Breastfeeding ALL the time!

[Kodit]

Hi all,

our DS is coming up to 8 weeks old and my wife bf's him every hour or 2, and I am starting to become convinced that he is not getting enough and we should maybe start topping up. he rarely sleeps during the day and will only sleep on my wife, and co-sleeping at night. I realise the sleeping thing can be normal but he rarely sleeps during the day, maybe an hour here and an hour there, always on my wife and by around 6-7pm at night he seems really over tired and frustrated. My wife takes him to his nursery and feeds him in the dark, which seems to calm him down after a while, and once he is settled from that feed she takes him to bed and where he sleeps for around 2 hours between feeds and only really wakes up for feeds. I am mainly concerned that he hardly sleeps during the day, and this turns to frustration in the evening, and also that he is not getting enough from the bf'ing, please could you set my mind at rest.

Thanks!

This all sounds perfectly normal to me.

Don't listen to older relatives who do seem fixated on having a routine for feeding - and seem to think the longer feeds are spaced, the they do just need to feed an awful lot. My DD didn't really seem to develop the daytime nap habit until a little older than your DS is now.

On the bright side - your DS clearly knows the difference between day and night and that's a start. It will all get a little easier every week from now on.

How's his weight gain? Is he producing lots of wet / pooey nappies? If that's all fine, you've nothing to worry about.

And congratulations to you both...

"the better", that should be

Agree it sounds normal for this age.

As Longtalljosie asks, how are his nappies? If there's plenty coming out, then there's plenty going in!!

Is he sleeping at the breast during the day? Sometimes they do this and they are actually getting way more sleep in the day than you realise!!

I have exclusively breast fed 3 children and honestly this is normal behaviour.
BF baby's need to be fed often, their tummies are so tiny you wouldn't believe and as breast milk is tailor made for them it is digested easily hence the need to feed again.
In the 70s the norm was for 4 hourly (bottle) feeds this was born out of the need for a hospital routine dictacted by the nursing staff, as a result our parents and grandparents find it unsettling that us breast feeding moms seem to be constantly at it.
Don't worry, be supportive it is normal its a nightmare as a new mom when everyone keeps badgering you.
If you and your wife want to continue breast feeding don't fall into the 'top up' trap, baby missing a feed will affect your wife's supply.
Congratulations.

As previous posters have said - it's perfectly normal behaviour at this age - baby is regularly demanding milk to keep the supply up - introducing a formula top up may inhibit milk production.

It's great that you're on here and are being supportive - it's your role in your little family's breastfeeding relationship to make sure your wife is getting plenty of food & drink (and chocolate ) whilst she's on the sofa feeding baby... It can be (is) exhausting, and at times frustrating, but it is so worth it, and babys feeding frequency will calm down a little with time (although there will also be regular growth spurts where your wife will be literally feeding all day for a day or three whilst baby ups the supply again!)

You're both doing great - stick with it, and don't worry

Also, using a sling would help with sleeping in the day...way less stressful than trying to 'put baby down' to sleep. Baby is nice and snuggled up and your wife (or you) can still get on with things!

My dd will only manage half an hour or so on the rare occasions I get her to sleep in her moses basket in the day, but can go a couple of hours in the sling (whilst I'm able to go shopping, or do bits around the house. Shopping preferably )

The constant feeding is a massive shock, people don't seem to mention it before hand (for some reason ). As the others have said it is normal behavior.

Congratulations to you and your wife. It really does get easier as time goes on.

How is it going now Kodit?

I echo what the others have said- totally normal behaviour. It feels like it will last forever, but it won't. Promise! Good luck and congrats.