5 weeks frequent feeding

[JRTfan]

DD is 5 weeks and EBF but with 1 bottle most evenings (sometimes breast milk sometimes formula)
After a rocky start (I was in hospital for 5 days and milk supply delayed due to meds so she dropped 14%) she is now doing fab and has jumped from 9th to 25th centile. I have no concerns about her weight gain and her latch and feeding technique is good. Lots of wet and dirty nappies.
She is however still feeding roughly every hour to 1.5 hrs, she can go longer for example when we are out in the day she has slept for 3 hours on a few occasions but as a rule it's much more frequent..at night she varies sometimes 2 hours sometimes 1 very very occasionally 3.
Is this normal? I was told she should be going 4 hours now but she never has! I'm demand feeding and have no problem doing so I'm just wondering if anyone has experience and did your LO start feeding less regularly? Her feeds don't last long either between 5 and max 15 minutes. Nightime can be 20. I have tried getting her to feed for longer but she either falls asleep or will simply refuse to take any more. Just looking for some real life experience really?

My daughter was 8-9 months before she went 2-3h between feeds. She fed every 1-2h until about 6months.
A good feed for my daughter was 10 minutes more typically they were 3-7 minutes. I had a fast letdown and the infant feeding team said this was why she only needed short feeds. She had silent reflux and when this was under treated she went to 5-10 second feeds every hour during the day and 3-5 minute feeds over night. She fed for maybe 2 minutes total during the day and 15 minutes total overnight. Beautiful weight gain though. I don't know how!

Sounds normal to me. My EBF DD definitely didn't go longer than 2 hours between feeds until she was about 6 months old. She is quite petite and preferred to feed little and often (she was 25th centile until about 6 months). By about 7 months we managed to get to 3.5 hours between feeds in the night if we were lucky!
Fast let down and their size impacts their feeding habits I think. But that sounds very normal for such a young baby.

I'm glad your DD is doing so well - it's such a challenge when they feed like this and are EBF as it's such a huge thing for you to provide for them. Sounds like you're doing brilliantly.

Entirely normal.

My 8 month old has only just started going 4 hours between breast feeds during the day, and she's on 3 small meals!
At night, she still wakes every 90 mins or so.

Sounds good to me. Sometimes mine fed for an hour. Then 15 minutes later wanted to feed again! It's hot and that impacts on feeding too. When growth spurts happen and teething starts, the feeding demands will increase again. Choose a good box set to work through or a good book and enjoy resting whilst feeding. You'll miss it once crawling starts!

My baby girl is nearly 4 months now and still doesn’t go anywhere near 4 hours between feeds! I would say on average now it’s about 2 hours, we have had the occasional 3 hour where she’s been asleep or distracted playing but it’s never been near 4 hours yet! X

Thanks all she was particularly upset this morning and just wouldn't settle wanted to feed almost constantly so I decided to give her some formula. She had 2oz then fell asleep for 2 hours! Woke up and has been less fractious. She's had 2 good feeds from me since. I think combi feeding will be the way forward for us.

Congratulations, you've done an absolutely amazing job to establish feeding.

A breastfeed baby will feed on average between 8 and 12 times in 24hrs. With the warmer temp at the moment they may need more often because milk is their drink too. Amazingly your breasts will adjust and your milk will change according to need too and this includes the weather.

I'm not sure who told you that she should be going 4hrs now. If you think about yourself, do you go 4hrs without any food or drink? Glass of water, cup of tea, biscuit, fruit, nuts, sandwich etc? Probably not and I bet the person who told you that doesn't either! Your milk is her food and drink and her comfort and reassurance too.

You are amazing, trust your instincts and just keep on feeding responsively.

Who said that she should be going 4 hours between feeds at 5 weeks?

Are they going 4 hours without eating or drinking in this heat?