advice please! 3 week old feeding and sleep patterns

[Mum2BKW]

My 3 week old is still feeding every 2 hours, all day and all night, except for one 'long' period in the afternoon where she will go for 3 or 4 hours. I'm feeding her on demand and she is thriving, but I'm hoping that soon she will start to go longer between feeds? Does anyone have a baby who was similar, and how old were they when things started to space out a bit?

When she feeds she generally only has 1 boob, I offer the other (unless she's fallen asleep) but she rarely wants it. I'm not too worried about this as she's so healthy but I wonder if I could get her to take a bit more maybe she'd go longer between feeds?

 

[firsttime83]

My LO was the same. She still sometimes goes 2 hours, sometimes 4, but 3 on average. I also am feeding her on demand and only recently has she seemed to start to get her night and day straight. She is now going 3-4 hours between feeds at night. From what I have read on here it is pretty common. When she was having a growth spurt she could go as little as one hour between feeds!

It does gradually get better, but I'm sure you are exhausted at this point and would like an exact end date. We had a terrible 6 week growth spurt of cluster feeding and fussiness... after that was over things seemed to get SO much better. Hopefully that helps...

As for getting her to take more. I tried this and either she puked up the excess or she still was hungry in the same amount of time. I also tried to stretch it out longer to a specific time and this also didn't help and probably not the best idea (when she is hungry she should eat).

 

[iwantabub]

Every 2 hours during the day then between 9.30 and 1.30 he will go til 4.30 then back to every 2 hours.

Totally normal and my lo is 10 weeks.

I don't think he's reli ever been a day feed gap longer then 2 hours

 

[Fortune Cooki]

Week 3 and week 4 were growth spurt weeks for my LO. She fed endlessly. Around week 6 she began sleeping 5 hours at night. Sometimes she sleeps 6 or 7 hours. She is still doing the same thing at 2 months, but my friends with 3 month olds are having to get up in the middle of the night for feedings again.

 

[danielle1984]

I wouldn't complain. I would give anything for my son to feed every 2-3 hours. He feeds every hour and for 20-40 minutes. He turned 6 weeks last Friday. It was worst at the beginning. And yes he is getting enough, lots of wet/dirty diapers.

 

[TheNewMrs]

Very normal, they might stretch out a bit at night around 6-12 weeks. Sounds absolutely normal though.

 

[NurseSooz]

Sounds like a growth spurt - my girl still has those days at 14 weeks x

 

[nickynora]

My lo is nearly 8 weeks and still feeds every 2 hrs on the odd occasion she might make it to 3 hrs if she's sleepi g but thats only during the day. At night its every 2 hrs.

She only has one breast but I found eveb having both doesn't mean she goes any longer.

I think it's pretty normal tbh x

 

[MommyJogger]

It's still very early days for you. They might not space out very much, but they start to become less impactful on your day when the feeds become quicker. We still have days now where DS would like a quick drink every 1.5-2 hours. Try to keep the "4th trimester" philosophy in mind-- the only reason he's out of your womb is because human brains are so large and advanced. He's still more suited to the uterine environment, where nutrition is delivered at a constant, slow rate. You'll look back and hardly believe that this time passed so quickly, even though it feels so restrictive and never-ending when you're in this moment.

 

[CupcakeBaby]

I can't even remember how or when DD fed in the early weeks. It was so constant and I was so exhausted that I've blocked it out I think.

All I can say is now she's 14 weeks and sleeps 7 hours then 3 hours at night and feeds every 3-4 hours in the day. But does still cluster feed from 5-9pm quite often.

It gets better and pretty quickly too. xxxx Hang in there.

 

[Lauki]

She is only 3 weeks! My little boy is the same, although I don't look at the clock anymore and just feed him when he shows early hunger cues.

I did the whole clock watching thing and timing with my daughter and it drove me mad, made me try formula (very unnecessary for us) and really made it hard for me to enjoy her as she fed constantly for hours on end.

Now 1 month in when people ask how often I feeds I just answer: whenever he is hungry, as I have no clue! I am much more relaxed. Still tired, but cosleeping helps. I know it's very hard work, but it will get better!

 

[NoodleSnack]

That sounds like my honeymoon period, and then he started feeding every hour, won't be put down etc. I hope it's not true for you, but it might get worse before it gets better, but it will get better, now I can leave him for three hours no problem.

 

[kwills55]

Yeah have to admit we had a nice week where my LO fed every 2-3 hours but now she's a month old and she's gone back to every 45 mins to hourly in the day and 2 hourly at night!
Was going to stalk this thread for ideas but sounds like everyone says its normal...
My health visitor blamed it on me having a small baby who is making up for lost time! (She was 5lb 11 at birth and 7lb 4 at 1 month, even though she was overdue!!

Roll on the days of 3 hourly feeds as LO suffers with reflux and I have to sit her up for at least 30 mins after each feed or she's sick... Leaves me about 15 mins between feeds before she wakes for more in the day!! Xxx