help - baby breast feeding loads

[daisyartichoke]

i feel like i'm going mad, dd has been feeding every 1 to 2 hours all day, she is 3 1/2 weeks old, and up to now has maily fed every 2 1/2 or sometimes 3 hours. it's paniced me that maybe i'm not making enough milk... or something. is this normal, any ideas? i feel totally exhausted and am dreading a repeat of today. my 22 month old found it really difficult that i had dd on the breast all day. i know that he has to learn to share me but it felt a bit extreme today. i'm starting to wonder if i should switch to bottles, i have always been quite anti, but am so tired and fed up that it seems quite a good idea. anyway sorry for the moan, i'd love to know if this is 'normal'.

both mine were like this
pretty much normal at this age imo

utterly normal

you'l lprobably find baby will sleep a lot tomorrow

Feed feed feed for first 8 weeks or so with both mine (once dd1 got started). It helps them get the milk supply established and to get lots of lovely comfort from you...I know its hard on the toddler (mine have the same gap), but soon the baby will start sleeping a bit more. My older dd loved to sit next to me on the sofa and read book after book, if your ds is into that? I always made sure I got her a snack and a drink ready at the same time, even if it meant baby had to wait a minute to start feeding. And a good excuse for a kids dvd or cbeebies fest if you can buy or borrow some? (Have to say mine don't get to watch much tv - but did in those early weeks!)I didn't have much luck feeding in a sling, but I know some people do...but I felt fine feeding out and about much sooner this time, because needs must and I didn't want dd1 to have to stay in all the time (plus i think dd2 enjoyed being out moving in the sling/pram or car seat. And if dd1 needed me then I just took dd2 off the breast and sorted her out, then went back to feeding - I think second babies have to get used to this! remember how things gradually get easier with the feeding? Well they did for me, both times (DD1 used to feed at least every two-three hours for at least 45 mins at a time - basically permanently attached - dd2 was more of a snacker but fed at least every hour or so for a while, with a few longer gaps each day.) HTH and good luck with the two of them x

normal I'm afraid. Could also be a wee growth spurt and you might find that it calms down a bit again in a day or two.

thank you for replies. i think i'd got it into my head that by now she should be feeding with bigger gaps, but the beginning of feeding with ds is hazy as i had v bad pnd and perhaps i had just blanked this part out. she's only 7lbs, started off at 5lbs 13 oz, so perhaps she'll take longer to get to take bigger feeds. they say it gets better after 6 weeks so i guess i'll just hang in there.

you've brought it all back to me, i had NO IDEA how much time bf took and felt absolutely exhausted those first few weeks but the other posts are right, it will pass so quickly and you'll be in a wee routine which gives you a bit more of a breather between feeds. My dd had a couple of very unsettled days too and the hv thought it could be colic and suggested homeopathic stuff which done the trick. you've done amazingly well to get this far, especially with another toddler so hang in there.

Hang on in there- that tiny tummy can't hold enough for a growing girl to go longer betwist feed and feed. Hopefully your body will catch up with her soon , the composition of your milk will change and the frequency she wants grub with will settle down a bit. My lad was like that when he was that sort of age.
Your doing a great job, she sounds like shes healthy and growing well on what your giving her.

Normal!
You might not want to hear this, but it took ds a good 12 weeks to start feeding less often than every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. In fact, he stayed a pretty frequent feeder for quite a long time - but after 12 weeks or so the feeds got so much shorter and it made all the difference.
However, all babies are different... your dd is possibly having a growth spurt and has upped her feeds because of this.
Go with the flow if you can - read books to your 22mo while feeding, give him a cuddle with your free arm, tell him about when he was a little baby and would feed for hours too (doesn't matter if you can't remember it!), give him special mummy time when dd is asleep or being taken for a walk by your partner, grandparents, friends, whatever. Carrying your dd in a sling between feeds will ensure she is contented and also give you free hands to play with your ds. And dd won't be damaged if you make her wait briefly or put her down for a couple of mins to see to ds - she will know you are there for her just as soon as you can be.

Like the other said - all normal. It may be that your LO is going through a growth spurt. 3 weeks is quite a common one. It pays to be aware of when growth spurts are likely to happen so you are prepared for them: Kellymom has lots of good info.

totally normal at this age, I'm afraid.

daisy, this is not only normal, it is good. Your baby started off quite tiny and the only way she can get a good milk supply going and catch up a bit on her growth is to do exactly what she is doing. Clearly, with that weight gain you are making enough and you have done this by responding to her totally normal, physiological pattern of feeding.
There are some great suggestions on the thread about what you can do to make it easier for yourself
And BTW, bottles would not make life easier - she might possibly feed a little less often, but not much, and you would have the hassle of making bottles.

You're doing great Daisy.
Another couple of weeks and things will start to space out then,as my lovely mW put it
'You can pop a nappy in your pocket and take off for the day with no worries about bottles,powder,hot water,cool bags and all that faff.'

She was right-it was wonderfully liberating!!

Make sure you sit or lie as much as possible and enlist all the help you can.

You are doing brilliantly!!!

Really normal. I was in tears a lot of the time when DS was 5/6 weeks as he was just feeding all the time. It does space out later and as moondog says it's then that bf really comes into its own for easiness and convenience. Take it one feed at a time and know that while it's tough now, in a few months this constant feeding will be just a hazy memory.

things have calmed down again with her feeding, she is still feeeding max 21/2 hours but feels a relif compared to what she was doing. it must have been a growth spurt. i've decided to try and chill with the whole thing, it was a bit of a surprise that she was so small as she was full term and i guess that will make her feed even more frequently. the suggestions for my ds arereally helpful, he loves reading, so we can do that and i think i'll use the dvds a bit more, i can always wean him off them later!also the kellymom site was brilliant - thank you knowing this is normal has made a big difference

normal i would say, my ds fed every 1 - 2 hours till about 8 weeks and i know how hard and tiring it can be. i nearly gave up around the 6 weeks point but i was so determined not to that i took it one feed at a time and now its so easy (7 months). my ds was still feeding every 2 hours at 5 - 6 months but is spacing out now hes started solids. keep up the good work and try to get as much support as you can. i recently drove from germany to uk (15hr journey) and im so glad i didnt have to mess with bottles and that i had milk on tap. i think breastfeeding definately made the journey easier

just to add
normal for both of mine.
and i found by 8wks or so, oyu'd get a wee bit longer but 2 1/2 hrs was max for me.
it will settle for oyu, just have someone on hand to do the washing/cleaning/ironing / hoovering whatever else that u have to forget about for now