Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 1/11/2006

Question
I have a few questions about breastfeeding that I hope you can help me to answer:

I have a 3 month old daughter. She has recently established 7:30pm as her bedtime. She sleeps 8 hours then wakes up at around 2:30am. I change her and nurse her, but sometimes she's so wide awake that it takes a little bit to get her back to sleep. She usually returns to sleep (with my help) by 3:30am and sleeps until 6-6:30am. Here's my question: If I want her to get used to sleeping through the entire night, should I continue to nurse her at 2:30am? She certainly is hungry at this time but it doesn't seem to me that I will ever be able to do away with this nighttime feeding if I continue to let it happen. I don't want her to cry with hunger but I am wondering if and when she will outgrow this or how I can help her to sleep through this nighttime feeding. Any help would be great!

Also, I am returning to work in 2 weeks. I plan on pumping. I am able to pump just about every 2 hours at work, which is her feeding schedule usually. Any tips on pumping and keeping up my milk supply would be great.

One last thing: My daughter is a huge 16 lbs. already at 3 months. (Her height is proportionate to her weight.) She seems to be sticking to a 1-1/2 hour to 2 hour (start to start) feeding schedule. Should I be encouraging her to go longer between feedings? Do you think she's nursing this often because, now that she's 16 lbs, she's not fully satisfied with just breastmilk? Should I consider starting her on rice cereal, etc.?

Thanks, again, for your "expert" advice!
Carrie

Answer
Dear Carrie,

First, congratulations on giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

Babies vary in their inclination to give up middle-of-the-night feedings. Many do give it up at about 3 months, while some go a little longer. As a big baby, your daughter may be almost ready to sleep through the night. Here are a few suggestions: 1) Try to encourage a later bedtime, maybe 8 or 8:30. 2) When she does wake up, don't bother changing her diaper unless she's absolutely drenched or seems uncomfortable, & if she does need to be changed, maybe your partner can do this. 3) Try to soothe her in some other way (I give many suggestions for calming a crying baby in my book -- see below). 4) Go to sleep a little earlier yourself, so that if she does continue to wake for a while and you're both up for an hour in the middle of the night, it won't wreck your energy the next day.

Your pumping schedule sounds good. In "The Complete Book of Breastfeeding" I have a complete chapter on working nursing mothers and another complete chapter on pumping, storing and feeding milk, so it's hard to condense all that material into a couple of suggestions. Basically, I would suggest getting the best pump you can afford, scouting out a private place at work where you won't be disturbed, and don't be upset if you seem to be pumping less than your baby ordinarily drinks. A nursing baby is much more efficient than even the best pump. Some moms find it helpful to prop a photo of the baby in front of them, which helps to activate the let-down reflex.

And finally, yes, it would be a good idea to encourage your baby to go longer between daytime feedings. At her size she should be able to go 3 or even 4 hours sometimes between feedings. But hold off on solid foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age, so you don't want to start with solids much before that time.

You seem to have a thriving baby and you are to be congratulated for helping her be that way!

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.