Please don't talk to me about routines.....

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Just reading the other thread and it reminded me of something I wanted to ask.....my DC2 is ebf and 5 weeks old.

ATM she will not go into her moses basket, sleeps on my chest or by my side. I can just about get her to sleep in her basket for the first two hours of the night i.e from about 10pm. Then she'll feed about every two hours from then on but won't settle unless she sleeps on me. Her weight gain is amazing and there's lots of pooey nappies, her latch is great - so I wasn't worrying about the four x a night feeding (although it was making me very tired) until I read the routine threads.....

Thing is should she be going 3 hourly in the night? She feeds on demand during the day, roughly every 1.5 to 2 hours or maybe a bit longer. When she was first born it was every three hours but it's all changed now........

I think she may just like boobies :)

It's a while ago now, but if I remember rightly do they not typically have a stage at 5-6 weeks where they suddenly feed constantly more?!

I honestly think with a bf baby of that age, anything goes, as long as obviously weight gain, nappies, latch etc are all good, which yours seem to be!

I agree with caz. 5 weeks old is too young to be worrying about routines. You just need to do what suits your baby and if you've got great weight gain and plenty full nappies then it sounds like you're winning! Well done!

Thanks, I was just worried when everyone saying they feed 3 -4 hourly.

Only thing is is that she is very windy, and gets a lot of discomfort, so likes to be fed alot to relieve it.

I've just fed her now and winded her, and she's burped and now popping like a trouper and crying - poor thing

Oh don't worry, my DD fed every 2.5 to 3 hours when she was tiny, just go with it.
My DS was in a 4 hour routine from 3 months but he was FF, my DD is ebf and wont take a bottle. It took us until about 6/7 months old before she had any type of routine. Even now we sometimes go astray with the routine if she's more hungry than usually.

If she's happy and you're happy then no problem.

With the putting her in her basket, have you tried swaddling? My DD was a bit funny about going down for any length on her own, but we swaddled her and then she was fine, she'd still be swaddled now, but she's way to strong. Once swaddled we found she went longer between feeds as they don't know their arms are theirs until they're older.

If you don't want to have a routine, then don't - go with the flow - whatever works :)

I have a 5 weeker and could have written your post myself, going through exact same thing, in addition cluster feeding from 6-9 every night! Typing one handed now with baby insitu!

We do have bath, ready for bed ,feed "routine" before we start the whole marathon feed session, before she finally passes out for a 3 hour or so sleep around 9ish, in her crib. After which she generally sleeps/feeds 1.5-3 hourly through the night in our bed. It is tiring but I find a lovely afternoon nap with baby helps. ( she sleeps like a dream when she's next to me)

She seems to have this as her pattern at the moment, but I'm sure it will change when she's ready for it to...hopefully...

aww congrats on your lovely baby!

my ebf DS put himself onto a routine aged about 12 weeks with a suddenness that absolutely shocked his 'go with the flow' parents. Suddenly he was tired by 6.30pm and wanted to feed every 3 hours and nap every 2 hours. Before then it'd been absolutely random. So weird!
Still goes to pot a bit when he's teething/growth spurty, but now we're having success with solids (he's 8mos) it's a bit more settled.
Enjoy the flow, she'll keep you on your toes!

Don't worry about it....but I do recommend getting the 'no-cry sleep solution' by Elizabeth Pantley. We got loads of ideas of things to do to avoid issues later on - like working on getting DD to learn to settle herself back to sleep without feeding.