You can't overfeed a breastfed baby - right?

[Anglepoise]

Morning ladies. DD is five weeks old and fed on demand. At the moment she doesn't go more than a couple of hours between feeds (including through the night), often less. DH and I have a thing where if she fusses, I think she needs feeding and he thinks she needs winding - she does often seem to need a boob to settle her, but whether it's hunger or comfort I'm not sure. I think he thinks I feed her too often.

Last night I fed her around 1.30 am and then the next couple of times she fussed, DH got to her first and winded her. She woke up again around half seven and I just bunged her on a nipple in bed next to me so that I could go back to sleep. So things are a bit hazy (she's slept incredibly badly the past three nights, so so have we), but I think she went around six hours without a feed and didn't seem ravenous at 7.30 (though I had to get up and express at 9 am because it felt as though my boob was about to explode!).

Obviously if she can go longer between feeds then that would be great, but does that mean I've been overfeeding her? She's been putting on weight like a champion (7 lb 12 oz at birth, 10 lb last week ). And is her weight gain suddenly going to tail off if I feed her less and get me in trouble with the HVs?

Ta

[thisisyesterday]

no, you can't overfeed.
if you're feeding on demand then it's fine, sometimes she might go longer without food, sometimes she might want a short gap.
it's all fine

[cuttingmeownthroatdibblaaaargh]

You can't overfeed - she sounds like she's sorting herself out nicely. My DS wanted feeding every 2-3 hours during the day, but went longer at night (which of course is what you want).

Just go with the flow and it'll all be fine (and if she's weeing and pooing nicely you don't need to get her weighed you know...)

[Anglepoise]

Ta Presumably she'll let me know if she is hungry, so I won't be underfeeding her either. Yeek. The prospect of six hours uninterrupted sleep is quite dizzying (as long as we can persuade her that she does want to sleep for that long!).

I have never actually got organised enough to go and get her weighed but the HV did it last time she came round and I know they're going to do it again at our six week check-up. She is also weeing and pooing like a champion

[nellynaemates]

Don't worry, sometimes she'll be satisfied for a few hours, sometimes only an hour. It's completely normal. Her tummy's still teeny tiny and her feeds will probably be erratic for some time to come. My son didn't really fall into a routine for breastfeeding til he was about 8 or 9 months old. Just go with the flow, I found that if I stopped worrying about a routine and just got on with it my stress levels dropped immediately!!

[cuttingmeownthroatdibblaaaargh]

Oh yes, when DS wanted a feed, nothing would deter him from it, believe me !

Shut your ears to anyone talking about routines/time that they should go between feeds/rod for your back etc and you'll be fine

[Anglepoise]

Cheers - I'm incapable of getting myself into a routine, let alone anyone else, so I'm not very likely to try to stick her on one, though it is nice to find a forum that isn't all about GF/the Baby Whisperer

I do wish she'd wake up and have a decent feed though, my boobs are still really full!