How often should a 9 week old feed?

[apachepony]

Sometimes there's just an hour between feeds, particularly if I feed when he wakes up and then nurse him to sleep. I do try to stretch it to two and half hours sometimes, but is even this a bit short? He is also a v long feeder, and can take approx 50 mins to feed sometimes...

Are you Bf? The answer to your question is, I am afraid, as often as he wants to! It should settle down into more of a patters soon, but at this stage just go with what he wants. Rest as much as you can- and remember that he'll be 5 and off to school in the blink of an eye!

As often as he feels is appropriate

I know it does get a bit wearing, but as seeker says he should start to space out naturally fairly soon. I wouldn't recommend trying to force it, if he wants to feed it will either be because he is hungry, or because he is trying to boost your supply. Denying him on either of those fronts, especially at this age, is only going to upset your BFing.

Enjoy, they are only little for such a short time.

My mum is staying, looking aghast at how much he feeds! Also sometimes I wonder whether I'm feeding so often for my own convenience eg feeding to sleep. Also he will only sleep on me - but I need to post in the sleep thread to see if anyone has solutions to that problem!

At this stage I wouldn't view that as a problem - BFing is the most fabulous parenting tool. It feeds, comforts, settles to sleep, keeps a child relatively quiet while you are trying to watch the older one's nativity or something.

If you are happy with how things are, then don't let your Mum make you feel like you've got problems that you haven't. If she used formula and fed to a 4-hour schedule, then her experience in relation to feeding isn't going to be very relevant.

Also sometimes I wonder whether I'm feeding so often for my own convenience eg feeding to sleep"

Even if you are, that's not a problem!