length between feeds

[Waytooslow]

My baby is 12 days old. He is breast feeding.
I keep reading and hearing that new borns need feeding every 2.5 to 3 hours but my baby just won't feed that regularly. He can sometimes go over 4 hours between feeds.

I've tried waking him to feed him (both at night and in the day) but he's so drowsy, it's a real effort and often he just won't take much at all.

My heart tells me to feed him on demand and that he'll let me know when he's hungry but my head (that has done all the reading) tells me he needs to feed more regularly.

He's putting on weight and the midwife is happy with his progress. He's pooing and weeing. I do get conflicting opinions from midwifes - some say I should be feeding 8-10 times a day no matter what, and some say I should go with him. He's usually getting about 7 feeds a day.

Has any body got any experience of this? What did you do!?

I think all babies are different and if your baby is happy going 4 hours between feeds, just enjoy it

if he is weeing and pooing and gaining weight ok then go with it!

sleeping a lot can cause problems, in that a sleepy baby may not take enough milk, that in turn makes them more sleepy, meaning less milk and so on and so forth.

but it doesn't sound like that is the case with your LO. beware though, he may change the rules at some point and decide actually, he DOES want to feed every half hour
so make the most of it lol

My first baby (a girl) was exactly like this in the early days

The health visitor told me to feed her with no clothes on!!! To keep her awake for feeds. It didn't work really to be honest. But someone else may have a suggestion for you, that may.

I wouldn't wake them at night for feeds personally, you don't want to encourage a waking habit as he gets bigger and also he's not under weight. A feed at bedtime, 11pm ish and the one they wake for at 2 or 3am is perfect. You're just feeling worried due to the HV and books you've read.

I found that she only could stay awake for 90 minutes before needing another kip as well. It's early days lovely, you're doing great, ignore the books and feed on demand for now I think. 4 hourly is fine if that's what they're happy with and you cannot get them to feed sooner than that apart. If the babies gaining weight and everyone is happy, and the baby obviously is as well. Go with your gut instincts As the baby is obviously getting enough to eat. It won't be long and he'll be more wakeful though to be honest but if they're sleeping well, gaining weight etc don't worry. In my opinion

Congratulations on your baby. It sounds like you are doing great. If your baby was a healthy weight when he was born and as you say is putting on weight then I think you could just relax a bit more. How about giving yourself (and him) a limit of 4.5hrs this way hopefully he is waking up himself but if not then he is getting a good chunk of sleep between feeds but you know he's not going too long.

My son is 41/2 months and was born at 5lbs 9. He came home after a week and rarely fed more frequently than every 3 hrs so for a healthy weight baby 4.5 should be fine.

Advice to make him feed for longer, strip him down so he gets a little cooler, rub his feet, burp him regularly and stroking his jaw when he pauses can often encourage him to keep sucking.
Good luck