One Hungry Munchkin

At his one-week check-up we asked the pediatrician if it was normal and healthy that our little munchkin was eating every hour and a half; she assured us he was just a hungry little munchkin, and it would get easier after his growth spurt passed. Over the last few weeks his eating has spaced out, but he is still a hungry little munchkin. Sometimes I'm still surprised by how much he eats.

For those of you not experienced with breast feeding let me explain why this is an issue worth writing about. First we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition from my milk and the formula, but with that concern allayed by the pediatrician and his more than acceptable weight gain, it is an issue because breast feeding can consume one's life. Our tiny human is a wonderful but not particularly efficient nurser, so it typically takes (from start to finish) about an hour for each feeding. This means that I spend 8 or more hours a day feeding him, even when supplementing with formula when he's hungry less than an hour after nursing; if we add the additional 15 minutes it takes to feed him bottles (which he does about 4 times a day) and the 20-30 minutes it takes to burp him after every feeding, both bottle and boob, I spend about 14 hours of every day feeding the hungry munchkin. That is equal to nearly two full time jobs!

Let me be clear, I am not complaining. I enjoy this time. Not only is breastfeeding a gift - a gift of health, a gift of love and comfort. It is also a time when he is most at peace and happy. He makes his cutest faces during this time. He stares lovingly in my eyes, and I know that he knows I love him. It is a rewarding time for both of us! But it is a never-ending obligation; one that limits when I can go and how long I can be there; one that limits when we can have guests; one that makes me sleep deprived. When I do sleep, I dream of days when he can eat real food and sleep through the night. I dream of days when I can sleep. But I'm told not to hold my breath, that even once he is no longer breast feeding then teething we keep us all from sleeping.

So now I must wrap this up, because it is time to feed again, of course. Our cute, wonderful, amazingly strong, alert and curious little munchkin is hungry once again!

-- CM