1 month old, feels like she's feeding constantly

[porcito]

After a difficult start due to low birth weight we're now EBF. Weight gain is high, lots of wet/dirty nappies etc. BUT, it seems in the day that she's feeding for mammoth stretches. We're on for 2 hours now and she's still at it. She'll fall asleep while feeding but wake up as soon as I move her and want more. She's gulping/swallowing the whole time so assume she's getting milk. Do I just have a bottomless pit of a daughter or is this normal?

At night, she'll go for longer and I've been waking her every 4 hours to feed.

She never seems to drain one side either though I tend to switch sides to keep her awake.

Is there something I'm doing wrong or should be doing so she sleeps more and cuts down feed times?

If you switch sides she might be getting the thinner watery stuff on both sides first, then eventually getting to the thicker, creamier more filling stuff - that may be why she feeds for so long, as she's getting 2 lots of the watery stuff?

DS is nearly two now but he was like this - albeit without the falling asleep, he didn't do much of that - it was really hard, you sound like you are managing really well but I found it pretty depressing and relentless during the most intense phase. He wasn't particularly low weight at birth (25th centile) but he did shoot up the chart to between the 50th and 75th and has been there ever since. I think it's just how he is to be honest, he is still what could euphemistically described as "a good eater"! On the plus side, weaning him was a lot of fun, he just really likes his food.

There is this phenomenon called "cluster feeding" I think the phrase is, particularly common that they feed really relentlessly from late afternoon sometimes right through the evening. DS definitely did this, and from the time of your post that might be an element? He would finally flake out at about 11!

porcito, you are doing great!

Everything is exactly as it should be, so don't worry. Indeed the fact that she goes 4 hours at night is great for a breastfed baby.

'Loading' in the day (ie feeding much more often through the daytime) is a common technique used to try and get more sleep at night - since it makes it easier for baby to sleep in longer stretches at night.

4 weeks is a bit too young to be actively loading during the day, but it sounds like your DD is doing it herself.

She is just cluster feeding, completely normal. My DD is also 4 weeks old and her cluster feeding has recently moved from being 7pm to 11am to being more 4pm to 8pm. But still I'll have to deal with four or so hours each day of her feeding on and off all the time. She may doze in this time for 10 or 20 minutes at a time, but is unsettled and just wants to feed most of the early evening.

This is normal, just adjust your day to fit in with these cluster feeding sessions. They don't last forever.

Mine does this! She's a bit little (25th percentile) - so her tummy is small. Frequent feeds in the day, longer at night.

The way I see it, the faster she grows now, the bigger her stomach will get so the feeds will space out quicker the more milk she gets now! Non scientific I know!

Thank you VERY much everyone for the advice / support.

It helps a lot to know it's not just my baby! I honestly haven't been able to see how I can leave the house easily as she's eating all the time but I'll let it run its course and settle down on the sofa in the meantime!

Completely normal.
When dd was new born I used to set up a tray of tasty food and drinks near the sofa, get a good boxset and go with it. I actually miss it now DD is 9 months and crawling.

You're doing great porcito, just stick with it I promise it gets easier

DD was the same. Had one day where she fed from 10pm Friday night til 8pm Saturday night with no more than 20 minute breaks! If she had been my first I would have quit that day, for some reason no one tells you about the marathon feeding sessions, just frequent feeding. All normal, just don't worry about going out for now!

Hi Porcito, I was just looking about for us. babythedog seems to want to eat all the time, fall asleep at the boob but then want more. At least we're in it together. Any who, catch you on the postnatal

I know puppy, it really does help to know everyone else has it too! No one else here has babies so it's hard to know what's 'normal' or not. Today has been much better with longer gaps and shorter feeds. It's definitely one of the things in the 'things they don't tell you in the baby books' section!

Back to my Netflix marathon, thanks everyone again :-)

DD is seven weeks and only just stopped doing this - now a much more efficient feeder so feeds only take fifteen or twenty minutes. Hooray (though the enforced sofa time was great as she has two big brothers and we're in the middle of moving house so it was good for me to have to sit still, rest and eat! )

One thing you could do is keep her cool when she's feeding so she's less likely to fall asleep mid feed.

Very normal, I remember it well!
It does lessen slightly

I'm having this same issue with my 3 week old DS. The main problem I'm having is how to occupy my very active 2 yr old toddler son, while his brother is permanently strapped to my chest!! I feel really bad, as I've resorted to the TV quite a bit & feel that I'm neglecting my older DS.