Newborn times between feeds etc. am I doing it right?

[teacup22]

Hi!
After a few tough days we are finally more settled with breastfeeding.
I'm in a lot less pain now though which is great!
I just wondered, I've read online she should be feeding every 2-3 hours at 1week, Is that right?
I generally just feed her when she stirrs or starts rooting is that what I'm supposed to be doing?
In the day she usually goes 3 hours but with the occasional 2 hour feeding session (we had 2 yesterday!)
I was just worried she went 4 hours between feeds last night! I fed her at 12,4 and 7.45 is this ok?
Sorry for all the questions. Still getting used to it all!
Thanks

 

[sixzigma]

1.5 - 2 hrs is the norm for newborns .When my DS was a week old he too used to feed once is 3 or 4 hours, turned out he wasnt putting on weight as he should be and he also got jaundiced .
Ask your ped if your concerned , never go by guesses.Check for any signs of dehydration -what colour is her pee , does it hav a strong smell? (upon dehydrations newborns have an orang(ish) pee .Also count the number of times she poops in a day

 

[atalanta85]

Newborns do require frequent feeds, which also means you need to wake them up too. Don't do on demand yet, I did that (thinking that's what I should be doing) and bub lost weight and required formula top ups to get her back on track. Newborns will sleep a lot and miss feeds if you let them.

 

[teacup22]

Why is it so confusing!!! After how long should I be waking her? And day and night?
She's doing plenty of poos and wees (3-4 poos and at least 6 wet nappies that are very pale)

 

[wantb502]

I'm still gettin the hang of his myself, but never allow more than 3 hours in between. I wake my LO up to eat if he's going over. Also I have a hard time if its more than 2 hours because my breasts start hurting. This breast feeding things is not easy!

 

[teacup22]

It seems to vary a lot, so I think I'll just stop worrying about the time and focus on how many feeds per day....
She's just done 2 hrs between

 

[Rachel_C]

Honestly, at a week old if she is not jaundiced and is weeing and pooing frequently I would feed on demand up to around 4 hours between feeds overnight, she'll probably feed more often during the day - put a boob in her mouth as soon as she stirs . As long as her nappies are fine and she's alert enough (well, as alert as newborns ever get!), I wouldn't worry.

As Kellymom says:

wake baby to nurse if 2 hours (during the day) or 4 hours (at night) have passed without nursing.

https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/ (there are sections about babies up to a week old then further down the page it says about 2w+)

 

[summer rain]

I agree with Rachel. While some babies need to feed constantly in the newborn period not all do. My two youngest aside from cluster feeding times would only feed every 3 hours during the day and every 5-6 hours at night, they simply wouldn't feed more often than that. Both lost less than the expected amount of weight and had double the expected number of wet and dirty nappies from day three onwards. They did get jaundiced but this is due to genetic factors not intake in our case xx

 

[noon_child]

Midwives recommend waking every 2hrs (day and night) until baby has regained birthweight.

Once that has happened they say "feed on demand" but don't let LO go more than 3hrs without a feed (so not really on demand then!) so that they don't get low blood sugar - but they don't tell you when you can stop clock watching and alarm setting!

At 2.5 weeks old I forgot to set one of my alarms, and after a blissfull bit of sleep woke in a panic because LO had not stirred in 5hrs!! She was fine and fed heartily. After that I chilled out a bit. Stopped setting my alarm and went with demand feeding. She never slept more than 3hrs at night again!!!!!!!!!!! (well, until she was about 5months!).

 

[Noo]

Midwives recommend waking every 2hrs (day and night) until baby has regained birthweight.

Umm, no I don't.

I demand fed from birth. So long as you're getting plenty of wet and dirty nappies then feeding 3 hourly ish is fine. Normally newborns will feed more 1.5-2 hourly but going 3 is fine too unless they were prem or of a low birth weight. I never clock watched but then my baby fed very frequently and cluster fed in the evenings which stocked him up for slightly longer stretches over night.

 

[noon_child]

Midwives recommend waking every 2hrs (day and night) until baby has regained birthweight.

Umm, no I don't.

Sorry, maybe I should have said - "All the midwives in my area of the UK have been trained to recommend...."

 

[Noo]

Midwives recommend waking every 2hrs (day and night) until baby has regained birthweight.

Umm, no I don't.

Sorry, maybe I should have said - "All the midwives in my area of the UK have been trained to recommend...."

It is recommended newborns have 8-10 feeds in 24 hours. Even at 10 feeds that is every 2.4 hours. 8 feeds would be every 3 hours so counting in cluster feeding sessions a normal birth weight term infant is fine going 3 hours between feeds.

Our guidelines go by whether the baby feeds well when feeding, appears well hydrated and has a good amount of wet and dirty (wet more important) nappies rather than clock watching. You can tell if a baby is well hydrated by paying attention to their anterior fontenelle. If it is pulsing and not dipped then the baby is well hydrated. If it is dipped then more fluids are needed.

 

[noon_child]

Midwives recommend waking every 2hrs (day and night) until baby has regained birthweight.

Umm, no I don't.

Sorry, maybe I should have said - "All the midwives in my area of the UK have been trained to recommend...."

It is recommended newborns have 8-10 feeds in 24 hours. Even at 10 feeds that is every 2.4 hours. 8 feeds would be every 3 hours so counting in cluster feeding sessions a normal birth weight term infant is fine going 3 hours between feeds.

Our guidelines go by whether the baby feeds well when feeding, appears well hydrated and has a good amount of wet and dirty (wet more important) nappies rather than clock watching. You can tell if a baby is well hydrated by paying attention to their anterior fontenelle. If it is pulsing and not dipped then the baby is well hydrated. If it is dipped then more fluids are needed.

Good to know! Especially as it correlates with what I ended up doing once I chilled out a bit

 

[Foxy37]

how long were your nipples sore as mine are just a little painfull . She is waking every 2 hours for feeds and is content xx

 

[Noo]

how long were your nipples sore as mine are just a little painfull . She is waking every 2 hours for feeds and is content xx

It took about 2 weeks of feeding to stop using Lansinoh for me but I did put it on religiously before and after every feed. It also coincided with feeds spacing out a little.

 

[teacup22]

Still sore and now struggling through mastitis!
This is tough!