Did your frequent/continuous nurser ever slow down?

[hyde]

My little girl, seven weeks old today, never got the memo re: spacing between feedings. We nurse on demand and she requests very frequently. I don't count or time feedings, but when awake an hour or so is probably the maximum she wants to go. She naps well and usually gives us one four-hour stretch at night, her diaper output is good, and we haven't had any over- or undersupply issues. Without any cause for concern, I'm fortunate enough to be able to roll with whatever she needs and am (usually) totally at peace with this being what's right for her--read and loved So I Nursed Him Every 45 Minutes--but I'm curious as to what others' experiences have been with babes who start off eating this way.

Did your frequent nurser become a less frequent nurser over time, or did s/he maintain that pattern throughout your BFing relationship? Are there any factors you think contributed to frequent feeds in your particular situation? (For example, my daughter was born full-term and perfectly healthy but pretty small, 5.5 lbs, and I wonder how her eating patterns might change as she catches up. She put on 3.5lbs in 6 weeks, so she has definitely been working on it..)

Edited by hyde - 11/5/12 at 7:36am

[hyde]

(bumping--topic changed)

Edited by hyde - 11/5/12 at 11:22am

[Quinalla]

My DD was a frequent nurser and she also hated sleep. She began sleeping better slowly but surely and also spaced out her nursing slowly but surely, but it took awhile. She really liked BFing, really liked being held and really didn't like to sleep, naps or at night. Since my DD didn't like to sleep, I BF her as she liked because it always soothed her and sometimes she would fall asleep. And since we had a rocky start (she was very sleepy at the start and would not suck much) I wanted to be as on demand as possible to ensure our BF relationship. Also, once she was older (somewhere in the 9m-12m range), I started delaying her BFing some too for my own sanity a she still wanted to nurse frequently.

So yes, it does get better, but also you may want to set some limits once your DD is older and that's ok. I'm glad to hear your DD is sleeping well, if they will do that, it makes life so much easier!

[hyde]

I always wonder about how these things turn out, so in case anyone reads in the future- mine did! She slowed down at maybe 10ish weeks or so? At 15 weeks she still nurses more than some, but in part that's because I offer, and I think we're both happy with the frequency. :)

[Lazurii]

My first was a constant nurser and never slowed down.  Well, not as much as I wanted him to.  As a wee one he would nurse 12-24 times a day and stay latched nearly the entire night.  I night weaned him at 20 months due to my pregnancy but he still nursed often during the day.  Until I forcibly weaned him at 4 he was still nursing 6-10 times a day.  He still nurses morning and night at 5.

[Silverring]

Yes, they slowed down but it went in stages.  When they had growth spurts or teeth coming through they'd nurse constantly.  I remember once lying on the bed with my youngest when fortunately my husband was able to be with the toddler.  He nursed for 15 hours, including sleeping on the breast and sucking almost constantly all that time.  But when there was other stuff they wanted to be doing it quickly sorted itself out to more reasonable demands!

Factors that could influence feeding?  Teething, poorliness, growth spurts, thirst on hot days.  They were both born within a couple of weeks of their due date and both were very big babies who grew fast.