EBF baby snacking not taking full feeds

Is anyone's EBF baby a snacker? And do you have any tips for increasing time between feeds? Our health visitor has suggested that little one is a snacker (I thought she was cluster feeding but apparently not as its all day every day) and isn't getting a full feed hence feeding often. Currently she feeds about every hour, sometimes a bit shorter, sometimes a bit longer. This has been going on since about 5.5 weeks old and she's almost 8 weeks old now. This week she has started napping again during the day but only contact naps, prior to this week she would pretty much not sleep during the day at all from about 4 weeks old. She sleeps well at night most of the time, we wake her every 4 hours for a feed per HV advice due to her small weight gains and dropping 2 centiles. She rarely sleeps for longer than 30mins-1hour during the day when she does sleep. Her feeding lengths massively differ from anywhere between 10 mins and 40 mins. She does get sleepy on the boob and I try and keep her awake as much as I can to feed, if I don't she will feed even more frequently. I do think she sucks for comfort on the longer feeds but I struggle to distinguish between feeding and just sucking a lot of the time so just let her carry on. I am finding the hourly feeds exhausting and taking a toll on my mental health and feeling like I can't do anything or go anywhere. I also can't really even 'play' with her as we only get about 10 mins down time between feeds by the time she's finished, burped, nappy changed which I worry will affect her development as she gets older. HV suggested that something needs to change with her feeds to help her put more weight on and get fuller feeds, she told me to 'play around with her feeds during the day and early afternoon' I honestly don't know what she wants me to do, everything you're told is to responsive feed so that's what I've been doing. Babe literally screams until I put her on the boob I don't think I have it in me not to respond to her by giving what she wants but HV has now got in my head and I've been obsessively reading about misreading tiredness for hunger and snacking for comfort and sleep and how that can create bad associations for baby as they grow up. Just wondering if anyone has had this experience, and if there's any suggestions how I can get her to take a fuller feed and last longer between feeds?

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Has she been checked by someone qualified (not a hv or midwife) for tongue tie? Also completely ignore the bad associations thing. It’s perfectly normal for babies to feed little and often including for comfort and to sleep it’s what nature designed! It’s only society that takes issue with it. Responding to your babies needs is the best thing you can do for them as they grow x

@Yasmin I don't think so no, I was told she had a good latch in hospital and the early weeks pp when still under mw care so don't think there was ever any indication to check. We haven't had our GP check up yet, is it something they do/can check if I ask? Thank you! I just want to do right by her but equally the constant feeding is draining me and I worry about her weight as HV never seems happy with her progress 😔

Could you introduce a dummy to give her the comfort part then the feeds may be more efficient?

@Natalie we do have a dummy for her which she does take on her terms. But I do struggle with determining at what point she's finished feeding and is sucking for comfort, I'm conscious about interrupting her feed as I know she'll end up needing a feed even earlier if she wasn't done and I worry about her weight as well in case in interrupt her feed. Sometimes it's obvious she's sucking for comfort other times I'm really not sure

Yeah it is tricky to know at this age. Soon you should be able to hear the swallowing which helps. If she's upset could you offer the dummy first? I found if my daughter was hungry and offered the dummy she'd spit it out and stay upset whereas if it was comfort she needed the dummy did the job.

@Natalie That's good to know it will definitely be easier once I can hear the difference! Yeah I think I will start trying the dummy first if she's not giving obvious hunger cues, I'm so quick to just put her on the boob as I can't stand her being upset. To be honest I think most of the time she cries it is hunger, I've got her nappy change fussiness/cry figured out but there may be the odd one in there that maybe isn't hunger

I get not wanting baby to be upset but it is how they communicate everything so it isn't always a bad thing. Good that you've learnt some of the cries and boob definitely solves a lot but if baby is feeding that often then it could be not just hunger.

Ask to be referred to the infant feeding team. You ideally need a lactation consultant or tongue tie specialist to access for tongue tie but that can cause ineffective frequent feeds, falling asleep on the boob and insufficient weight gain x

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