arguments about feeding

My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

b) try to distract the baby so there is a longer gap and he is
hungrier and hopefully feeds better

teapot

"teapot" wrote in message
om...
My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

b) try to distract the baby so there is a longer gap and he is
hungrier and hopefully feeds better

teapot, six weeks is a classic "growth spurt" time, and this does sound like
a growth spurt. During this time, your baby really does need to nurse when
hungry. Just know that this round-the-clock stuff *does* pass, and lo and
behold, your baby is visibly bigger!

You of course have to use the bathroom, eat, drink, etc. As much as
possible, it helps to have DH and/or others bring you food and drink, and
otherwise you dash and take care of your comfort breaks whenever you can get
them.

I know it's hard to believe it when you're going through it, but this
constant feeding *does* pass. Then, before you know it, you'll find your
baby wanting to do *other* things--play, explore, interact--which is fun,
but also more complicated (as in "hey, it used to be all I had to do was
take him to the breast and he'd be happy--what does he want now?).

Belphoebe, with a nearly 4.5 month-old DS who is definitely more complicated
now, nak

"teapot" wrote in message
om...
My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

b) try to distract the baby so there is a longer gap and he is
hungrier and hopefully feeds better

Not sure who's choosing which side, but the answer is (a). Looks as though
having just gotten to feeling back on an even keel after the first growth
spurt you've hit the second. This too shall pass and then you get a bigger
break until around three months.

--
Rhiannon
Madison Sophia - 9/6/01
Owen Grady - 6/23/03

My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

This one. It's what everyone else has said, a growth spurt. It'll stop when
he's 21, but it'll slow down considerably within a week, with longer spaces
between feeds. :-)

--
Caryn
mama to Oscar, 10/20/02

It's perfect time for a growth spurt and unfortunately you probably should
just feed the baby every time he wimpers unless his diaper or something else
is the caue. It will pass in a few days or even up to a week. Just remember
he is building your supply. Is there someone at home that can bring you food
and water and/or other things you might need? Hang in there. )
--
Sue
mom to three girls

teapot wrote in message
om...
My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

b) try to distract the baby so there is a longer gap and he is
hungrier and hopefully feeds better

teapot

teapot wrote:

My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

b) try to distract the baby so there is a longer gap and he is
hungrier and hopefully feeds better

teapot

a) - it's just easier to feed the baby when he cries than try to
distract a crying hungry baby who becomes a crying hungry and now
*angry* baby.

Teapot, DS is closing in on 7 weeks (on Tuesday) and on Friday night, he
actually let me sleep for 3 hours (9 to 12 midnight). So there is hope.

Jeanne

ortable (JoelnCaryn) wrote in message ...
My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

This one. It's what everyone else has said, a growth spurt. It'll stop when
he's 21, but it'll slow down considerably within a week, with longer spaces
between feeds. :-)

I was hoping to wean by the time he is 21

thanks for everyones replies. My bloke hes made me a big pot of pasta
and i m not expecting to get anything done today, not after yesterdays
trip into town (15 minutes walk away) when i had to stp and feed him
twice on the way back. seems funny now that i was shy of bf in
public, ill get a tit out anywhere if it makes the moo happy.

teapot and barnacle moo boy - 6 weeks and a day

I'm going to vote A with just enough B thrown in to maintain your
sanity. If he's hungry, he's gotta eat, and I suspect most 6 week
olds are not all *that* distractable when it comes to food (at least
mine's not). At the same time, you need to pee and eat and feel human
enough that you don't totally resent him. For a while the Bug had an
uncanny ability to sense when I was in the shower, no matter how
asleep and well fed she was, and decide right then that she was
ravenously hungry. DH was able to sing/dance/bounce or give her a
finger to suck (put the pin in the grenade, as he called it) long
enough for me to finish, dry off, and get to the chow chair. She
wasn't thrilled with it, but she lived. I felt better being clean. B
probably wouldn't work so well as a response all day every day, but
here and there it has its place.

Best of luck getting through it -- Bug's not quite so bad, but she has
been something of a barnacle the past week or so. I thought it was
over on Saturday, but she started up again Sunday.

Kate
and Bug, June 8 2003

(teapot) wrote in message . com...
My 6 week old is back on hourly feeds. He feeds himself asleep and
then he is really awake when I try to get him off the breast.

The argument is, do we

a) drop everything (eating, peeing, sleeping) and feed the baby as
soon as he cries

b) try to distract the baby so there is a longer gap and he is
hungrier and hopefully feeds better

teapot

In article , Joshua
Levy writes


THE BABY WHISPERER contains lots of great advice to help you understand
why your baby is crying.

Doesn't tell you that the author left her children to go live on another
continent though does it? Or that she was investigated by Social
Services for suspected child neglect? Or that she refused to pay any
maintenance? Didn't think so.


Feeding your baby whenever it cryies will teach your baby many
bad lessions:
1. Crying brings food (no matter what the real problem is).
2. Babies get fed every hour (if the want it or not).
3. Non-food needs will be ignored (because all crying means hunger).

Joshua Levy

Joshua, as usual you're talking bo****s.
--
Jenn
UK

"Joshua Levy" wrote
I vote for (c): Buy or borrow the book THE BABY WHISPERER by Hogg,
and use it's advice to understand your baby better. Your answer
(a) is obviously wrong buy it shows the underlying problem you need
to fix. You should feed the baby whenever the baby is hungry (NOT
whenever the baby cries!) Babies cry for many reasons. If you feed
the baby every time she cries, you will feed him when he is bored,
gassy, hungry, sleepy, etc.

Except that the author has no expertice except for as a mother. She
advocates such things as nursing for 18 minutes on a side because, according
to her, that's when the foremilk turns to hindmilk. Too bad there's no
scientific evidence for that and that it changes during the day and is
different for each woman. The LC who runs my bf group says to burn that book
(and BabyWise, while we're at it) and stick with your gut (or Dr. Sears'
books). You know what the right thing to do is so trust yourself.
--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03