Newborn eating constantly?

[mrscompgeek]

My 2-1/2 week old baby has been eating almost every hour during the day the last few days. Is that normal for a newborn? At night she goes anywhere from 2-4 hours between feedings. I assume its a growth spurt or she is just not on a schedule yet?? I know its not that she isnt getting enough each time because this morning I pumped after she ate both breast and I got 2 oz's yet.

[boobs4milk]

perfectly normal shannon. grow spurts are at ~3 wks, ~6 wks, ~3 mos, and then they vary from then on out. amelia was doing the same thing last week (she's 7 wks tomorrow) and the last few days has been going a bit longer. good thing, too because i thought my boobs would fall off.

just watch wets n poops. good luck!

[Bokonon]

Yup, sounds totally normal to me too! My DD is 6 months old and still eats at least every 2 hours all day and night, whereas some babies her age nurse every 3 hours during the day and STTN...just varying shades of normal.

[mamazee]

Most babies that age nurse very very frequently. It's common. The first several weeks it feels like they are constantly being nursed, having their diaper changed, or (occasionally) sleeping. Just go with it. It won't last forever.

[Llyra]

It's normal and biologically appropriate for an infant, especially a newborn, to nurse very often. It sounds like you're doing very well! I would strongly advise against trying to space out feedings or put baby on a schedule-- those kind of approaches are not appropriate for breastfed babies. They can lead to poor weight gain and a compromised milk supply. The best way is to follow baby's cues.
And hang in there-- I know how it feels to be attached to baby for hours and hours and hours each day. It doesn't last forever. It passes so quickly.

[HydeParkB]

Sounds about right to me! DS is 4 weeks as of Tuesday. On those days when he just seems to nurse all day long, I try to have a book or movie available to help pass the time. It breaks up day for me when I'm pretty much tied to the couch or bed.

Keep up the good work.

[lifeguard]

Normal!!! I wish we were just told up front that newborns nurse a LOT more than seems "necessary"!

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by lifeguard

Normal!!! I wish we were just told up front that newborns nurse a LOT more than seems "necessary"!

!!

[lilysmama1124]

My 10 week old twins are have been nursing between every 45 min and hour and a half this week...last night they finally let me get some sleep and only ate every three hours...my mantra is "this to shall pass"

[Bena]

Originally Posted by lifeguard

Normal!!! I wish we were just told up front that newborns nurse a LOT more than seems "necessary"!

Yup to that too!

I'm on the verge of tears right now, knowing that this is normal and actually good. I'm finding breastfeeding to be waaay more challenging that I thought it'd be, and I'm more exhausted from doing it that I was from birth!!!
I'm soo, soooo, soooo relieved to know it's all ok!