5 week old baby - I feel as though I my milk doesn't fill her up

[Springtimeflowers]

My five week old has constantly fed since she was born. Of course I understand that newborns need to feed a lot, but for the past five weeks she rarely goes for longer than about an hour between feeds. During the night she will sleep for around two hours at the beginning of the night, before feeding about every thirty minutes all night.

I can tell from her sucks that she is drinking and not just sucking. She is gaining weight amazingly well, and having plenty of wet/dirty nappies. I don't feel any pain from feeding and she has a good latch, and feeds for about 10-25 minutes.

If I mention how often DD feeds I'm always told it's cluster feeding, but could she have been constantly cluster feeding for the part five weeks?

I am struggling to even leave the house because she feeds so much. It's difficult to do anything around the house, as well as play with my two year old. I do love breastfeeding, but I keep worrying that my milk isn't filling her up enough. I must feed at least twenty times a day every day since she's been born, and honestly I'm exhausted.

It really can be normal at this age to feed this often, especially if she is growing rapidly. It will settle down by 3 months so the feeds are much shorter and she will go longer in between. Breast milk is very easy to digest so it doesn't sit in the stomach like formula can.

Thank you, brokenlink. DD is a big girl, and at five weeks I am about to wash her 3-6 months clothes. I'm just hoping that over time her feeds space out a bit, as although I do love feeding her I'm just so tired.

If she is gaining weight well she will be building your supply and is probably fine. However that sounds exhausting for you. DD fed like that in the day (a bit less in the night, I feel for you!). I was advised to take her out and distract her, to show her 'buffet is closed'. It's hard to do, especially with a toddler, but if you can get her in a buggy/sling for a walk etc she might go longer.

Thanks - it's nice to know it's not just my DD! Family keep saying "is she not going four hours between feeds yet?", And it has made me feel I'm doing something wrong.

I do have a sling that I've recently started using a bit more, and I find that's when I get the best sleep from her. You are right though I think I do need to try getting out more to see if it helps.

Breast milk is so easy to digest that it does not fill up babies they can literally drink all day except for the occasional snooze.

We had massive issues with bf and had to move to bf. If you only have one child don’t worry about getting out yet just settle down on the sofa with Netflix - you wont regret being easy on yourself and just cuddling your baby.

Your milk is absolutely perfect for her and there is nothing wrong at all. If she's gaining weight and has plenty of wet and dirty nappies that's all great.

Yes newborns suckle a seemingly insane amount. Your body's supply will always be proportionate to the amount of suckling so newborns need to cluster feed like this to increase the supply.

I get that it's tricky to leave the house. Can you get any help for a few weeks? My local college matches 17year old who are studying for an NVQ or BTEC in childcare with local mums of babies under 6 months old to give the former some hands-on experience and the latter some free help.

Might using a wrap sling help - with a bit of practice it's possible for your baby to be feeding while you are mobile about the house at least rather than stuck on the sofa.

Ignore the people going on about 4 hour gaps between feeds, they haven't a clue!
Can you find some bf support like a la Leche group near you, just so you can connect with other people in a similar stage. It does all sound pretty normal, and like you and she are doing really well, but this stage can be quite full-on!

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your replies. There is a breastfeeding group nearby which the midwife and HV have recommended I check out, but DD is never not feeding for long enough to actually get there!

I think it's just hard as I have an active toddler who's getting bored, dh has been working a lot, and I have no family/friends where we live.

It's nice to know it will get easier over time, and that right now it's normal. With my first I had to express a lot of milk and was beginning to top her up with formula at this age, so this time around it's quite a different experience for me.

It's also a good idea to see if I can feed with DD in the wrap - it's always felt a bit tricky to have a go, but may be worth a try so I can do a bit more with my toddler.

It sounds pretty normal to me for that age. The big gaps between feeds will come later.

There is no way a 5 week old should be doing 4 hour gaps. I don't know why people even ask that question.

Have you tried taking baby out in a pram for a walk? I used to do it between feeds to get out of the house.

My experience with DS2 was exactly what you’re describing. Get yourself to that bf group, even if baby cries on the way there. You’ll arrive, put baby on boob, and find out what other mothers are experiencing.

My DS was exactly like this, on my boob all day if he could for the first couple of months. Then gradually he started to sleep longer at night and it all got a lot easier. He was a big baby and still is! Now at nearly 5 months he’ll still feed as often as he can but the feeds are a lot quicker.
I would often think how an earth does someone do this with another child to look after?? So you have my absolute full respect! You are doing a fantastic job and it sounds like your baby is really thriving.
Meeting other breastfeeding mums really helps you not feel alone!

It sounds completely normal to me - well done you’re doing brilliantly! My baby was like this - there was one day at about 6 weeks where he fed for almost 12 hours straight! He’s 5 months now and feeds every 2 hra during the day but only for about 10 mins. The 4 hour gap thing is absolute bull - they don’t have a clue what normal bf is.

Thank you again everyone, I'm actually feeling a lot more relaxed about it now. My mum has never thought I have enough milk because I'm small, and mil said none of hers fed like that and two were sleeping through by now! I know they mean well, but it just makes me doubt myself sometimes.

I will make sure to get out to the group tomorrow, as it will be nice to meet some other breastfeeding mum's.

While on the extreme side, it's still totally normal for that age. Going 4 hours is nuts for a bf baby. We've somehow lost sight of what's normal for bf babies and we hold them to the norms of bottle fed ones. That's crazy.

She sounds just like my DD DD started to space out her feeds around 6 weeks and was sleeping 9-5 from 8 weeks until the 4 month sleep regression when it all went to hell

My mum has never thought I have enough milk because I'm small

The oddness of some of the beliefs out there about breastfeeding never ceases to amaze me.

All sounds normal and like you're doing great OP. Feeds will undoubtedly start to space themselves out naturally; until then, I'd definitely use the sling and co-sleep so I could do side-lying feeding.

Sleeping through by now. Ha ha

Like I said before my DD moved to ff and she had her last bottle of milk through the night at 13 months. As for sleeping through she is now 2 1/4 and it does happen about once a month now and I was say she is a good sleeper.

It is developmental normal for a child to need a parent durring the night up to the age of 7.

Just remember to drink and eat plenty yourself, it's easy to forget about your own needs when you're feeding!

If she's not getting enough milk, how on earth has she managed to grow enough to fit into 3-6 month clothes? :)

Sounds like you are doing fantastically. Most people find things improve by 6-8 weeks, so you've done the bulk of the hard work.

My dad asked me if my 5 week old was sleeping through and I'm afraid I just laughed - it's very rare and unlikely for a 5 week old to be sleeping through. She'll get there but she's only tiny yet.

I think people the generation up just forget what it was like feeding a new baby and what it takes out of you. I posted a thread a while back about family and friends telling me I was overfeeding my baby! You get no end of useless advice, when really you know your own baby and what they need from you.

totally normally although that doesn't make it any easier. my ds was on the small side (only going into 0-3 months at 3 months) but was exactly the same especially in those first few months. he would be glued to me from 9am -12noon and then again from 5pm -10pm. the rest of the time he never went more than half hour between feeds during the day and 1-2 hours max at night although much more frequently towards the morning. it was exhausting but knowing that it was normal really helped for me and I gained that perspective by going to a support group in real life and other baby groups. it was really hard getting out the house but I used to just brave a hectic half hour to get us both ready then carry on with the feeding when I got to group. ds rarely joined in in the activities but it was nice to be out the house.
I should add it got easier by 3 months or so (although still full on) and then massively easier once he was established on solids at about 8 months.
sounds like you are doing a great job though and really listening to what your baby wants.

Any chance you're mistaking some of the cries for hunger when they are actually tiredness? You've probably tried this already but I wonder if it might be worth seeing if she will go to sleep in the pram or the sling first and if that doesn't work then feed her.