Does she nurse too frequently?

[newlywedtzh]

Just wondering if this is a normal bf schedule. She's about 11 weeks old. She will nurse every 1-2 hrs ( mostly 2) it is rare that she goes 3 hrs. Usually only when we are out of the house. However I am blessed bc she sleeps from 8pm-5am and sometimes I am the one that wakes her up bc my Breasts are painfully full. Do you think bc she sleeps basically all night she just needs to get her calories during the day? I don't *think* she comfort nurses but could be bc she does not take a pacifier I'm going back to work soon snd worried she is going to be so distraught bc of how much she nurses during the day

 

[ready4num2]

My DD is the same way. I thought it was too frequent to but after much reassurance it's ok. My DD was feeding pretty much every 30 mins and just started kicking it up to an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. She also sleeps all night. Her doctor said it's because she bulks up all day to hold herself over all night.

 

[purplecupcake]

Breastfed babies cannot be overfed.

 

[Literati_Love]

There is nothing wrong with nursing often. Every baby is different and it is unfair to think they should all conform to a 3-hour feeding schedule. This works for many babies but not all! I think your baby is definitely making up for nighttime calories by feeding more in the day. That's all you could really ask for really as sleeping more at night is always the goal! My DD nursed every hour all day long (from beginning of feed to beginning of next) until about 2.5 months old. She didn't even sleep nearly as much at night as yours did but she did always get one good 4-hr stretch because she cluster fed in the evening (then up every 1-2 after that). Now that she is 3 months she is finally nursing about every 2 hours during the day and then cluster feeding before bed. She is not getting too much milk. She is a large baby but both in length and weight proportionately and she has stayed on basically the same percentile since birth. Feeding on demand is very good for babies and you shouldn't feel you are feeding too much.

You may enjoy this article which explores some of the advantages of feeding very frequently and on demand (not to say that There's anything wrong with babies who are willing and happy to feed less frequently)! I just found it interesting.

https://www.parentingscience.com/infant-feeding-schedule.html

 

[newlywedtzh]

Thank you that was a very interesting article! I wouldn't even be worried about it if I wasn't going back to work I'm going to talk to her caregiver (who is also breastfeeding her daughter at the time) to also do on demand feeding. I'm just concerned I won't be able to pump enough at work to have higher quality milk like the article said.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

Yes sounds normal, my DD1 was just the same but DD2 nurses less often but wakes a couple of times in the night to eat. I think I would rather be feeding more in the day having had it both ways!

I seem to recall DD1 would go a bit longer between feeds when I gave her EBM in a bottle

 

[Literati_Love]

As pink polka said, your baby may very well go longer with pumped milk because with nursing she is probably taking smaller amounts more frequently whereas with a bottle the caregiver can feed a bit more than she may normally take and then go a bit longer? I can see how it would concern you to try to pump enough but I hope it all works out!

 

[FarmMom]

My daughter nurses very frequently, but goes 3 hrs between feeds at daycare, and they feed on demand. Like has been said, i think she just eats less at a time, more frequently with me.

 

[luz]

There is no such thing as nursing too much. Understand that it is so much more than just your baby getting food. It is comforting and a great bonding experience for you both. When my baby was 24 hours old the dr came in and told me she was nursing too often and i needed to make her wait, i politely accepted his advice and continued to nurse as often as she wanted. Your baby knows what it needs. Some people try to get their babies on a schedule because they think it helps them sleep better at night, but i found listening to my babies cues has worked best for us, and eventually they will get themselves on a schedule.

 

[LittleNugget]

My dd nursed every 2 hours until she was 5 months old. She also slept through the night from 6 weeks, so I assume she was just catching up on calories through the day. She's 8 months now and still nurses every 3 hours, but sleeps all night. No worries!

 

[SarahBear]

There's no such thing as a baby asking to nurse too frequently. A baby knows when he/she needs milk. Sometimes though, a baby wants to suck and doesn't need milk. At those times, the baby's needs can sometimes be met in different ways.