Should I drop one feed?

[JeniN]

My dd is 12 weeks, and feeds 6/7 times in 24 hours - this is roughly at 7, 10, 1, 4, 6.30 and then we wake her for a feed at 10pm. She often wakes at 5 or 6, and so I feed her and then still do a little feed at 7am. I heard that 5 feeds is more usual at this age, so should I try and change it? She seems to like this routine, and it suits me, to be honest. I can't seem to get her to go longer between feeds in the day, and we have been unsure about not waking her for the late feed as she's not sleeping through often - also DH seems to really love this time with her (he gives her a bottle), and has been quite defensive about cutting it out! She has a bottle at 4 as well, otherwise all BFing. Her weight is doing fine. Any advice?

If it suits you, stick with it. I can't get my 23 week old to go much longer between feeds and I've stopped worrying (I did for a bit even though she's my second). Honestly, if it works, don't fix it!

I agree with motherinferior, if you're happy and she's happy there is no problem!

yup - you're happy, she's happy, dad's happy giving his bottles ... your pattern will change of its own accord over time, especially when you introduce solids. I carried on giving my dd 4 breastfeeds a day up to 15 months, which is rather more than many people give, but it suited us well.

Hi JeniN

Sounds like she is doing really well, I'm sure there are lots of MN'ers who would love their babe to sleep from 10pm-ish till 5/6am! (have a look at the 'non-sleeping baby...' thread!)
The more she feeds in the day the less she'll need to eat in the night.

My ds2 is 13 weeks, and he has a feed about 10ish, then goes through till about 6/7am. I'm sure that if I cut out the late feed he'd wake in the night. He does have about 5 feeds in 24 hours, but these are large (7oz). Some babies just take less but more often.
It'll probably be best to wait till she's weaned and taking solids before you try cutting out that late feed.

HTH
Elena X

Thanks for the reassurance! Re: the sleeping, yep, I do totally appreciate how lucky I am. Thanks all.

my ds fed every 3 hours on the dot from 7 am to 10 pm, and then slept through, right up until I started to wean him. At one point I tried to make it one feed less, and we were both miserable, and i suddenly thought, This is HIS routine, he is trying to tell me that this is what he needs, so I relaxed and went with it, it was so predictable and he was so happy that it suited us both. Don't worry about the books, they are all based on avarage babies, and that means some will do more, and some less, that's what average means!