14 wk old Constant feeding...help!

threemuttleys

Hello

My nearly 14 week old little boy is breast fed. The last 2-3 days he has been extra hungry, especially in the night. He is definitely hungry (latches, and immediately gulps down) but sometimes, he drains both breasts and is still hungry. Im eating a well balanced diet and drinking loads of water, milk is there, loads comes out if i express, so I have no doubt that im producing it, but wondering if its just not enough for him?

I am wondering if this is just a growth spurt? or if I should consider weaning or offering him a bottle of formula to help him along?

any advice much appreciated

Claire and Alex

no-oneknowsme

threemuttleys wrote: »

Hello

My nearly 14 week old little boy is breast fed. The last 2-3 days he has been extra hungry, especially in the night. He is definitely hungry (latches, and immediately gulps down) but sometimes, he drains both breasts and is still hungry. Im eating a well balanced diet and drinking loads of water, milk is there, loads comes out if i express, so I have no doubt that im producing it, but wondering if its just not enough for him?

I am wondering if this is just a growth spurt? or if I should consider weaning or offering him a bottle of formula to help him along?

any advice much appreciated

Claire and Alex

Please do not consider weaning your son at just 14 weeks old !

His little stomach couldnt cope with anything other than formula/breastmilk at this young age.

If this were my own child (I have 3) what i would have done is supplement breast feeding with a top up of formula if I found him still hungry after draining both breasts.

At this age they do have "hungry moments" and you are doing the best thing for him by breast feeding . Topping up each feed with an ounce or two of formula wont hurt him at all.

Good luck , enjoy your little one.

Plans_all_plans

I'd not mix feed yet. Wait another 2 days to see if he's still as hungry and then mix feed if he still is.

In terms of weaning, I started weaning at just after 4 months cos my DD was hungry. The advice was not to wean til 6 months, but I took the view that I knew my child better than the health visitor! I wouldn't wean just yet, but in the not too distant future I would probably start if i were in your position.

skylight

Dont wean yet - he is too young! But perhaps look at mixed feeding. I had to do this with both the last two as they wanted to eat all the time and its just not possible with "modern life" and fitting in the other children etc. I did what suited my children and my family and not anyone else.

pinkmexican

A tip that worked for me was, if you can try expressing first thing in the morning, and feed that to him in the evening, the first milk is supposed to be more filling and might helps him sleep and at least it will give you a break. It's probably just a growth spurt and they can be so draining (literally:)) but it will all go back to normal.

Good luck.

P

knithappens

I breast fed all mine, what you are experienceing is perfectly normal, he is having a growth spurt, they happen every few months and at major milestones as they need the food for energy to grow, I know it seems liek you wont produce enough but it will take a few days for your body to catch up, just give it a little whiel ,mthe more he latches on and feeds the more you body will start producing.

I went through this with all mine and after a good few days things went back to normal, know this last well over a week a few times, as the groth spurt was quite big and the 4 month one, which he has probably hit now was one one of them.

Percevier, it will soon pass, also look at kellymom.com loads of info on there, it was a god send for me, to know what i was goign through was normal, i was able to breastfeed until 1 months witht he info on there, otherwise i woudl have given up inthe first weeks

no-oneknowsme

Threemutleys

Your baby is only coming up to 14 weeks...thats basically only 3 months.

Please dont even think about weening him now or in the next few days or weeks.

A friend of mine started her DD too soon and ended up in the hospital with her little one as she had bound her little tummy up with solid food that the child was unable to digest.

Please dont even risk this

SingleMumOf2_3

This is the ideal age for one of the major growth spurts. They say to not supplement, but to keep feeding feeding feeding. As this ups your supply for his demand. If possible they say to spend a full day in bed with him and just rest, feeding him as much as he will take.
Your body should only take a day or 2 to catch up. But if you are worried he needs more then I would speak to your health visitor or infant feeding coordinator.

lauren_1

I weaned at 16 weeks but that was the WHO rules at the time. we were told to do that, it was printed on the baby food tins too.

Now new research has hinted that breastfeeding for 6 months isnt that great either.

Can't win can you.

bexta

The 'research' was conducted by scientists who admitted allience with baby food companies - so possibly not the most reliable evidence.

Threemuttleys, it's totally normal for a growth spurt at this age. Your boobs will catch up if you keep feeding little man. Yes it is frustrating not being able to go for a wee without the hungry wail sounding, but it will pass, trust me! The more time he spends latched on, the more milk you will produce, topping up with formula will interrupt that process. All I can suggest is get comfy, grab a drink, the remote and settle down.

patchwork_cat

Modern advice is not to wean until 6 months, but it was not considered too early to wean at about 4 months when my children where little and they are 17 and 13. Advice changes like the wind! You know your baby. The advice was to feed a little baby rice in the evening and my son was definately ready at 4 months.

I know that plenty of mums with younger children will be oh no, that is wrong! Of course everyone believes what they are told at the time is correct just like every generation of teens believe they are the frst to discover sex!