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Breastfeeding

Expert Q&A:
Do you have any suggestions for encouraging our baby to eat more at each feeding?

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Suzanne Dixon
Answered by Suzanne Dixon M.D., M.P.H.
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"There is nothing so amazing as the development of a child," says Suzanne Dixon, M.D., a behavioral and developmental pediatrician who was one of the founding members of the Pampers Parenting Network. "Every day is a new adventure when you have a child around you. I never get tired of learning from the children who have been a part of my life, professionally and personally."Suzanne Dixon, M.D., M.P.H., was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota, School of Medicine. She did her pediatric training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and then completed a fellowship in Child Development at Boston's Children's Hospital. Dr. Dixon joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, and did patient care, teaching, and research for 20 years. She ran a large newborn service, performed research in early child development, and was involved in many community outreach activities in maternal child health. Throughout her entire professional life she has maintained an interest in cross-cultural activities, living and working in many parts of the world, including Mexico, India, Kenya, Indonesia, and several countries from the former U.S.S.R. Dr. Dixon is the author of numerous research articles, review articles, and textbook chapters in pediatrics, child and family development, and public health. Her textbook, written with Dr. Martin Stein, Encounters With Children: Pediatric Behavior and Development, has become a classic in child health education and is in its fourth edition. She is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, an international journal of high standing in the professional world. She also has served as an associate editor for Infant Mental Health and currently reviews for several major pediatric journals. Dr. Dixon is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and served in national positions in that organization. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, the Society for Research in Child Development, the American Public Health Association, and the Executive Council of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She serves as consultant to several national and international organizations and has received an award from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies.Dr. Dixon continues to lecture and consult worldwide on aspects of maternal, child, and family health. She practices behavioral and developmental pediatrics in Montana and works with local advocacy groups on education and women''s health. Dr. Dixon has been married for over 30 years and has three sons. She and her husband travel frequently, are outdoor enthusiasts, and enjoy being amateur anthropologists.
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Question


Our newly home, 12-week-preemie is now 12 weeks old, or age 0 for practical purposes. In the last month at the hospital she got used to a three-hour feeding schedule. Now after a couple of weeks at home, as her weight approaches 5 1/2 pounds, she wants to feed more often, every one and a half to two hours, but is not interested in feeding more than 2 ounces at each feeding. Do you have any suggestions for encouraging her to eat more at each feeding but less frequently? She is getting pumped breastmilk and direct breastmilk and is now starting formula.

Answer


Congratulations on your little baby really getting going on the breastfeeding! And congratulations to Mom and Dad for the extra effort to get her breastmilk over that long hospitalization. Preemies sometimes tire out during feedings, both breast and bottle, and quit early. Give her a play break after seven to 10 minutes of feeding on one side. Change sides after the break. Be sure she's not swaddled too tightly as she'll get a bit lazy if she's too warm. Her feeding pattern is pretty typical for an age 0 baby: every one and a half to three hours. While she's doing some catch-up growing and using extra energy because of her prematurity, she may know that she needs extra feeds. Follow her lead on this a bit and her schedule is likely to mature as she does. She's had to do a lot of new discovery and learning at home, and being more in charge of her sleep and wakefulness, as well as feeding, is part of that adjustment. Consult your local lactation consultant if things don't begin to settle out. You've done all the investment in breastfeeding and it would be a shame to miss the payoff now by switching over to formula at this point.
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Member comments

I have noticed that when my daughter sleeps longer she will want more when feeding.

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