So I think Peter is starting to develop some sort of schedule for feeding at just over 4 weeks old but it isn't one I am particularly wild about and I was wondering if there is anything I can do before it gets too established. At the moment it looks like this:
Between 6:30 and 7:30 - wakes and starts fussing. I hop in a shower then change his nappy and we have a 20 min skin-to-skin feed (usually over between 8 and 9).
9:30(ish) - 10 minute feed
10:30(ish) - 10 minute feed
11:30(ish) - 20 minute feed
2:30(ish) - 20 minute feed
Long afternoon nap
Between 5:30 and 6 - wake for another feed - anything from 10 min to half and hour!
At this point the schedule goes a bit haywire but he will feed at least once more before 10:30
9:30 - bath, feed, story, bed (usually down by 10:30)
2:30 - 20 minute feed (falls asleep on the nipple)
Between 3:30 and 4:30 - 10 minute feed
Basically, he is feeding on average a bit over 8 times a day because he cluster feeds in the mornings and evenings (and there is that wretched 3:30/4:30 feed which I am trying to train him out of). He is awake and alert between feeds until he starts crying to be fed again, so we are getting a decent amount of play time with him but this isn't an ideal schedule as I am tied to the sofa all morning and am finding it quite exhausting. Can anyone help with tips on how I can get him to reduce the number of times he demands food? We have a dummy in the house but I'm trying to avoid using it for the moment as we are about to introduce a bottle a day of EBM and I don't want him getting completely confused. He will suck on our fingers but still demands to be fed after that!
