Expert: ruth kraft - 3/28/2010

Question
Hi Ruth,   My daughter is just 3 months and has been sleeping through the night since 5 weeks. However, she is a terrible napper and I was wondering if that is ever related to feedings and satiation.  During the day she shows signs of fatigue and crankiness about 1.25 or 1.5 hours after eating, but only naps for 20-40 minutes at a time no matter what I do to encourage further sleep.  She wants to eat as soon as she wakes, which is usually as short as 1.5 to 2 hours after the beginning of her last feeding.  She does appear to take a full feeding, although, I am frustrated because she often seems so sleepy while breastfeeding and takes 45 minutes or more to eat.  My supply seems adequate(she is growing and gaining well), although I don't have a heavy let down and I never experience leaking. There is also very little separation of fat in my expressed milk during storage. Is there anyway I can promote more efficient nursing and end up extending those catnap naptimes?  Also, is it typical for a 3 month old to want to eat so frequently?  Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hello :) your daughter sounds VERY normal :) and sleeping at night is a god send most women don't get :) relish in it ;)  during the day only napping short times doesn't concern me. While she gets drowsy during nursing, makes sense as she gets an endorphin rush every time she nurses. This is the feel good hormone we all have already in us... our natural pain killers... they are stonger than morphine. So they make us want to relax more than any other time...  So this is normal and good :)

AS she gets older, her time while eating will likely get less and less. AS she becomes more social, it will be hard to get her to nurse for 15 minutes sometimes :) You may never experience a heavy let down, that has no indication of milk supply. Some women don't ever even have breasts that grow larger or feel a let down even in the beginning.

Yes, its normal especially right now for her to eat so often. they go through a growth spurt at 3 months, 6 months, 9 and 12 months. so be perpared for those as well.  There isnt much that you can do to extend the sleep periods . Because she is sleeping at night she may not need to sleep that much during the day. Giving rice cereal etc before naps to make sleeping longer really doesn't for most babies. and its so bad for their digestion that it isnt worth it anyway.  you can try to read the book the no cry sleep solution and see if that is helpful to you as well.

I hope that helped you at least understand she seems normal :)