# 3 month old nursing every 2 hours?



## BrennaRawks (Feb 10, 2011)

Hey everyone! I'm currently nursing my 3 month old dd. While she is my third child, she is my first nursling.

Most days, she nurses every 1.5 to 2 hours but she sttn. Normal? When do they start going through longer stretches between feeds? I'm used to ff babies so this is all new to me.

Thanks for taking the time to resond.


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## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

If she sttn, count your blessing and enjoy the nursing.







Some babies nurse more frequently, some less frequently. Mine did every 2 hours round the clock for a good part of their first year.


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## averlee (Apr 10, 2009)

I've heard of babies sleeping all night at 3 months but no, I don't think it's normal. How many hours are you counting as sttn? I would worry that my baby wouldn't get enough feedings if they slept for 12 hours straight and nursed only every 2 hrs, that would be only 6 feedings. I think a 3 month old should be having closer to 10 feedings every 24 hours.

In my experience, most infants nurse every 2 hours, day and night, the whole first year.

That said, unless my baby wasn't growing properly, I wouldn't wake them up to nurse.


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## Nicole730 (Feb 27, 2009)

DS - nursed every 2 hours around the clock until I got pregnant and my supply dropped, he was 14 months

DD - nursed every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. Started STTN (well mostly) at 10.5 months and nurses every 3-4 hours during the day now.

STTN at 3 months sounds crazy! I would assume there would be a lot of nursing (like every hour) during the day if that was occuring here.


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## KempsMama (Dec 1, 2008)

DS1 sttn (10-5) at six weeks. Nursed every two hours during the day until he weaned. DS2 is still up every two hours all night long, and nurses every two hours during the day.

As long as the baby has good weight gain there is no problem with a baby sttn.


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## BrennaRawks (Feb 10, 2011)

She sleeps from roughly 11pm to 6:30am. Oh, and I forgot to mention that she cluster feeds in the evenings. So from about 3:30pm to around 8pm, she nurses every 30-45 minutes. She's gaining weight well and has good dipey output.

I'll be honest in that I wonder about her going longer between feeds because I'm very embarrassed about NIP. Its just getting challenging trying to plan my errands around her typical feeding patern,


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## KempsMama (Dec 1, 2008)

What makes you nervous about NIP? I'm just curious, as I hear this frequently, but have never really understood it.


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## CookAMH (Jun 2, 2008)

My son was like your LO, slept great at night and nursed every two hours during the day, for a long time. I was never really able to change it, but thankfully, as time went on, we got fast at it so it wasn't too much of a bother.

It was a little awkward for me NIP because I have larger breasts and had to hold my breast with the hand on that side, it wasn't an easy leisurely sitting there nursing and no one would know it. I am uncomfortable without using a cover so I'd have to fiddle with that too. I most often would nurse him in the car before going into the store, just allowing the extra few minutes for it.


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## averlee (Apr 10, 2009)

Some mothers have good luck nursing in a sling or soft carrier, and it covers everything. My daughter needed to nurse every couple hours, and often more. Sometimes out in public she was happy going longer without nursing, once when she was still tiny we went on a long hike, then a coffee shop, and it was like 5 hours between feeds that time- if there was plenty to see, but not too stimulating. But the opposite was true too, if it was overwhelming or boring or uncomfortable she'd want to nurse more frequently. I realized that if I wanted a life that involved leaving my house and being around people I'd have to nurse in public. I was committed to nursing on demand and tried not to delay feedings. I had a few really good first NIP experiences and then was pretty confident. And no one ever made a single negative comment in any public setting.

The first time I went to a restaurant: I'd been frequenting a small local diner during my pregnancy, I needed PIE! lots of PIE! So they knew me there and were always nice, and seemed to enjoy watching my pregnancy progress. When my sutures healed enough to sit in a restaurant my husband took us to the diner and baby wanted to nurse as soon as we were seated. I expected that because it was an unfamiliar place and there were other people and funny smells. I wasn't very practiced yet but I arranged her and let her latch on, partially covering with a silk scarf, with my husband glancing around to sorta "keep guard" for me, and booths are pretty private anyway, and it wasn't crowded. There must have been a few moments when my breast was fully exposed but no one noticed or if they did, they did not react at all. The host had fawned all over us and ooh-ed and ahh-d over the baby, and when the waitress came to take our order, baby was still nursing. The waitress asked all the questions about when was the baby born, how much did she weigh, etc, and how cute she is, and how glad to see us, and took our order. When she came back with the food, baby was still nursing, she was still all smiles and so nice and arranged my plate and silverware so I could use it while nursing. So far had not mentioned the breastfeeding or acted weird at all, not avoiding looking but not staring either, just acting natural. When she came back to check on us, we'd switched breasts (again with no mishaps even though my boobs must have been visible at some point) and she took away the plates and commented, "wow, she must be hungry!" (we'd been there like 45 minutes nursing the whole time) And then when we paid, she said "my sister is due next month, she's planning to breastfeed too" while she wrung our bill and everything. This first experience went so well- with not one moment of weirdness at all- that I was really reassured. Our waitress was a really nice young woman, but a college girl at a party school, and I felt like if she was cool with it, probably everybody is.

I've had lots of similar moments of mellow, quiet, natural support. We used to stop for lunch at coffee shop every week, and I nursed my daughter there, when she was a toddler. The guy who ran the place would bring out my order (most people get their stuff at the counter) and get my decaf latte started as soon as I walked in the door. He said once, you and your little daughter are always welcome here. And once when I popped out my breast to nurse at story time at the library, the librarian said, "right on", and then another mom began to nurse her baby, too.


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## BrennaRawks (Feb 10, 2011)

I'm uneasy about NIP for much the same reasons CookAMH posted. I'm currently rockin' size F tatas so I've got to support them so they don't block dd's nose. At first, dd had no prob with the cover I use but now she screams, tries to grab it, and refuses to really settle down and nurse. Also, I live in a very bf'ing unfriendly area. I've only ever seen 2 other women NIP before. I'm really afraid of a confrontation. My mom doesn't make it any better. If we're with her (which we unfortunately frequently are), she really makes a show of ensuring every little bit of us is covered, going as far as throwing my coat over my head once because she felt my cover wasn't enough.

I think mostly it's the fear of confrontation or being thrown out of whereever I am. When I'm with my hubby, I'm not afraid for some reason. Maybe it's his incredible support that makes a diff? I really don't know.


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## KempsMama (Dec 1, 2008)

I guess we just think differently about NIP, because many of the reasons given for not being comfortable I deal with also. I have G cups when nursing, and my LO hates the cover. I have NEVER seen another woman NIP in my town at all, and I am the only mom I know the EBFs.


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## crystal_buffaloe (Apr 30, 2010)

My LO was STTN according to the medical definition (so from 11 to 6 or 12 to 7) before 3 months. She's not now! But she was then. I think that's normal, as another PP said, a long as her weight gain is good, I would count my blessings!

I think that if she's sleeping well at night, of course she's going to be eating frequently during the day, and it would make your life easier if you got confident about NIP. Oh, man, your mother sounds so hurtful and unsupportive (at least with regard to this). If I were you, I would try really hard to sit down with her and talk about how it makes you feel when she is throwing things over your head and stressing you out. You might point out that she is drawing FAR more attention to the fact that you're nursing in public than you would be if you matter-of-factly latched the baby on when she first signaled that she was hungry.

I was really embarrased about this at first, too, and I would wait until DD was actually hungry, by distracting her at the first signs, etc., which in the end just made the whole thing harder. I also have gone to the bathroom or out to the car -- I'm not proud of that, I'm just sharing how I dealt with the fear of NIP. It actually helped when other women were supportive when they would see me sitting in a chair in the bathroom nursing.

Can you go to a LLL meeting and watch how other moms NIP easily? Do you have a supportive friend or a nursing friend who can go somewhere friendly with you? It sounds like your DH is giving you confidence too, and that's fantastic.

I also "practiced" in front of a mirror at home (I actaully have never used a cover, and I wanted to make sure I was not showing a whole lot). My number one piece of advice would be to talk to your mom or stop going out with your mom and the baby until NIP comes a little more easily.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Enjoy your sleep now, because when the next growth and developmental spurt hits at 4 months she's likely to nurse every hour all night long. In fact, the 4 month sleep so-called "regression" is an excellent reason to get set up with some sort of bed sharing arrangement now so you don't have to really wake up to nurse.

And I'll second (or third?) the suggestions to practice in front of a mirror and not got out with your mom until she grows up.

Do you have an LLL group in your area? That might be a good way to get out with your baby without worrying about NIP.


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## BrennaRawks (Feb 10, 2011)

J has been encouraging me to attend a LLL meeting to see if I like it and get out and around some other moms. I'm just not sure. I have some pretty tightly held religious beliefs that keep me from doing much outside my home aside from errands. Really, that's my hang up. *embarrassed*

Talking to my mom is kinda fruitless. She's just one of those people who believes what she believes and darn everyone who disagrees. Probably the least open minded person I've ever known. It's actually kinda sad, imo.

I just completely lost track of my train of thought. LOL! Guess that's what I get for typing at 10 at night.


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## Marissamom (Dec 17, 2009)

I highly encourage you to think about going to LLL, it can be a great help in knowing what's normal in breastfeeding and infant development.

with the NIP, I'm not well-endowed, but one of my good friends is, and we just kind of plan outings in a way that she can find a spot she's comfortable nursing. so we'll drive to wherever we're going, and she'll nurse in the car before we go in. or we'll go specific places with a nursing lounge. or we'll plan to only have outings short enough that her baby doesn't need to nurse in the middle. absolutely do what you are comfortable with. and if your baby is hungry and there's a good place to sit and you're okay with nursing there, go for it (and ignore your mom, she doesn't know what she's talking about. most people don't see moms nursing simply because nursing moms often look like they're cuddling the baby, and people just don't look too close)


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BrennaRawks*
> 
> J has been encouraging me to attend a LLL meeting to see if I like it and get out and around some other moms. I'm just not sure. I have some pretty tightly held religious beliefs that keep me from doing much outside my home aside from errands. Really, that's my hang up. *embarrassed*


Could you view it as an errand to get something (knowledge, confidence, time with other babies) for your baby?


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> Could you view it as an errand to get something (knowledge, confidence, time with other babies) for your baby?


 This is wonderful advice. LLL has been one of my best tools and always my greatest support.

I am 99% comfortable NIP, but now and then for whatever reason, I am not. Sometimes I will feed the baby in the car, but I've also found people to be very accomodating if I ask. Many people have opened up their employee lounge or personal offices to me when I asked if they have a spot I could nurse my baby. I don't think anyone should feel like they have to hide, and I know it is my RIGHT to nurse wherever I am. Sometimes, I just need a little more privacy and I think that's ok too, because it is my choice.

I admire you mama. How wonderful you have made the choice to breastfeed even when you are facing adversity


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