15 weeks - constant feeding

[Netguru]

My dd is 15 weeks. She feeds hourly - sometimes twice an hour - all day from 6am until 10:30 pm when she falls asleep exhausted until 6am. Totally driven by her from about 12 weeks.

Whist the night time sleep is most welcome, I am starting to go stir crazy having her attached to me so frequently. I can't do anything at all - even a shower is difficult. She feeds for perhaps ten minutes, naps on me for twenty or so then repeats. If I put her down she wakes, cries and wants to feed again.

She can be entertained for a few minutes but that's all.

Help. How do I get her to take more and go longer between feeds?

[Netguru]

Anyone? Dd has been awake four hours now and is fussing for her fifth feed already!

[angryangryyoungwoman]

This was the case with my daughter too. It is just a phase and will pass. It may happen again several times before she is 6 months. Just try and enjoy the time you have with her like this, it passes very quickly!

[Netguru]

Thank you for posting. It isn't a phase as such though, she's been like it since birth during the day - although sleeping through the night is obviously a change. That occurred about three weeks ago.

It's now 1 o'clock and we've fed eight times since 6 am. I had to go to my ds's school at 11:00 for an appointment so I fed her before we went. 30 mins later at the school she woke up yelling for another feed.

I know the issue is that she doesn't take enough in one go. I just don't know how to change it.

[angryangryyoungwoman]

If she is sleeping through then maybe she is just stocking up in the daytime! Have you had her checked for tongue tie or is the problem not with her latch? Babies do feed very frequently when young and breastfeeding is demanding. It will get easier..

[fledermaus]

Is she very overtired if she is awake for 4 hours at a time? Sounds to me like possibly a sleep issue more than a feeding one - have you tried a dummy, baby swing, sling for naps?