Nearly 3 week old night feeding

[Babytalkobsession]

Hi all, my Lo is nearly 3 weeks, BF and growing well (didn't loose weight & gained 24oz since birth).

Initially he was feeding every 3 hours at night which I thought might have been too good to be true! His pattern has now changed to every 1-2 hours but shorter feeds all through the night. I'm obviously happy to go with this and feed whenever he needs but wondered if anyone had any tips to extend his sleep periods? I do change him and then offer more in the hope that being woken will encourage him to fill him up more but it doesn't seem to work. It's like my milk inthe night is not as satisfying because in the day he often sleep 3 hours between feeds.

Is there anything I can do to boost my milk in the evenings? Or would it help to wake him more in the afternoon / evening to offer more feeds then?

I know he's still tiny and I'm happy to go with the flow and keep following his cues, but any advice would be appreciated x

It may help to try and tank him up a bit more in the evenings. However what you describe is very common in a tiny baby, they don't really have the hormone that helps them to learn about day and night in the first couple of months. It does get better! In the meantime if he is going for a good nap between feeds in the afternoon, try to sleep yourself. Sod the housework and anything else that needs doing. Sleep is the most important thing. I am assuming you don't have an older child though

Babies don't understand the concepts of night and day until at least 12 weeks because of their melatonin levels needing to be built up so what you baby is doing is really normal. Babies will cluster feed in the evening so again this is normal.

I think you were actually quite lucky with the 3 hour intervals to be honest.

I'm not sure that you can tank up a baby. I read recently that at 1 week a babies stomach is as big as an apricot and at 1 month as big as a large egg. There just isn't room for any more milk!

Totally agree on 'sod the housework'. No mum looks back on life and wishes she spent more time on the housework rather than looking after her baby!

It will get better.

Thanks for your replies. I thought as much but hoped there might be a secret solution to get a little longer at night! :) I've tried to 'let go' of getting anything done today & had a nice little nap.

Some advise from my nan: cows are milked twice a day,they do nothing in between other than sleep & eat to make more milk! Not sure I like being likened to a cow but I get the point, my job right now is to make milk and feed my little man so everything else can wait x

One other point: don't change his nappy unless you have to (ie he is uncomfortably wet, or sore, or clothing is wet). He deffo does not need changing after every little feed at night, and you have found it doesn't help to tank him up....so what is the point? :) You are waking yourself (and possibly him) up more than you need to.