5 month old feeding too often?

[Feeling83]

Hi all

Just after some advice/reassurance please. My DS is 5 months old and has been and is my only child. He feeds on demand and I am wondering if things should have settled a bit by now, due to things I have read and been told by friends.

He feeds approx every 2 hours during the daytime, for around 5-6 minutes. Is this normal? I know all babies are different but my antenatal group all think it’s too frequent and it’s started to concern me that maybe he is not getting enough and so feeds frequently? He has always been on the 9th centile for weight and seems happy apart from a flare up of Eczema at the moment.

Thanks for reading!

My LO fed every 2 hours (or more!) until he was weaned at 6 months. As long as they are happy and gaining weight I wouldn't worry. Once you introduce solids it gets easier as they spread further apart!

Thank you, I was hoping that might be the case.Always comparing and feeling like I’m doing something wrong, when, as you say, if he’s happy and gaining weight that’s all that matters!

DD was a snacker, little and often. She rarely went as long as 2 hours in the day right up to 6 months. I went to a Pilates class when she was 5 months and left her with my mum for 90 mins. I was anxious she would need a feed! Her weight tracked 75th percentile. As long as he's thriving (putting on weight, normal nappies) I wouldn't worry.

For a baby of his weight that seems perfectly reasonable he only has a small tummy! Is he going longer stretches overnight?

Are you breastfeeding and they are bottle feeding? Sounds ok for me with breastfed babies but I think maybe bottle fed are expected to go longer between feeds?

Assume you are breast feeding? My breast fed baby was every 3 hours, but when the weather was hot she went to every 2 hours...guess she just needed the extra hydration. Started weaning at just under 6 months and then BF a lot less frequently...and started sleeping through at 6.5 months.

Thanks all for replying, yes sorry he is breastfed. The others in my antenatal are also breastfeeding.

RandomMess Yes he does go between 3-4 hour stretches at night usually but can sometimes wake up two hourly, as he is so far tonight!

I never really considered that be is smaller weight than the other babies so maybe that has an impact on tummy size?!

Hi
My 4 month old also breastfed on demand feeds every 1-2 hours during the day and has since he was born! Usually between 5-10 minutes a feed. He’s also up every 2 hours or so during the night though 😅 Hoping it improves as some of you has said when we start weaning!

I feel your pain as he is back to waking every 2 hours at night now due to his itchy eczema. I’m feeding him to sleep so not sure he’s that hungry and it maybe a bad habit developing but he is so distraught with the itchy skin it’s all I can do to comfort him. Just need to get this flare up under control and hoping he’ll go longer stretches at night again very soon!

My 13 month old still feeds very frequently during the daytime. Some days she can go several hours and eat very well, and other days she needs me more, I just respond to her needs.
Not only are babies all different, but breastfeeding is far more than just nutrition. It is biologically normal and developmentally appropriate for your baby to want to be close to his mother through breastfeeding.
Please read some advice on Le Leche League,I also like KellyMom.

You go Mama 💪

Sounds normal in my experience. My DD never really went longer than 1.5 hours and I fed her until she was 1 (apart from one time when she slept for 6 hours and I woke up thinking my breasts were going to explode). She's still a snacker now.

DS is 5 months and probably feeds around every 2 hours, maybe a bit more frequent.