@emehri I’m not sure! My baby is still pretty little and my personal journey is still pretty fresh, but I think there’s probably a wide age range depending on the individual child. But if comfort nursing is not working for you anymore, you can definitely start working on setting that boundary! And if nursing in general is not something that’s working for you anymore, you have every right to stop without feeling guilt. Obviously, your child will still need breast milk or formula for another month unless your pediatrician says otherwise and is ok with you beginning to transition to whole milk, but if weaning is something you want to do because you want your body back, that’s a completely valid choice! I think children are more resilient than we tend to give them credit for and that she will find other ways of getting comfort from you and on her own be it a lovey or something else. Plus, the way children seek comfort from us will naturally change as they get older so this may just be the first change
Pediatrician says I’m nursing my 4 week old too often - not sure what to do
- Thread starter christopher000
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@martypdji Thank you! I do want to start weaning, I hope we begin with sleep training, I don’t think I can take anymore of all night buffet lol
thebuffone
New member
@emehri I stopped the all night buffets (for the most part)! Currently retraining, but back to 1 night feed after tooth started pushing thru last week (we had been at 0 
).
When/if she wakes up and cries, I put on ocean sounds and that's her cue to go back to sleep. First few nights she cries for a bit, and I put on sound and go soothe her without nursing (with out picking up if possible), once settled down I leave, even if awake. Then, next few nights i use sound only - I dont enter the room, and after a while she will stop waking up at all. [Note: i also play same sound when nursing right before bedtime , when Im trying to get her to wind down. I run sound through monitor and can start remotely, but you could also place at outside of door or use wireless speaker]
This DOES NOT work if I stay in the room, I have to leave. I swear she smells the milk on me. I was trying to share the room when we had guests and it was a cluster, I gave up and coslept most of the night.
We do great and get to sleeping 10 hours...then she will cut another tooth and we will stay up together and comfort nurse a few nights and have to start all over with sleep training.
). When/if she wakes up and cries, I put on ocean sounds and that's her cue to go back to sleep. First few nights she cries for a bit, and I put on sound and go soothe her without nursing (with out picking up if possible), once settled down I leave, even if awake. Then, next few nights i use sound only - I dont enter the room, and after a while she will stop waking up at all. [Note: i also play same sound when nursing right before bedtime , when Im trying to get her to wind down. I run sound through monitor and can start remotely, but you could also place at outside of door or use wireless speaker]
This DOES NOT work if I stay in the room, I have to leave. I swear she smells the milk on me. I was trying to share the room when we had guests and it was a cluster, I gave up and coslept most of the night.
We do great and get to sleeping 10 hours...then she will cut another tooth and we will stay up together and comfort nurse a few nights and have to start all over with sleep training.
davidcurran68
New member
@christopher000 No. I mean I’m not a doctor, but your baby’s behavior seems totally normal. My son was the exact same way! He eventually got through the cluster feeding but I think it was around 6 weeks that it happened. I’ve been given a lot of bad/outdated advice surrounding breastfeeding from my sons pediatrician. I just do what feels right
monet_jeanti
New member
@christopher000 Please don't listen to the Paediatrician on this issue - do what feels right and give that baby the boob!! I promise as they get older and more distracted by the world it will settle down. Everything you've described is normal for a 4 week old.
deepdiciples86
New member
@christopher000 I think the number one question is this: do you care if your child is comfort nursing?
Comfort nursing is a thing, of course, but I would be loathe to keep a pediatrician who thinks it's a bad habit in a newborn.
My child gained a whopping pound in one week, around the age your child is currently. During that time I nursed 8-11 times a day... so that's less than 2 hours apart on average, right? I certainly didn't worry about spacing any feeds out. It should allow your baby to sleep longer instead, I believe.
That was also the biggest growth spurt she had. Her explosive growth did continue for the first six months, then slowed way down. She's an adorable, healthy toddler now.
Sounds to me like you are doing a great job and baby is thriving. An IBCLC would be a great professional to support you if you have any serious concerns.
Comfort nursing is a thing, of course, but I would be loathe to keep a pediatrician who thinks it's a bad habit in a newborn.
My child gained a whopping pound in one week, around the age your child is currently. During that time I nursed 8-11 times a day... so that's less than 2 hours apart on average, right? I certainly didn't worry about spacing any feeds out. It should allow your baby to sleep longer instead, I believe.
That was also the biggest growth spurt she had. Her explosive growth did continue for the first six months, then slowed way down. She's an adorable, healthy toddler now.
Sounds to me like you are doing a great job and baby is thriving. An IBCLC would be a great professional to support you if you have any serious concerns.
leisa_peacock
New member
@deepdiciples86 This is the way
corkscrew96
New member
@deepdiciples86 Yeah! My older daughter gained 3lbs over her birth weight in her first month. All babies are different, they grow and gain weight at different cadences.
morganpettit97
New member
@christopher000 Great post on the UNICEF page about the dangers of obsessing over the feeding interval:
https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfrien...s-obsession-with-the-infant-feeding-interval/
Or as i like to say, babies can’t read books or tell time, so how are they supposed to know what they are “supposed” to do. They nurse when they need to or want to, why overcomplicate it!
https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfrien...s-obsession-with-the-infant-feeding-interval/
Or as i like to say, babies can’t read books or tell time, so how are they supposed to know what they are “supposed” to do. They nurse when they need to or want to, why overcomplicate it!
ajbarton97
New member
@morganpettit97 That was a fantastic article, thanks!
@christopher000 I was also told by my LC you can’t over feed a baby from your breast. My baby is 3 weeks and also has 1, sometimes 2 waking periods a day where it is not stop eating/falling asleep at the boob/eating again. For the rest of the day, he is fine and does not do this. I was told to continue to nurse on demand at my 2week appt, and waking them if needed to make sure they eat at least every 2-3 hours.
If your little one isn’t swallowing milk anymore, that would be comfort feeding and you can take them off your boob and comfort them in other ways. I wouldn’t worry about over feeding
If your little one isn’t swallowing milk anymore, that would be comfort feeding and you can take them off your boob and comfort them in other ways. I wouldn’t worry about over feeding
@christopher000 Shw is dead wrong. Fed that baby.
reynekainoa11
New member
@christopher000 Feed your baby. Fuck that doctor.
stacymom2son
New member
@christopher000 Of note, comfort nursing usually doesn't stimulate much of a letdown, and although baby gets some milk, they don't get much. Because of this, it's unlikely that your baby's weight gain can be attributed to comfort nursing, which suggests to me that her behaviour is more likely to be cluster feeding.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your ped is one of many who doesn't know wtf they're talking about when it comes to nursing, and if she says anything else nursing-related that sets your mama radar off, I'd run it by an IBCLC before making any changes. Good luck to you!
Unfortunately, it sounds like your ped is one of many who doesn't know wtf they're talking about when it comes to nursing, and if she says anything else nursing-related that sets your mama radar off, I'd run it by an IBCLC before making any changes. Good luck to you!
@christopher000 The idea that you can train a one month old baby in any way is frankly absurd to me. They have no idea what is even going on. They don't even understand that they are a person. They aren't even capable of conscious thought in the conventional sense. They just feel. If nursing helps her feel good and you are ok with it then keep doing what you're doing.
@christopher000 I’m no doctor, but I’ve literally never heard of a baby eating “too often.”
seekerofthelivingword
New member
@christopher000 My pediatrician dismissed cluster feeding as comfort nursing as well and if i had listened, it would have ruined bf for me. Without cluster feeding and co sleeping i wouldn't have made it this far. Obviously if you need space please take the time you need. Baby will be fine. But me and my LO were practically always laidbup together nursing
@seekerofthelivingword This! Clusterfeeding is SO important at establishing supply once you regulate.