Am I making a rod for my own back?

Omg he’s so cute

thank youuu 🥰

i’ve got no suggestions as i have the same problem with my little girl. she refuses to sleep unless is on the boob while feeding so she’s feeding quite a lot too😭 she’s two months tomorrow x

I think feeding responsively is the best thing you can do! No rods being made. It’s super hard and exhausting - you’re doing amazing! Look at your little one thrive! Xx

Feel so happy I’ve found this because I’m having the same issue. My son is 9 weeks today and constantly licking his lips even after he’s been fed. I find myself constantly questioning my supply. He has three bottles of expressed milk a day and sometimes will guzzle 150ml and still be on the boob for 20 minutes or refuse the bottle half way and only want the boob.

Personally I don’t see the problem. 3months is still so so so young. If he wants Boobie for comfort then let him I say. Be different if he was over a year. Then boobie just for milk.
But it’s also personal preference,
I’m not sure what you mean by signs of hunger when tired? I’ve always fed to sleep. So could help him sleep better?

My son is going on 17 months and it was exactly the same. It was so hot last summer where there were multiple weeks I feed him 6hs straight he would take a break for 30 mins and was back on again for several more hours. I just co slept. That way I could nap whenever I wanted and my son could go on and off the boob through night and I could still rest.

Not at all. Feeding on demand even if it's for comfort is a beautiful thing. It's hard work yes but it's so rewarding x

My little girl is 6 months and likes to latch lots at night. It is totally exhausting but it is also the foundations for a super strong bond with your baby and them feeling totally safe and cared for so if people consider it a rod for your own back then 🤷🏻‍♀️ the first year is a lot of needing their mama x

Part of breastfeeding is just giving into your child's needs. For his corrected age that's a growth spurt so he could also be doing the classic cluster feed most babies do at 6 weeks but you're getting the long end of it because he was born premature. The constant want to be in your boob will slowly fade though. There's nothing wrong with responding to your baby's needs though. That's such an old school thought that's been pretty much disproven as the more you respond to them now, the more independent and secure in your bond they will be later.

Hunger cues get less reliable as they get older. Particularly when they discover their hands. Feeding responsibly is the best approach.
And for those who said they're questioning their supply this is how you know if they're getting enough

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXixedrAd-E/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA

He puts his hands to his mouth, or opens his mouth and routs, moves his mouth side to side on you, even when he's fed for hours.
He will do this when he he's full and wants to go to sleep. After he's done feeding he will stay latched and just suckly aswell. I feel like he would be attached to me 247 🙈😂

time goes so quickly. My daughter fed for 16 months and was like a leech most of the time. Now she's two and I miss that bond and comfort so much zxx

Thanks everyone for your advise and your right I just need to persevere. It's just hard because his newborn phase has been prolonged by 2 month because of his prematurity. Still enjoying him though🥰

So when I had my daughter, I talked about this with my doctor. She basically said babies only feed for 30 to 45 min, really, and then you should pop them off. Otherwise, they are using you like a pacifier, and if you let it continue, it won't stop. You will never get baby off you in the future without a fight. They should be learning to self soothe now. She said if you let them use you like a pacifier or to suckle without actually eating, it's going to get to the point where you can never put them down. They will expect to be on you 24/7.

I can tell you before I had this conversation with her, I was letting my daughter do this without realizing. And my doctor was right. Once I stopped and starting limiting her boob time, my daughter became more independent. I still breastfed but she didn't need to be on me all day.

It’s either due to the heat ( if it’s a recent thing) or Cluster feeding to up your supply ready for a growth spurt , they tend to have them around this time between 9-12 weeks 🥰 if you need professional advice I advise the breastfeeding and lactation support group on Facebook or they have a Facebook page aswell where you can contact the admin professionals , you can also call the National breastfeeding helpline who can offer advice ! 🥰

this is what I mean, I don't want to deprive him but I don't want to be stuck all the time and him not self settle. It's really hard to get a balance. I take him off when I think he's not eating but he wants to latch all the time x

he won't take one most of the time. We do still try though x

I think it’s completely natural and primal for your child to want/need to latch onto you. In old cultures and tribes before hospitals and capitalism babies were on a human 24/7. In Native American tribes a baby would be on a mother, friend or relative until 2 years of age. Society is what has encouraged mothers to set down their babies and lack of support. Your baby still has a intuit feeling to be near you or another boob. Shared breastfeeding was a thing as well.

Been breastfeeding for 22 months now and still going, never took a bottle, never had formula. Totally normal what baby is doing. Once you start weaning- feeds will reduce, once they start crawling etc more independent less time on you. I know it is so hard, as someone who did every. single. Nightfeed. Every single nap etc but I promise you it is all worth it x

@Laura trust me, if you let him stay on and eat for like an hour, you aren't depriving him. You can always ask your doctor to confirm. Then it's doctors orders. 😂

@Whitney that really isn't true that if you do it when they're 6 weeks, that they wouldn't naturally grow out of that as they grow older. That doesn't make any sense.

@Jessica Blackmore it does and was confirmed by a doctor. So...

Every kid is obviously different. Some might wean themselves, and others don't. Just because it might not make sense to you, doesn't make it not true. That's why you have kids who don't like pacifiers and some who will throw a fit at 6 years old if you try to take it from them. Mind you, I'm using pacifiers as an example right there, but it can be applied to any aspect of development. I know one child who grew out of co sleeping on their own and wanted to be in their own bed, and I know another who still sleeps with her parents every night at 14 years old.

Not every kid grows out of their crutch. 🤷‍♀️

so beautiful!!

Feed on demand, it's the best for baby and your supply!

Like others said sounds like clusterfeeding. Has he always been like this or just recently?
My guy was like this around that time- growth spurt and sleep regression was his deal i think. I would offer frequently and he would comfort nurse while sleepy on my boob sometimes. I would listen and watch if he was just comfort nursing or eating/gulping and I'd burp and offer again and see if he kept eating or kept comfort nursing. I was so confused during that time bc it was hard to tell but breaking up the feed and offering again kinda showed me if it was comfort or hunger. If he was comfort nursing I'd give him cuddles or like you mentioned it meant he was sleepy/naptime. Hang in there!

Just popping in to say that I breastfeed my 10 month old on demand AND cosleep and he’s super independent and adventurous etc. I can barely get him to cuddle if he’s not nursing. My best advice is to grin and bear it, if you can, because the days may seem long, but it all passes really quickly and he won’t need you like this forever. Also, pacifiers were designed to replace mama, not yet other way around. It is biologically normal for the baby to suck for comfort. Did you know that it even works to ease pain for babies? Our bodies are incredible! Just do what you can…I know it’s one of the hardest things we will go through, but so far it’s so worth it!

He's likely cluster feeding and/or needing more due to the heat. Best advice when BF is to feed responsively. Making him wait could affect your supply. It can be tiring but it DOES get easier x

the issue is he gets really tired when he's eating and if I unlatch he won't latch again meaning he will feed sooner again. He has been like this since I started breastfeeding. When I give him EBM he was every 3 hours and not every 1-2. He had a phase last month where it was literally every hour for a week and it was horrendous. I persevered because I knew it was a cluster feed/leap. It's just really hard and exhausting but it's best for Baba. He's what's keeping me going x

ah ok I see. That's tough! You're doing an awesome job and breastfeeding is so hard ❤️. I don't know that I have something else you can try other than trying to keep him awake when feeding which you prob already tried (no clothes, cool cloth, tickling, blowing etc). I hope it's a phase that passes soon or others have something else to try! You're doing great- he's eating which is a good thing. If you can get help with other things hopefully you can get rest soon!