Does she need six feeds a day?

[chelandeve]

My baby girl slept thru last night at 5.5 weeks, she also did it a few days ago so I woke her everything 3 hours during the day to fit in 6 feeds, she fed quite badly so I thought today I would just stick to the usual 4 hourly routing which would mean that she only gets 5 feeds. I am breastfeeding but top her up at 10.00pm with 60ml of formula. Is 5.5 weeks to early to go down to 5 feeds a day?

[tickle]

I just went with the flow and fed my DS when he told me to feed him, if that makes sense. Some days he would feed constantly others not much at all.
They will always tell you when they are hungry.;)
E
P.S Welcome!:)

[Rainbowbrite]

MJ is 7 months & exclusively breastfed and she has anywhere from 4-7 bf in 24hours. It depends on how hungry she is. Some days she's happy to feed 4hourly during the day, sometimes 2.5 hourly. Some nights she sleeps through, others she wants 2 extra feeds. Thank goodness for co-sleeping or i'd never get rest during those times.

Sorry i'm not much help but if i'm thirsty i need to drink, same as MJ. I take my cues from her :)

RB

[Rell]

I agree with the other 2 mums. don't stress too much about the number of feeds your bub has just try to feed her when she is hungery.As long as she continues to put on weight she should be fine.

[draught]

I have a couple of rules for babies - one is not to wake a sleeping baby and the other is to feed them when they are hungry - and they are very good at letting you know when they are hungry. Rather than worrying about the 4 hour rule, let her tell you when she needs food. My daughters would have 6 feeds in 24 hours but there would be a couple within a couple of hours then a big gap of 6 or 7 hours then a two hour gap, a 4 hours gap etc - in otherwords it was all over the place but they were happy and I was happy.
don't worry about "dropping" a feed - she will take what she needs - and if she is sleeping - congratulations! DD1 slept through at 8 weeks and it was a delight! (although it did take my breasts a while to get used to it).

[Foxymoron]

:D Just follow her lead, she will makes constant adjustments as she has lil growth spurts here and there. As long as she is having heaps of nice wet nappies enough is going in. I used to drag myself out of bed with my first born because the MCHN said she was too little to sleep through, and I guess in some cases where the child is failing to thrive it is appropriate to try to fit in another feed, however my robust lil chubber wasn't in that category. If you have plenty of milk and she is quite satisfied after a feed then I wouldn't worry too much :)

[giggles]

I agree with everyone here.

If she is happy, not to worry about what she is having. I think the only time you need to worry about how much food you are getting into her is if she begins to have slow weight gain or not too many wet nappies.

Take her lead!

Enjoy your sleep too, I am another lucky Mum with a DD that likes her sleep.

[JanetF]

A bright eyed alert baby with lots of wet nappies is fine. The topping up with formula isn't going to help you in the long run though so just stick to booby. The more she feeds the more milk you make so giving her formula means you'll make less milk. Babies ought not be fed to a timetable, they should just be offered the breast whenever they wake up. They need to feed whenever they're hungry and remember that crying is the LAST sign of hunger. Skip the timetable and just offer the breast when she wakes. She knows what to do, you just need to support her in it.

[giggles]

and remember that crying is the LAST sign of hunger.

JanetF I am interested to know more about this.......is there something I can read about the signs of hunger?

Cheers,

[JanetF]

Try these:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/hunger-cues.html

Babies should be fed when they indicate hunger. Crying is a late indicator of hunger - breastfeeding is much easier for both mom and baby if mom is able to pick up on baby's earlier hunger cues.

Common infant hunger cues include:
Early Smacking or licking lips
Opening and closing mouth
Sucking on lips, tongue, hands, fingers, toes, toys, or clothing

Active Rooting around on the chest of whoever is carrying him
Trying to position for nursing, either by lying back or pulling on your clothes
Fidgeting or squirming around a lot
Hitting you on the arm or chest repeatedly
Fussing or breathing fast

Late Moving head frantically from side to side
Crying


http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html

How often should baby be nursing?

Frequent nursing encourages good milk supply and reduces engorgement. Aim for nursing at least 10 - 12 times per day (24 hours). You CAN'T nurse too often--you CAN nurse too little.
Nurse at the first signs of hunger (stirring, rooting, hands in mouth)--don't wait until baby is crying. Allow baby unlimited time at the breast when sucking actively, then offer the second breast. Some newborns are excessively sleepy at first--wake baby to nurse if 2 hours (during the day) or 4 hours (at night) have passed without nursing.

[Lunar]

I think if baby is putting on sufficient weight it should be ok. I would check with my gp or baby nurse if I were you. Most chemists have baby scales so when your out just pop in and weigh her make sure she is putting on decent amounts of weight each week. And as another suggested, feed at the first sign of hunger, don't wait for baby to be screaming for it. Babies can often get very sleepy if they are not getting enough nutrients.
I'd check with a professional too tho, just to make sure it's not going to cause any problems with your supply or baby's growth etc..
Best of luck!