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Breastfeeding/nursing more at night than day time
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QUESTION: My 16 week old one has been eating more at night (still waking up every 2 hrs
sometimes, and sometimes sleeps 6 hrs) than during the day. Is there any way I
can reverse this so he (and I) get more sleep during the night?
ANSWER: Dear Feto,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!
It's good that he is able to sleep six hours at a stretch. I would suggest waking him during the day, every two hours at first (even though at 16 weeks he should not need to nurse this often), to break his confusion between night and day. As he sleeps longer at night, you can gradually get him to a three-hour or four-hour nursing schedule during the day.
Also, if he has been sleeping in the bed with you, it might help to move him out of the bed, into a little side-cart attached to it or to a crib in your room, so that he won't wake whenever you turn over.
Good luck!
Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you Sally for your response and great advice. Actually, during the day
his longest nap is 30 mins. And he eates every 2 - 3 hrs now. I am trying to
feed him more often so he breaks the cycle as you suggested but I cannot
succeed, he would not take it. Is there any way to "force" eating?
He has been sleeping in his crib from day 1.
Dear Feto,
Sorry -- I misunderstood, thought your baby was sleeping 6 hours during the day. But as long as he does sleep 6 hours at night sometimes, I think you'll succeed soon.
No, I'm afraid you can't force a baby to eat! Talk to your pediatrician. Some doctors start babies on solid foods at about 4 months, and if your son does start eating cereal now, maybe in the evening, he may be able to sleep longer at night.
Best wishes,
Sally
--------------------------------
Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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Answers by Expert:
Sally Wendkos Olds
Expertise
What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience
I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
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