How often do you breastfeed a newborn?

Diane - posted on 10/23/2010

Feed him whenever he wants to nurse, most babies who go longer between nursing sessions at night will cluster feed in the morning and sometimes that means an hour apart and sometimes it means every 20 minutes. Your best bet to know that he is getting what he needs is to feed him on demand. You can contact your local La Leche League leader or a lactation consultant for more advice or you can post a question on The Leaky B@@b facebook page to get more advice.

Nelly - posted on 10/23/2010

I was almost went nuts by the same "advice" of the nurses, my baby cried SO MUCH after 1 hour and 40 minutes had passed, I couldn't stand it and fed her as soon as she began crying. So I "cluster fed" during the day, and it was the cause, according to the pediatrician for the good sleep I got at night. It took me a while to get her into a schedule, but the less crying in the beginning made all the difference for my experience as a mom.

Kasie - posted on 10/22/2010

I dont think you should time it in the beginning because if you're breast feeding it takes a bit for them to get more milk coming through at a time when they are really hungry and they just get frustrated, thats what my son did anyway and then id have to wait for him to calm down for about an hour every night for a bit cause he just wasnt getting it fast enough and he was mad. another reason i dont do bottles if i can help it even pumping cause then he'l want that cause he can get the milk faster until a little bit later. He's happy now and eventually they start waiting longer before they need to eat again.

Kasie - posted on 10/22/2010

no the every 3 hours is only if they dont cry to eat until then, when they need to eat you should feed them at night and during the day, whenever they want to eat is when they eat. When they get older is when you can kinda control it a little better but still when they wanna eat they gotta eat even then really. my son is just about 3 months and is only now not always having to eat every hour, he ate every hour for a long time and would do like 20 min or longer on each side since im nursing so hed eat for 40 min to an hour each time. Aweful when we went out and had company cause pretty much all he did was eat and sleep for real.

Brittany - posted on 10/22/2010

I know that I am not in the majority here, but my son started on a schedule and really responded to it. He was sleeping through the night by 3 months. Read Baby Wise, it's a GREAT book. More than likely, your son is not crying because he's hungry. At first, it may be hard, but try to push him out to every 1.5 hours and see how he does. Then to two. I think you'll find that he learns to eat enough to get him through and you'll both be doing better when you're on a schedule. That was my experience.

Tracy - posted on 10/22/2010

No way! Don't wait to feed him! Feed him whenever he is hungry. That is the best way to get him what he needs and to make sure your milk supply is sufficient. For the first 6 weeks, my son nursed every 1 1/2 hrs during the day.

Elizabeth - posted on 10/21/2010

Obviously we are all encouraging feeding on demand, but what i think has not been addressed is a major reason for that advice. We are all very different, as are our babies. Every baby has his own rate of intake (suck rate), caloric needs, hunger/thirst level, tummy size. And every mom has a different rate of flow, and fat & calorie content of their milk. The fact is, 2 different babies, feeding from 2 different moms, will get a different volume and caloric intake for the same amount of time eating.

A friend of ours is a big breasfeeding advocate and has always had somewhat small but ravenous babies. When her 5th was a preemie, and she had to pump for the NICU, she discovered that she actually had a very low calories per volume of milk. She not only had to have the milk she pumped for the NICU fortified for calories for the first few weeks (which is the norm for preemies), she also had to have donor milk brought in even though she produced enough milk. The fat content of her milk was just not very high. I however didn't even have to fortify by preemies milk beyond a couple of weeks because my milk's fat content is very high. We are different women with different body chemistries. All her children are very healthy by the way - they were not lacking at all - preemies just have different needs compared to full term babies, but it's interesting to see. My babies are as ravenous as hers, just getting a little more fat per volume.

I should also say that a seemingly ravenous baby does not indicate a problem, it's just the way that baby is. A problem is really only indicated if you are sure that your baby is taking in a lot of milk but is not gaining enough or is dehydrated, and your doctor can judge those things. A happy baby who wets a lot of diapers and get to eat whenever he is hungry, is going to be a healthy kiddo. We're all different so we listen to what nature has to tell us and we feed our babies when they are hungry, with the best food ever - mother's milk.

Hope - posted on 10/21/2010

I'd say, as many of the previous mom, feed on demand. In general your baby will know what he wants.
But, I don't want to scare you or make you second guess yourself but if it seems like all he is doing is eating and spits up frequently ask your peditrician about GERD. Its basically infant acid reflux. By two months old my son was in the hospital three times because he was in so much pain and couldn't keep the breastmilk down; even with me pumping and adding cereal. We finally were sent to the children's hospital to evaluate his eating and under go multiple test. Then we found out he was over weight due to the constant feeding on demand schedual he was using to sooth the pain. At this point the peditrician and breast feeding specalist from Childrens recommended feedings no closer than three hours.
I know in this case it is a unique situation; but I wish I had know prior to all the hospital stays that this is a real infant issue.
Hope this helps and just stick with it, you'll be glad you did =)

Bernice - posted on 10/21/2010

Hi Janice,
My son Desmond has always been fed on demand and he is a happy, healthy baby boy. Your son has a tiny tummy-about the size of a small marble so he needs to be fed often. Breastmilk is easily digested and therefore breastfed babies need feeds more often. Keep up the great work feeding bubs the way nature intended. Kind regards, Bernie

Heather - posted on 10/21/2010

on demand dont time it

Rachel - posted on 10/21/2010

Even if they're just looking for a nipple, no reason not to offer them yours. : ) You can't overfeed a breast-fed baby.

Sarah - posted on 10/21/2010

Feed on demand. It will help establish your supply. You will also have a happy baby :-)

Katie - posted on 10/21/2010

sometimes they just need something to suck on. So make sure that he is actually hungry and not just looking for a nipple

Tricia - posted on 10/21/2010

i do the same thing. not as often as i use to (the feeding in the tub) but taking a bath with your newborn just increases your bondibg with him/her.

Lydia - posted on 10/21/2010

feed him whenever he's hungry.

Marina - posted on 10/21/2010

he's the one to decide when his stomach is empty, you should keep this in mind! be patient and in a month or 2 he will hopefully have a schedule, but again he's the one to decide it!
all the best

Analda - posted on 10/20/2010

After breastfeeding my 4 children, all for more than a year,I know that the needs of the babies vary quite a lot. I will suggest you feed your newborn baby when he's hungry, even if it is only an hour after the previous feed. Boys tend to drink more than girls and babies tend to drink less during the night and are usually more hungry in the morning. Good luck with your baby. Analda

Aizah - posted on 10/20/2010

as soon as baby's hungry i bf her.. i think for her first week i did bf her twice an hour and any minutes i can. you need to do it often to stimulate your milk. but be sure its breast milk. if its formula you really need to watch the time. as formula milk is not easily digested. but for breast millk i think there wont be any problem. thats what i did and i can say my baby is turning 1 and is still very healthy.. Goodluck!!

Addie - posted on 10/20/2010

FEED THAT BABY ON DEMAND!

Racheal - posted on 10/20/2010

Feed him as often and as long as he wants!!! This is him building up your milk supply!!! its time consuming the first month or so but it gets better..PROMISE.
We are 11 months and counting :)

Nicole - posted on 10/20/2010

Feed him when he is hungry, not by the clock. It will ensure a good milk supply, good contact for the two of you, and give him all he needs. He can't eat too much, so don't worry about that. Good luck!

Jessica - posted on 10/20/2010

Breastfeed on demand. It is the easiest way. You can't put a newborn on a schedule. My little one is 2 months old and he eats every 2-3 hrs during the day sometimes longer. In the evening a lot of the times its every hour. There were times he would take a 4-5 hour nap and I would freak out because the "experts" said every 2-3 hours. I would try everything to wake him up but he wanted to sleep. He woke up when he got hungry. Let him decide. He's in charge for a little while! I hope that helps!

Erin - posted on 10/20/2010

Definitely nurse on demand, for feeding and comfort. And don't listen to anyone who tells you there's a certain age to wean either!

My first daughter nursed 40 minutes of every hour day and night. Tough, but I wouldn't change a thing. My second nurses about every 1.5 hours, but actually sleeps a few hours in a row at night. Congrats on your son, and on nursing!

Kristin - posted on 10/20/2010

I always fed (feed the current baby) when they are hungry. If it had been a couple of hours during the daytime, I offered unless baby is in the middle of a nap. Just falling asleep or been asleep for a while, I would wake him or wait for him. Waking him back up for a feed got me a longer nap. And they ALWAYS wake up when they are hungry.

At night, I let my newborn sleep until he woke because he was hungry. He is in our room so it's very easy to respond to this before he was raging and difficult to feed. He would go for about 10 to 15 minutes (feeds like a machine) and then back to sleep for 2 to 5 hours.

Feeding on demand is kind of erratic, but helps them know when they are hungry and when they are full. These are excellent things to know. Most infants nurse every 2 to 3 hours and then gradually start spacing them out. The nurse was giving you a very basic frame, but each child is different and will feed differently from day to day. Just go with the flow and feed him when he's hungry.
If you are concerned about him getting enough, count the diapers, track the pee. Anywhere from 6 to 12 is probably pretty reasonable. This is where I hate disposables. They soak up too much. You can't really keep track of anything. You can always tuck in a piece of cloth to know what's going on in there. They are either wet or not. You can't really track the poo in someone this age. It seems like all the time or days go by. It can make you crazy, so don't worry about it.

As a small warning, you are about 3 to 5 weeks out from a big growth spurt. You will feel like all you do is sit there and feed him. With my oldest, I seriously felt like all I did was switch breasts and stop to change him from time to time.

Congratulations and good luck, I hope this helps.

Crystal - posted on 10/20/2010

my 6 week old feeds OFTEN during the day, and is very awake also. Takes very short naps, and is alert for most of the day. She will feed about every 1-2 hours. She loves to pacify at my breast so i have to work extra hard to keep her awake during feedings... rub her head, massage her jaw, rub her back briskly. Some how she sleeps VERY well at night! 5-7 hours each night.

Dana - posted on 10/20/2010

on demand! ignore the clock

Gina - posted on 10/20/2010

yer the same ere

Gina - posted on 10/20/2010

yer i fed my daughter wen ever she want feeding which was any wer from half hour to 2 hours apart stilll like this NOW she is almost 5 months old and usely lasts 1 to 2 hours now but slept thro almost from birth part from the the odd nites

Rebecca - posted on 10/20/2010

I never set a schedule when BF my newborn. I would demand feed. Your milk has it's highest volume in the morning, it makes sense that he eats a lot then. Those cluster feeds build up your milk supply. Don't worry about every 2.5. You become more intune with your baby- he'll tell you. Good luck and good for you, for asking questions. Keep on nursing!

Michelle - posted on 10/19/2010

Babies can very easily fall asleep at that age then wake in the blink of an eye when you try to put them down.
I would definitely allow him to nurse on demand.
Something I have done with all 6 of my kids when they would drift off into sleep after a few minutes was tickling the fat under their chin . It wouldnt completely wake them, but they would start sucking again and after a few times doing this during a feeding I noticed they would go a little longer and seem more full after.
I just had #6 2 months ago and this helped a LOT with filling his little belly with in a few days he would eat till he was filled and release my breast and sleep for about 3 hours day or night.
at 1 months we were about 3-4 hours and in the evening he will go for about 4-5 .
The bath thing sounds like a great idea too. Just remember while you are learning your baby, your baby is learning everything too!

Katrina - posted on 10/19/2010

I fed my son on demand which was nursing from one side every 1 1/2 hours. That eventually became about every 2-3 hours around 4 months.

Rachel - posted on 10/19/2010

Feed as often as he wants, and no less than every three hours. Don't try to put him on any kind of schedule yet.

Aslina - posted on 10/19/2010

i'm agreed with Daniela Wagner....Feeding your baby often not just build up your milk supply but its also can maintain your body shape..hehehe...trust me...

Aubrey_aubs - posted on 10/18/2010

Janice, I'm with most mom's on this one. I believe feeding on demand is the best way. That's what worked for my baby girl and she was a fabulous nurser!

Michelle - posted on 10/18/2010

If you think your baby is hungry, feeding him will meet his needs. Scheduled feedings ignore an infant's cries, which is how they communicate. Babies eventually get to the 2-3 hours between feedings. Breastfeeding frequently will also do wonders for your supply. Good luck!

Brittany - posted on 10/17/2010

There's nothing wrong with feeding him every hour. He's the only one who knows he's hungry. I cluster fed my daughter up until solids were introduced.

Let him guide you on how much he needs to eat.

Mary - posted on 10/17/2010

At this age you shouldn't have to wake him to eat, if you want to its fine but if he's nursing effectively then i personally would just let him sleep. My first daughter nursed every 30 minutes for an hour and a half for her first 6 months. my second daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 weeks. Every baby is different and as long as he is poo-ing and pee-ing well, reaching all his milestones, seems happy and is gaining weight he is fine. Go with the flow, don't feed on a schedule, **feed on demand** and you'll both be happy and healthy. He'll tell you when he's hungry. A newborn's tummy is the size of a marble at birth and only the size of a large chicken egg at day 10 and breast milk is so easily digestible that it is utilized very quickly. you are doing a great job. keep it up
congrats on breastfeeding its the most natural and healthy thing you can do for you and him! :) be proud!

Allison - posted on 10/17/2010

PS Nursing in the tub is also GREAT for colds - sometimes they get stuffy and have a hard time nursing, and the steam clears their nose so they can nurse :) My guy didn't have a cold til he was about 1 year old, but since I nursed til he was 2.5 (and in daycare), we used this trick often!

Jennifer - posted on 10/17/2010

Nursing in the bath tub sounds wonderfully relaxing. I will try that with the new one.

Jennifer - posted on 10/17/2010

for a 2 week old you shoudl feed him as much as he wants. You will find that he goes some days eating a lot then others sleeping a lot. This is a natural growth cycle and it will be this way for about 5 months. You should see him naturally settle into a 2.5 - 4 hour feeding cycle as he grows.

I was able to help my boy through this by pumping on those days when he slept the most. That way my milk didn't subside in any way AND it allowed me extra milk in storage for times I had to be away or when I went back to work.

April - posted on 10/17/2010

no you shouldn't wait. you should feed him as often as he wants.

Melanie - posted on 10/17/2010

hello moms, I found your advice helpful, I call my 5 day old baby (very lovingly) a parasite, because, when he's not feeding, he's using my breast as a dummy. (and over stimulating the milk production) but I really dont mind, it's wonderfull to have that special bonding time. on the other hand, I have a little trouble "winding" him, any advice on how to get that ouchies out easy??

Gina - posted on 10/16/2010

Yep I agree, ON DEMAND, take your eyes off of the clock and focus on bubs. He will tell you what is right. At 2 weeks there is no schedule. You are just worried at the moment and even I, who is breastfeeding my 3rd child now, was worried about the routine etc. I would suggest to all mums, never wake them up to feed, sleep is wonderful. Just sit and relax with the baby on the boob. Pop it out and give it to him when he starts to have a little cry. If he goes back to sleep straight away and wakes up in 5 minutes, try waking him up a little more by changing him and giving his bum a wipe with a cool cloth. They are very sleepy at this stage and go into that adorable milk coma after breastfeeding. The more you worry the more you will have trouble. I am still learning this now. Just go with it and see what happens.

Allison - posted on 10/16/2010

You've gotten good advice from the ladies. Sadly, most doctors and nurses are NOT breastfeeding experts (I was very surprised by this - they have little or NO formal breastfeeding education or training!) If you have more questions, find your local La Leche League - see www.llli.org. They have meetings and local coaches worldwide for free professional breastfeeding advice!



Personally, my guy also wanted to eat every 20 minutes, mostly in the evening. Eventually, I did have to keep him off for about an hour just so my milk production could recover and give him enough for a full tummy :) It wasn't really "scheduling" (never a good idea with a newborn, especially) - should always feed on demand - but for us it was just finding the right "rhythm" for a happy full tummy :) Good luck!

Jessie - posted on 10/16/2010

I have a suggestion about the sucking for 5 minutes and falling asleep since my son was exactly like that. take a bath with him and nurse him in the tub. do it several times. I read it in the book I got from my breastfeeding class. for whatever reason he would stay awake and nurse his little heart out in the tub and I would have to stop him so we could get out before turning all wrinkly. eventually he got the hang of 'hey if I stay awake and nurse OUTSIDE of the tub, my tummy will be full" worked for me at least. (oh yeah and I had Daddy help, bring the naked baby to me in the tub and then take him and dry him up when ready to get out)

Jessie - posted on 10/16/2010

feed him every 20 minutes if that's what he wants. for real. he is hungry and needs not only to nurse to build up your supply but its a comforting thing for them, I'm gonna guess that nurse did not breastfeed any newborn babies. and praise god that you can go three hours at night at a time. you are lucky there sister

Janice - posted on 10/16/2010

Thanks all for the advise and information. They are very useful. I been nursed my newborn 12x a day already and everytime I nurse him, he only suck for 5 minutes and fell asleep. No matter how I did to him, he would not wake up. Then I put him in the crib, within 10 mintues, he cries and need to be fed again. He is a good sleeper at night, but during the day, he pretty much eat all the times. He is ony two weeks old and has gained two pounds since birth.

Melissa - posted on 10/16/2010

Feed a newborn on demand and just try to ensure that they take a full feeding at each session. I fed my dd up to 24x a day when she was a newborn. LOL If not more.. it's kind of a blur now. Basically, if your baby wants to nurse let him! :-)
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newbor...
Weeks two through six
How often should baby be nursing?
Frequent nursing in the early weeks is important for establishing a good milk supply. Most newborns need to nurse 8 - 12+ times per day (24 hours). You CAN'T nurse too often—you CAN nurse too little.

Nurse at the first signs of hunger (stirring, rooting, hands in mouth)—don't wait until baby is crying. Allow baby unlimited time at the breast when sucking actively, then offer the second breast. Some newborns are excessively sleepy—wake baby to nurse if 2 hours (during the day) or 4 hours (at night) have passed without nursing. Once baby has established a good weight gain pattern, you can stop waking baby and nurse on baby's cues alone.

Tanya - posted on 10/16/2010

feed him when ever he wants it. That's how breastfeeding works. You make what he takes out :)
Well done you, 3 hours a time at night is fab at 2 weeks old! xXx

Noreen - posted on 10/15/2010

Feed him when he's hungry. Even if it's every 30minutes. Success to breastfeeding is nursing on demand.