Frequent feeding - advice please!

[hatcam]

2 week old baby seems to be feeding well, he feeds in clusters through the day, sometimes very frequently i.e. every 90 mins - is this 'normal'?. Am worried that putting him to the boob is becoming the default position for him crying, and that perhaps I'm somehow making a rod for my own back. Also about how to manage looking after my toddler when the new baby needs so much feeding in the day. Any advice would be very very welcome. When I had my first child she didn't want to feed in the same way and by 8 weeks she was bottle fed (for all sorts of long, boring, complicated reasons) and I just can't for the life of me remember how it all worked! Thank you thank you

I think at 2 weeks it's not unusual. Instead of feeding as a first reaction to him crying, you could try other stuff first; nappy, wind, carry him in a sling (one of those Coorie pouches or a wrap one where he's close to you, not a baby Bjorn)

Both DSs were content babies, happy to be put down, DD wanted to be close all the time. She spent a lot of time in her Coorie.

Hatcam!!!! I put two shouts out on the birth threads as was wondering how you were doing!! Mega congrats!!!

As for the feeding in clusters - very normal. Newborns do tend to feed every two hours or so until their tummies get a little bigger. It is very hard and you will feel as if you constantly have your boob out. I do sympthathise - I had a pisser of b'feeding DS and a c section scar to contend with! Have you heard of the Hug a Bub sling? You can adjust it so that the baby is in the sling feeding while your hands are free - maybe worth a google?

Again, congrats!! Sending Billy around for you to watch while you b'feed...

hatcam - at two weeks, a breastfeed is the normal answer to any slight fuss or more and it is absolutely not a 'rod for your own back' but an appropriate response to the needs of a young baby. I'm afraid I do not agree with trying other stuff first - it's a lot easier to try the breast first

Every 90 mins at times, plus clusters, is totally on the normal spectrum and in fact probably in the middle of it.

By responding , you are teaching him that the world is a place where his needs are taken seriously by people who care about him. This is one of the building blocks of healthy mental and emotional development and lasts a life time

ah puss how goes it? Baby hatcam was more than 2 weeks late in the end, but arrived after just 1 hour of labour. Scary mary. I need Billy to kick my butt which is sagging down by my knees. Bum sagging down to my knees at the back and boobs sagging down to my knees at the front. Sigh. But all worth it as the baby's gorgeous!!! Will try the Hug a Bub and basically just glad to hear that I'm not 'doing everything wrong' (slightly hormonal today....)!

My ds is almost two weeks and we're pretty much permanently latched together. From what i remember first time round, it does start to get better in a few weeks, with more of a gap between feeds.

The upside of it all is that my baby weight is coming off at a rate of knots because of all the feeding!!

Hatcam - you need chocolate for the hormones!! Do not worry about the feeding...'tis all normal and anyway, he's a boy - they start being demanding from day one! lol

Am slacking on the Billy front!! Am scared to do it as TTC...no luck so far but then DH has been away for a month (terminally ill MIL)...its madness - you probably did exercise while ttc and while pg....kick my oversized butt into action please?? lol

On the plus side, coming off my ADs have sorted my metabolism out and the weight is slowly coming off with calorie counting...so....fingers x'd!!