4 week old sleeping patterns

[ebible]

Hi!
I'm new. New on mothering.com and a new mother in general. I have a 4 week old gorgeous baby girl. I don't have anything to compare her to since she is my first but she seems to be a good baby.
My SIL told me the other day that when her baby was 4 weeks she was already sleeping a good 5 to 6 hours at night. My baby is up every 2 to 2 1/2 crying to be changed and be fed.
Is this normal? Should I encourage her to stay awake in the evening to get her to sleep longer at night? Do I need to feed her just an ounce more to keep her satisfied?
Would love some advice.
Thanks!
EB

[Honey693]

It's totally normal to wake up every 2-2.5 hours! Some babies just sleep less at a stretch. My first daughter rarely slept more than 4-5 hours at a stretch until we night weaned at 13/14 months (it was every 60-120 minutes when she was under 4 months), but my second is only 3 weeks and has slept 5 hours in a row twice. It just depends on the kid.

[aumismommy]

Definitely depends on the kid - I only have a 3mo son, but have 10 nieces and nephews and lived with a few of them during their first 6 months. Was your SIL's baby formula fed? My son woke up every hour or two the first two months and is now to every 3 hours and sometimes 4 or 5.