2.5 week old constantly breastfeeding

[FebruaryJuly]

Is it normal for 2.5 week old to be feeding constantly (breastfeeding)?

He will stay on me whilst feeding for around 30 minutes, I always wait for him to take himself off and know he is getting plenty of milk because it drips out of his mouth. He does all of the correct sucks and ends with flutter sucks. Once he has come off, as soon as I put him down he wakes up within no more than a few minutes and starts crying and routing again. I will sometimes but rarely get 30 minutes out of him after finishing a feed before he wants to go back on again.

He has slowly been gaining weight but still isn’t back to birth weight, although we are assuming and hoping he will be by the time he is weighed again on Saturday and possibly even already now.

The BF group that I use and have home visits from seem to say this is normal and he is just building my supply up. My midwife, however, seems to think that this isn’t normal and he should be going 2-4 hours between his feeds. She said that he seems to be just snacking and I need to try and prolong the time between his feeds and that I am force feeding him by putting him back on again too soon, which is difficult because nothing will stop him crying apart from going on the breast and feeding. I feel like I am getting mixed advice from the professionals and it’s really overwhelming and I don’t know what to do or if I am doing the right thing for my baby.

My little one didn't do 2-4h between feeds until she was about 8+ months and having solids!
We have had reflux issues which started around 3 weeks. She would look like an addict jonesing for her next fix all evening. She once flung herself from my partners arms to my breast!
The reflux would make her comfort eat but then cause her discomfort so she would be sick or have silent reflux she would pull herself on and off the breast too. About 40% of infants have reflux and it can start around a few weeks old. In most cases it doesn't need treatment just lots of muslins! Our midwife wasn't that helpful she told us it was probably due to low supply and I should express before a feed then she said it was too much supply and I should express. At about 6 weeks I spoke to the hv and then the infant feeding team. They suggested reflux and a fast letdown. They gave me some position tips so that she didn't get overwhelmed by milk which helped. If you are finding towards the end of a feed they are taking milk that they aren't drinking it would be worth having a feeding assessment in case there is a fast letdown and some tweaks to your feeding position would be helpful

It's not even advice appropriate to FF any more. They advise demand feeding formula these days as well because it's recognised that responsive feeding has benefits over and above the type of milk you're using.

All sounds normal to me including the odd instance of dramatic puking, and the spluttering (common at let-down for us). Your midwife is talking total nonsense.

Your midwife is talking complete cack. Babies that little need to feed constantly to build your supply - my DM listened to similar advice and ended up having to mix feed my brother as she never had enough milk, whereas I fed on demand and established a supply to enable EBF for my son.

It’s totally normal. Put your feet up, get Netflix on and relax!

Totally normal. The midwife is an idiot and needs telling before she ruins another woman’s breastfeeding. Breastfed babies do not feed at regular intervals like bottle fed babies do. They feed when they feel like it, often constantly.

In the first few months of breastfeeding I watched 10 series of my favourite programme! (American so 200 ish episodes!)

Get yourself a tote bag to carry around the house. Put in it your phone, tablet/laptop, TV remote, puzzle books, an easy reading book or magazine, snack and a drink plus anything that falls into the "keeps my brain occupied whilst my body is chained to an infant" plus a muslin or two. You can carry it around without losing a precious hand need to carry your baby or momentarily hot cup of tea so you always have something at hand when you find yourself trapped under baby for yet another feed! It will get easier and more predictable! The first probably 6-8 weeks were the hardest for me as she went in and out of growth spurts. Just when I thought her feeding had calmed down she had another period of cluster feeding.

After 8 weeks our feeding was dictated by reflux and allergies so wasn't entirely typical but after around 8 weeks you get longer chunks before developmental leaps. Have a read about the wonder weeks. The idea that all babies will go through a leap on the exact same age I'm not so sure about but the concept that the when a baby starts to notice or learn something new it might upset their equilibrium and make them clingy and cranky and in need of more cuddles, sleep and food probably holds true.