Feeding Time at Night

Feeding Time at Night

by A Weary Mother

I have a beautiful 4-week old little girl. I have her on a 4 hour schedule now, well mostly. At 11 days she got a nose infection and was put on antibiotics. She is now doing much better.

The problem is sometimes feeding takes about an hour to hour/half. I am expressing and then feeding her with a bottle, as she messes to much when I breastfeed her straight.

At night she seems to take the longest. What am I doing wrong?

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Feeding Time at Night

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Mar 30, 2009
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by: Heather ;-)

I read your post while the girls were devouring some lunch, and have been pondering your situation ever since (about 2 hours ago).

Here are some things that kept popping up in my mind as I was reflecting.

Her Cold

Is her cold gone now? Or is her stuffy nose preventing her from breathing while she eats, prolonging the feedings? If she is STILL stuffed up, there are some things you can try to help her breathe a little better.

Here's an article I wrote about infant cold treatments. However, since your little girl is so young, you may want to discuss it with your pediatrician first. Helping to clear up a stuffy nose may help her eat faster.

Her Temperament

My second baby got a lot of personal comfort by lingering over EVERY bottle and breast session. It's possible your baby has a similar temperament.

If you haven't noticed already, (which is common with first-born children), babies start exhibiting personality traits really early on. (In the case of my Lauren, before we left the hospital!)

In this article I discus the various scientifically-proved attitudes of infants, and some solutions to try.

I know your not nursing, but the same feeding principle applies. That article may shed some additional light on your baby's feeding patterns.

Her Schedule

At 4 weeks, you can begin attempting to move her onto a more regular feeding schedule. Keeping a feeding schedule helps your baby find structure in her day, and will be tremendously helpful for you as well.

Personally, when I was first learning about scheduling, I read the book On Becoming Babywise
It was really helpful, and I've used it with each child.

My only caution would be not to become too rigid with your schedule. Flexibility is a virtue every scheduling mother has to learn. Be thoughtful of your over-all scheduling goal, but don't deprive your baby of food when she's really hungry. (Learning to distinguish when that is has been one of my favorite parts of that book.)

Dear friend, I know how exhausting it is to sit for HOURS waiting for your baby to calm down, finish eating, and go to sleep. Take it from a previous social worker, I wish many mothers had the commitment and love for their infant that you are showing yours.

I hope these were helpful, feel free to comment below or contact me if you need more help!

God bless,
Heather

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Mar 30, 2009
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Submitted by: Heather ;-)

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I read your post while the girls were devouring some lunch, and have been pondering your situation ever since (about 2 hours ago). Here are some things that kept popping up in my mind as I was reflecting. Her Cold Is her cold gone now? Or is her stuffy nose preventing her from breathing while she eats, prolonging the feedings? If she is STILL stuffed up, there are some things you can try to help her breathe a little better. Here's an article I wrote about <a href="http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com/Infant-Cold.html">infant cold treatments.</a> However, since your little girl is so young, you may want to discuss it with your pediatrician first. Helping to clear up a stuffy nose may help her eat faster. Her Temperament My second baby got a lot of personal comfort by lingering over EVERY bottle and breast session. It's possible your baby has a similar temperament. If you haven't noticed already, (which is common with first-born children), babies start exhibiting personality traits really early on. (In the case of my Lauren, before we left the hospital!) In <a href="http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com/Newborn-Nursing.html">this article</a> I discus the various scientifically-proved attitudes of infants, and some solutions to try. I know your not nursing, but the same feeding principle applies. That article may shed some additional light on your baby's feeding patterns. Her Schedule At 4 weeks, you can begin attempting to move her onto a more regular feeding schedule. Keeping a feeding schedule helps your baby find structure in her day, and will be tremendously helpful for you as well. Personally, when I was first learning about scheduling, I read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934384011?ie=UTF8&tag=theessinfresf-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1934384011">On Becoming Babywise</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theessinfresf-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1934384011" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> It was really helpful, and I've used it with each child. My only caution would be not to become too rigid with your schedule. Flexibility is a virtue every scheduling mother has to learn. Be thoughtful of your over-all scheduling goal, but don't deprive your baby of food when she's really hungry. (Learning to distinguish when that is has been one of my favorite parts of that book.) Dear friend, I know how exhausting it is to sit for HOURS waiting for your baby to calm down, finish eating, and go to sleep. Take it from a previous social worker, I wish many mothers had the commitment and love for their infant that you are showing yours. I hope these were helpful, feel free to comment below or <a href="http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com/Contact-Me.html">contact me</a> if you need more help! God bless, Heather

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