feeds, especially the weekend just gone, not sure if she is on a growth spurt, but it was pretty much every hour at one point. Sometimes after the 120ml, she's still hungry, so we make up a few 60ml too, and sometimes she will just take about 20ml of that and drop off to sleep! Its all so unpredictable in the early days isn't it.
If you did switch over, perhaps you could involve your little girl in helping to hold the bottle while feeding or something, so she feels a bit involved?
As to the post pregnancy body, I feel the same. Tummy has gone down a bit, but still not back in my proper jeans. Aggghhh!!
Zxx
I decided to see if it got easier and make a decision as to whether to switch over. 10 weeks now and we're still going, it's got a little easier but tbh it's still tough with a toddler! I'm still feeding a lot. My toddler starting nursery 3 mornings has helped a bit.
DS1 went through a silly/naughty phase and even kicked Ds2 a few times!! Not like him as he is a gentle, well behaved boy most of the time. He was just trying to get my attention though as he knew he's get a reaction from me after the first time he did it! We used the naughty mat but hes a lot better now. He loves his lil bro and fusses over him loads.
I'm exactly the same as you, i've had no problems this time like last time and i'm enjoying breast feeding going well. I prefer it to bottle feeding, it's just the amount of time it takes and my toddler not getting my attention that makes it hard.
It's also difficult as it's impossible to get any kind of sleep routine going with bfing. Not used to this as ds1 fell into a napping routine early! on the plus side he's sleeping well at night 10-5/6!
I probably haven't helped much but just wanted to let you know you're not alone!
thanks for all your replies and support, I had my HV round yesterday and she thinks he may have a slight tongue tie, have to go see a breast feeding specialist at the hospital to get some more advice. I had written down all his feed times and she said it was too much even for having a growth spurt. I obviously don't want him to have a tongue tie but I am also relieved there may be a reason behind his erratic feeding.
I had him weighed yesterday and he has gained weight but has yet again dropped percentiles on his chart, he is also having greeny coloured poo so all these are signs that he isn't getting the right amount of milk/enough hind milk that he needs. For the amount of time spent feeding this is unusual and this is why she said it could be his tongue tie.
hopefully we can get things sorted soon,
thanks again for replies. hope you are all well xx
William has tongue tie and can't breastfeed properly. He can get a little but not enough to fill him. I've been expressing since he was in special care, so I've kept that up and he's having breastmilk via bottle. It's a killer because I have to pump every three hours to keep my milk, then go through all the feeding routine, then sterilise everything. I have no time to myself.
We were going to get his tongue cut but the consultant wouldn't do it with him being premature. There is a 1 in 100 risk of the tongue bleeding when they cut it to release the tie and if it bleeds they have to be admitted to hospital overnight and put under general anaesthetic to cauterize the wound. After all the problems we had with him in intensive care we didn't want to risk him being the 1 in 100 that bled. I can't face him going through another hospital admission and being put to sleep for more procedures. We may have had it done if he hadn't been in hospital already, but I can't say for sure that I would have accepted 1 in 100 as good odds. It is a simple op and it should be easy to sort out if you want the tongue cut and your baby was full term, but the only benefit to having it cut is that it will help baby to latch on better.
An experienced breastfeeding counsellor will be able to help with positions that aide tongue tie, without getting the op done. A nipple shield will also help. William has used them a few times and seemed to get more and in my own experience I know of several women who have used the shields long-term without any problems. The consultant told us that the tongue tie won't affect speech development, and since my husband has it and has never suffered from it, we decided to leave it and explore the other options for feeding (shield, expressing).
We did consider swapping to formula like you, to give me a break from all the expressing, but because Will has had all the problems that go with being premature, and because we don't have any other children to consider, I feel very strongly about giving him breastmilk for as long as I can and I'm struggling on with the expressing. It's a very personal choice though.
Anyway, good luck with getting this sorted one way or another. If you do decide to stop BF don't beat yourself up. x
We went to the hospital today and they say it is only a small tongue tie - as in not severe. Therefore they won't cut it. They have offered lots of support, so so lovely these breast feeding specialists. I am going to keep going for now with offering his one bottle in the evening, if it doesn't improve and I find it too much feeding him so often then I think i will move to offering more bottles to see if it helps go longer between feeds.
got to scoot, my hubby has just come downstairs after bathing finley and told me my dd is naked in her bedroom - better go sort her out!!! x
Sorry you're having a hard time. Hope things pick up after seeing bf specialists.
Tip for interacting with older one while feeding - try and get a comfy position on the floor to feed, then your DS could maybe curl up beside you with a book or something? Only time I've had to do that with MissG, she went off and played with her toys on her own anyway!!
Sympathising with you. Splitting attention is hard work.
xx