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Baby looooves eating
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 10:54 am
My baby will nurse and nurse for what feels like forever. Even if she doesn't fall asleep she'll keep going and going. I feel like I'm always ending the nursing session because I just can't sit here for over an hour each time she wants to eat. But then I worry that it's really messed up that I always stop her from eating- will that make her anxious each time she eats that I'll stop her? Will that cause her to never be able to self-regulate? They say babies know when to stop. But it seems like she just loves nursing!
It's not an issue of not producing enough. I over-produce at times if anything. She's gaining just fine. Pediatrician didn't really say much at all when I asked her. She's very rushed and kind of just gave me some "don't worry she's fine" kind of answer.
Anyone else in this situation? Do you just let your baby keep nursing for really as long as they want even if it's for so so long or do you just always have to be the one to end nursing sessions?
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amother
Burlywood


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 10:54 am
How old is baby?
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thunderstorm




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 10:55 am
Is your baby actually nursing or using you as a pacifier. Many times they are not actually eating when latched I’m.
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polka dots




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 11:11 am
Are you sure she’s us latched in properly? Are you sure you ha e enough milk?

Try giving her a formula bottle to see if she finishes it. Would she also want more and more?
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trixx




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 12:00 pm
Is baby a slow eater or does baby finish swallowing and starts to suck for pleasure? As long as baby is swallowing, gulping (you can hear or see their neck moving) then "baby knows when to stop" applies. If baby is sucking for pleasure then yes you can gently remove.
My first nursed for SO long and everyone tried telling me I didn't know what I was doing but DC kept swallowing and I followed my instinct and let it. And I was right.
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happinessseeker




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 12:19 pm
I would check for tongue tie.
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amother
Jetblack


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 12:33 pm
If she really nursing that long, or just sucking? Sometimes my baby will keep going but she isn't swallowing at all so I know it's time to switch sides and see if she wants more milk or just wants to suck.
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nchr




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 12:35 pm
If she is over 6 months old supplement her with solids.
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yiddishmom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 12:38 pm
My baby nursed super long the first 2.5 months. He would nurse for 45 min - hour, every 2 hours.

He is now 4 months and stops on his own after just 10-15 minutes of nursing. And he can go for 3+ hour stretches between nursing sessions.
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amother
Rose


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 1:13 pm
The answer REALLY depends on how old the baby is
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 6:46 pm
trixx wrote:
Is baby a slow eater or does baby finish swallowing and starts to suck for pleasure? As long as baby is swallowing, gulping (you can hear or see their neck moving) then "baby knows when to stop" applies. If baby is sucking for pleasure then yes you can gently remove.
My first nursed for SO long and everyone tried telling me I didn't know what I was doing but DC kept swallowing and I followed my instinct and let it. And I was right.


So sometimes she'll really be legit eating the whole time. Other times she is like half asleep and just sucking. But when I go to take her off she wakes up and is like wooooah what are you doing?? And she'll fuss for a few seconds and then gets over it.so other times she'll be wide awake and just sucking but maybe not actually eating much. So if she falls asleep or just is sucking for comfort it's ok to stop her?

Like probably only a handful of times she's actually stopped on her own.

She doesn't like pacifiers much and the first couple of months I was her pacifier. So maybe it has to do with that? So she'll eat and then is just enjoying nursing so keeps going?
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ectomorph




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 6:49 pm
If you give a bottle after, does she seem hungry for it?
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 6:56 pm
She's 4.5 months. Sorry I forgot to mention that.
No tongue or lip tie. She eats very well. I know for sure she's being effocient with her eating. And I'm for sure making enough milk. She's definitely getting enough. Her weight is fine. She sleeps through the night at least 4/7 nights a week.
So it could be she's just nursing because she enjoys nursing but not necessarily for the food aspect? And babies who do that will keep going even if their tummies are full?

Sometimes she will fall asleep. I'll wake her up and she starts nursing but falls back asleep m shortly after. So if she does that does it mean she's had enough? So it's ok to pick her up even if she fisses? And the fussing is only because she was enjoying it not because she's still really hungry?

The main thing I'm worried about is messing with her self-regulation (if she even had a sense of that?). I'm not really worried that she wont be getting enough to eat because I'm the one ending every nursing session.
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 6:58 pm
ectomorph wrote:
If you give a bottle after, does she seem hungry for it?


After I've nursed her? Interesting . I've never though to do that. Would a baby who's nursing for comfort not eat a bottle of their tummy is full? Or is sucking a bottle comforting in that way also?
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trixx




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:01 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
So sometimes she'll really be legit eating the whole time. Other times she is like half asleep and just sucking. But when I go to take her off she wakes up and is like wooooah what are you doing?? And she'll fuss for a few seconds and then gets over it.so other times she'll be wide awake and just sucking but maybe not actually eating much. So if she falls asleep or just is sucking for comfort it's ok to stop her?

Like probably only a handful of times she's actually stopped on her own.

She doesn't like pacifiers much and the first couple of months I was her pacifier. So maybe it has to do with that? So she'll eat and then is just enjoying nursing so keeps going?


You need to get her onto a schedule where she eats, is awake and then falls asleep independent of the breast (tho I am personally pro pacifier for this reason). I really like The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg for this - read her big book. (title is baby whisperer answers all your questions)

You don't want her to associate eating with sleep and you don't want her to be on you the whole day. It's still cute now but it will get very tiring and problematic very soon.
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:02 pm
Totally normal at this age. I would try to detach her and pop a paci in, but that may or may not work. This is a comfort thing, and not about hunger. Don't worry about her self-regulation. Babies naturally have that and don't lose it until they're introduced to unhealthy foods.

If it's possible, also try to have your dh take her when she fusses after sleep-nursing. My last baby only ever wanted to sleep nurse, but totally did fine when dh would take him downstairs and put him in the swing or carseat when I needed a break. Often they just want us because they know we're around.
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ectomorph




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:06 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
After I've nursed her? Interesting . I've never though to do that. Would a baby who's nursing for comfort not eat a bottle of their tummy is full? Or is sucking a bottle comforting in that way also?

If the baby gulps it down hungrily, you could have a slightly low supply forcing the baby to spend a long time nursing to get enough calories.
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:09 pm
trixx wrote:
You need to get her onto a schedule where she eats, is awake and then falls asleep independent of the breast (tho I am personally pro pacifier for this reason). I really like The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg for this - read her big book. (title is baby whisperer answers all your questions)

You don't want her to associate eating with sleep and you don't want her to be on you the whole day. It's still cute now but it will get very tiring and problematic very soon.


Thanks. So I nurse her to sleep at night but during the day we do an eat play sleep routine. Like the times if she does fall asleep nursing I'll take her off and then she's awake until nap time (I do rock her to sleep with a pacifier for naps so I am guilty of that...).

Do you think my nursing her to sleep at night plays a role in this?
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:12 pm
nicole81 wrote:
Totally normal at this age. I would try to detach her and pop a paci in, but that may or may not work. This is a comfort thing, and not about hunger. Don't worry about her self-regulation. Babies naturally have that and don't lose it until they're introduced to unhealthy foods.

If it's possible, also try to have your dh take her when she fusses after sleep-nursing. My last baby only ever wanted to sleep nurse, but totally did fine when dh would take him downstairs and put him in the swing or carseat when I needed a break. Often they just want us because they know we're around.


Thanks. I'll try the pacifier thing. She usually is fine after fussing for a second and I distract her with something.
That's good to hear that it won't mess with her self regulation. Lol though I wouldn't know because it seems like she had none...
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:16 pm
ectomorph wrote:
If the baby gulps it down hungrily, you could have a slightly low supply forcing the baby to spend a long time nursing to get enough calories.


Everything I have read on kellymom and related literature says that most nursed babies will gulp down a bottle after nursing enough, and it doesn't mean that mom has a supply issue. OP- Your baby is gaining well. Please do your own research and speak with a nursing friendly pediatrician before introducing any formula.
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