Don't think ebf is satisfying hungry 6 wk old

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Hi,
I have been ebf my 6 wk old since he was born and hoped to for many months to come.. He's a hungry little boy. On the ocassions that I express a bottle, he will always sleep afterwards. He generally doesn't sleep during the day therefore is feeding for most of the time. We had his Christening yday so I had expressed 7oz in one bottle and 3 in another. He finished both along with a breast and a half over space of 4 hours. He then slept very well afterwards..something that he rarely does.
It's counter productive in bottle feeding him breast milk at nightbut feel he's more satisfied from it. He doesn't have a tongue tie and think the latch is ok as when he's on I can hear him guzzling and drinking.
He's very long baby and has put on 18ozs in 18 days. He's now 9lbs 9. Has a dirty nappy with most feeds but the occasional green nappy too.

I dont want to introduce a bottle of formula as Ive gotten so far without it but feel like Im not satisfying my little man. He wakes up 2 or 3 times a night for feeds.

Any advice as I hate to think that he's hungry or not satisfied by my milk but losing confidence that Im doing the right thing in keeping the ebf going.

Thanks x

It sounds completely normal to me. Six week old babies are tiny and need to feed constantly. He's gaining weight well so I don't think there's a thing to worry about :) just keep letting him feed as often as he wants to and your milk production will increase to keep up with him.

I agree with Dunelm sound normal and like things are both doing well. There's a growth spurt around six weeks which can make them feed more and be a bit unsettled.

Sounds normal. Waking 2/3 times in the night totally normal. In the next few months the feeding will start to space out more naturally. You're doing great honestly.

What they said. I used to be horrified when DD started crying for food just 45 minutes after she'd finished feeding - I felt like I was constantly sitting on the sofa with my boob out! But it is absolutely normal and before too long the feeds will start to space out and regulate themselves. Babies don't have to work so hard with a bottle so they can just guzzle it down - plus they love to comfort suck even when they're not hungry. It's all normal. You're doing a great job.

If he's putting on weight nicely then he is doing fine on your milk. In my experience, a bottle delivers a quick hit that knocks them out and maybe they sleep a while straight after, but that doesn't mean he's not getting enough from you. Waking 2, 3 or more times a night is completely normal.

It sounds normal to me. DD fed about 20 times a day/night for the first few months, she just napped in between.

You can tell when a baby is hungry, they get Very Cross. If he's not grumpy don't worry about it; just follow his lead.

My logic was : I don't remember anything about being a tiny baby so why assume I know better? DD knew better than me what she needed and let me know if there was a problem.

Thanks for such positive replies. Good to know that our situation is normal! My SIL suggested that perhaps as Im feeding him so often that my 'cream' milk isnt getting a chance to come through. Also she suggested that if I stretch out the time between feeds so that he's hungier but find the crying very stressful.

I feel that come evening time my milk is greatly reduced which makes for extended witching hours! As he gets so hysterical I often wonder if its something in my diet that he's reacting to. Also realise it's a combo of not having slept for hours and dwindling evening supply.

Thanks for the encouragement!

You should look out your local breast feeding support group for advice. It is normal to feed a lot in the evenings, it doesn't mean the milk is low. Most do if.

The hysterical evening thing is probably just cluster feeding - trying to boost your supply. If you follow his lead it really is best, he'll get your boobs producing the way he wants them to!

Oh and don't follow your SIL's advice. Your breasts make milk continually even when they feel "empty", the more you feed the more they make. If you let him cry and space out feeds you'll make less milk.

The constant feeding is really tough, but it passes. My little girl fed every 90mins for 45mins-1hour in her first 6 weeks, with slightly longer stretches at night. By 12 weeks she was feeding exery 2-3 hours for 10 minutes and managing 8 hour night time stretches.

Evening fussiness and cluster feeding is normal. Your milk is at it's fattiest when your breasts feel emptier (ie in the evenings when baby has been feeding a lot) but there is no such thing as "cream" milk. Stretching out the time between feeds is more likely to reduce your babies weight gain/"satisfaction" than improve it.
If your baby only wakes twice some nights at 6 weeks then it sounds like you are doing great.

Your sil is talking crap.

Tiny tiny babies feed almost constantly.
If you are seeing lots of dirty/wet nappies and he's putting onweight, then all is good and just keep feeding him.

Don't worry about how much time this is taking- you won't be getting a lot of sleep and you shouldn't expect it (this is why they say sleep when the baby sleeps)

Don't fall into the trap of "you've had enough you can't possibly be still hungry" because they are and it's totally normal.
Feed on demand and your supply will be gooood

Definitely what I thought. Milky working to an 8hr stretch at 12 weeks is what I can look towards! I knew myself that stretching time wasn't going to benefit anyone but always good to get some clarification of you knowledgable folk! Right, we'll keep on boobin' so remembering that the frantic feeding is to boost my supply.
Thanks.

keep extending that deadline on the 8hr stetch too

I've a 3.5 month old and nowhere near an 8 hour stretch but it is much easier!

Yes, it's actually the opposite of what your SIL said - feeding often results in him getting fattier milk. The emptier the breast, the fattier the milk. :)

At 6 weeks breast AND botyle fed babies tend to wake at night. They're just too teeny. In fact my mates who have used a bottle at 8 or 9pm have been dismayed when it doesn't actually mean an all night sleep! Bit of an old wives tale I think, personally.

In fact many babies of both feeding methods don't sleep through under a year, as I understand it. Just life ... does not mean they're too hungry!

Great to know Cobo, I will stop stressing now about dimishing supply in my soft "empty" boobs! Thanks

This is a really good article to read about "empty" feeling boobs.

mythnomore.blogspot.de/2010/11/breasts-feeling-full-good-thing-myth.html

You're doing brilliantly, ignore your sil, it's nonsense. My dd cluster fed until about 8/9 weeks if I remember correctly (although it's all a bit hazy!) but did continue to wake up 2/3 ones during the night for many, many more months - all perfectly normal. He's gaining weight well and producing dirty nappies, nothing to worry about.

Excellent read. Thanks Bertie!

Yeah don't worry about them feeling empty and him being more fussy/unsettled in the evenings. My DS was exactly the same.

The cluster feeding evenings/how the hell am I meant to eat dinner thing felt like it went on forever but I promise it doesn't!