[KR258]

I am tired. I want to change Kianna's eating times but I don't know how. I've been feeding her on demand. Here's what 24 hours looks like....
She wakes at
midnight to eat for 20 min then sleep
2 am eats 20 min back to sleep
4 or 5 am eats 20 min and stays awake
goes back to sleep anywhere from 8-11am eats again 20 mins right before sleep...
Then she wakes around 1pm and eats for 20 min
goes to bed anywhere from 5 to 7pm and sleeps till midnight.

This would be fine if I didn't have Katelyn...I put Kate in bed at 8 but she doesn't sleep most of the time and I stay up till she goes to sleep which is anyewhere from 8 to 11pm. So I get anywhere from 7 to 3 hours of sleep and it varies every night. I usually end up with the lesser amount and have the hardest time staying awake during the day. I try to get them to nap at the same time but it rarely happens because getting Kate to nap at all is a real chore lol Kate also wakes between 7 and 8 am so even if Kianna goes back to sleep at 8 it's usually too late for me

SO what I want to do is change when Kianna takes her longer sleep...she seems to sleep well between 5pm and midnight.....how can I make that something more like 9 or 10 and 4 or 5? I wouldn't mind being woken up every 2 hours after getting 6 or 7 good hours of sleep.

Sorry if this is confusing....I am tired.

[KR258]

Also...my chest really hurts on both sides. Is that related to being pregnant? or not making enough milk? Or the way she drinks? I know I'm not making extra lol

[KR258]

Also....she gets distracted while eating when Kate is around. I can't keep her eating constantly and it drives me crazy she pulls off and it hurts and she never really seems happy with what I am giving her.

[swt1899]

I fed on demand till Robert slept through the night one night. Then he started to get his nights/days mixed up. He would be awake alot during the night and sleep most of the day. So I started to keep him awake more during the day and try to delay some of his feedings a few minutes each time. Over time that got him to eat more at once and then sleep more at night. That way it isn't snacking... it's eating a full meal. I don't have two little ones so I may not be of much help. There are books on how to get children to sleep.

Sleeping through the Night : How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep

The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers : Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child's Sleep

Hope this helps you some. Is there a way you can pump and then DH can bottle feed during some nights? I did that with my DH. It helped me out a lot.
Best wishes.

[KR258]

Ok so I keep trying to pump because I was thinking maybe it is a supply issue...The pump didn't get anything at all out. So I did it myself and got less than 1 ounce out of both before they quit working. Shouldn't I be making a whole lot more for a baby who is 5 months old?? I know the baby gets it out best so maybe she gets a little more but how much more could she be getting? I don't think it is enough.

[swt1899]

I had a supply issue when Robert was 9 months old. I went to my Dr and she gave me a prescription for Reglan and that really helped me out. From the schedule you wrote down, it looks like you may have a supply issue and Kianna may not be getting enough so she is having to feed more often. Not a big deal because it can be helped. When you pump, you are pumping on a breast that has not been fed on right? If you are getting barely an ounce on an un-nursed breast, you may not be producing enough. I'd see a Dr. I did. My Dr thought that my issue was from stress. I worked as a teacher and pumped once in the morning and then during my lunch. I was also team leader so I had more stress with my job. Your body may be stressed simply because you are juggling two little ones. The presciption helped me nurse Robert till he was 13 months and he decided to wean himself. If you are able to get Kate on a better schedule your body may be able to go back to normal. I've had a few friends who stopped nursing because of supply issues. When I saw this happening to me, I saw my Dr because I really wanted to continue nursing my son. I wasn't going to go down without a fight.
See your OB/GYN and find out if you can maybe get some help.
I hope my advice is helpful. Best of luck to you.

[KR258]

Thank you! I didn't realize they could prescribe something for it. I will ask the obgyn today.

Yes I tried pumping at night before she bf'd and I tried again this morning after giving her a bottle so I could sleep some last night. I don't do bottles normally cause I keep thinking if I just keep feeding her it'll work itself out but it doesn't really seem to be working itself out and seems to only have gotten worse since I became pregnant again. I don't know if I'm eating enough either since I am pregnant...so I'm going to keep better track of that.

[swt1899]

Oh, I didn't know you were pregnant. If you are pregnant I don't know if they will prescribe you anything... Let me know because I never thought about it.

I hope that things go well for you at your appointment. Your body may be stressed because of what's going on outside of your body and what's going on inside.

I didn't know that they could prescribe anything either. A friend of mine's milk started to dry up and she didn't know either so she was really upset when she couldn't nurse anymore. When I started to get low, I called my Dr to see what could be done. Something I could eat or maybe take. I know that there is an herb suppliment that you can take that is supposed to help you produce more. It's called "More Milk." It helped a little, but not much and it tasted terrible. I don't know if it's safe to take when pregnant so I would talk to your Dr.

I hope that you are able to get your supply up. If you can't nurse anymore, please know that Kianna has gotten a lot of wonderful nutrition and from these first few months. She's gotten that valuable collostrum.

Best of luck to you.

[twinzplus3]

Whoa Nelly! I need to check here more often.
You cannot feed a baby that young on breastmilk exclusively and be pregnant at the same time. The fact that you GOT pregnant while breastfeeding her exclusively is an indication that your body is not producing enough prolactin to keep nursing. You need to start giving her formula. With that said, pumping is utterly in vain and I'd advise you to stop now before you drive yourself bonkers. You are supposed to have supply issues when you are pregnant. . .Likewise, you cannot take a prescription galactagogue. Those prescriptions are generally for other medical conditions that have the side benefit of increasing production - but you are pregnant. So not only is the prescription out. . .but you cannot be focused on increasing production.

As far as a schedule goes. . .once you have her weaned to formula that will be a little easier. But the way you do it is just gradually work towards changing the time in 15 minute increments.

And congratulations on the pregnancy.

[KR258]

Getting pregnant has been real frustrating for me lol I didn't want to have another baby for 5 years if then. I love my kids but the whole pregnancy thing was too hard the last 2 times with Katelyn...now I have Kate and Kianna becoming pregnant was out of the question and yet here I am pregnant! I am thinking this must be what I am supposed to be doing because we were preventing. I didn't want this for Kianna but there really isn't anything I can do. So how do you supplement lol I know that sounds silly but it's been so long since I did it with Kate I really have no idea. Do I give her a bottle of formula or just some at each feeding....Should I be working on not breastfeeding all together? She doesn't seem to mind formula at all, I am the one who has a problem with it I feel so guilty for giving formula to Kate...I wish there was another option out there but of course life can't be that easy lol

and thank you for the congrats!