Should I be sticking to the 3hr BF 'rule'?

[Frenchfancies]

My LO is 6.5wks now and he was born 7lb 14oz and now 11lb so putting on weight nicely and on 50th percentile. I've solely breastfed him and have fed him just when he wants it really...If he cries or is upset I just put him to the breast even if it's just 30mins/1hr since he last fed, he might feed again or just suckle for comfort. Or sometimes he might go 4hrs before he feeds again (I wouldn't have let him go this long before he was 3wks as I know they can get dehydrated and don't always wake even if hungry but was told after 3wks it was ok for them to go bit longer if they are putting on weight well which he is.)

So I'm pretty flexible with him and He seems happy with this but just wanted some reassurance this was ok or should I be trying to get him to feed at regular intervals like every 3hrs or just go with it?

I think the intervals are there if YOU need them. If you want to get into a routine of feed, sleep etc and you want to know what is happening when, then maybe. But if you're happy to just feed whenever your DS needs it/wants it, I can assure you there will be no harm done! You can't overfeed a breast-fed baby! Both of my DS fed as much and as often as they wanted, and they are among the leanest boys I know now. It comes down to what suits you best - sounds as if you are pretty relaxed and doing a great job just going with the flow.

There is no three hour rule. Anyone who suggests there us, or what your baby 'should' be doing in terms of feeding regularity can safely be ignored, as it is clear they know nothing about normal infant behaviour and needs.

You and your baby are doing great. You are both happy. He is healthy and thriving. Why on earth would you change things ? ??

I was given a 3 hour rule. But I had a jaundiced, sleepy baby who had lost too much weight & didn't wake for feeds. So I had to make sure I fed him every 3 hours round the clock to prevent admission to hospital.

Your situation sounds entirely different.

Haha. I wish someone had told mine about the 3 hr rule! They have all fed frequently - at least every 1 to 2 hrs if not more!

Always makes me smile when people talk about 3 hour routines... who on earth eats only once every 3 or 4 hrs?! I know i don't so I would never expect my baby to!

Sounds like you are doing a fab job at responding to your baby's needs!

I guess a bit of routine would be nice when planning the day but its early days yet so will keep going as we are! Thank you all for the reassurance xxx

I was also given a 3 hour rule - but I had a low birth weight baby who needed feeding with a maximum of a 3 hour gap to get her feeding effectively. Once feeding was established she rarely went longer! It's useful sometimes to know if they're feeding because they're hungry or using it to settle. I did end up feeding DD to sleep most of the time but it was easily resolved when she was 6 months old.

I still breastfeed on demand and my DD is 5 months, my HV said to continue that way. Usually she goes two to three hours between feeds but will sometimes very occasionally have shorter gaps.

I don't think you need to worry about set intervals between feeds, and in any case three hours is a big ask at 6.5 weeks. DD is demand fed and only now doing 2.5-3 hours between feeds, at 24 weeks. However, one piece of advice which I found very useful was that babies roughly follow a pattern of feed-activity-sleep, repeat. From about 12 weeks this really helped me to figure out the difference between 'tired' and 'hungry' crying. I never followed a by-the-clock routine, but knowing roughly what order things would happen in really helped me plan my day.

Unless there are any specific issues due to which you have been recommended to feew every 3 hours, just go with it, feed when he's hungry. That's what I've always done, no need to make your life more complicated.
A friend still keeps a feeding diary - how often, how long, which boob - baby is 9 months old. SHe was shocked when I said that I had no idea how often baby DC2 fed - she fed whenever she wanted.

My fella is 3 months and has decided his own pattern which is pretty much every 3 hrs. I do feed him whenever he is hungry but don't necessarily offer for comfort if it's less than 2 hrs as invariably he only has a half-hearted swig, then ends up with a shortened nap as he'll be hungry later. So if he's looking for something before the 2 hr mark I try a cuddle, a change of scenery, a dance, a book or a nappy change first and it almost always works.

My DS is 6 weeks and he has settled into a 3-4 hour routine. I feed on demand during the day (he has a bottle at night) and he simply doesn't demand a feed until between 3-4 hours since the last one so it's not something I've imposed in any way. He only feeds for around 15 mins each time too and usually only from one side ( sometimes longer and v occasionally both boobs) which I was worried about but he's thriving and content so I'm trying to just relax about it. HV said he was just an efficient feeder so I should think myself lucky!