Should I feed newborn every time he wakes?

[daisy86]

My newborn (almost 3 weeks) is generally sleeping for three or four hours at a time, waking up to be fed and then he’ll eventually drop off to sleep again after burping, cuddles and a nappy change. He’s on formula as I’m not able to BF at the moment.

Sometimes though he wakes at more regular intervals, after one or two hours. If he wakes up crying does that mean he absolutely needs to be fed, even if he’s had a good feed just an hour or so before? Or could he just need a nappy change, a cuddle or something else and how do you know which it is?

Newborns do need to be fed very often, like every couple of hours, and their stomachs are the size of a Malteser so I would offer food on waking. Sometimes they do need a cuddle just as that reassurance you are still there but it’s all about trial and error really to guess what it is they want

I’d say feeding- it’s a shock how often newborns need feeding. I bf so slightly different, in class I was told they feed every 3hrs- such rubbish my newborn fed round the clock.

Assume he'll want feeding, so have some food ready, but cuddle / change first and see if he does the snuggly turn-and-seek-food thing...

I agree, it's all feed feed feed at this age. You can certainly try the cuddle, change etc first but IME they want feeding ASAP.

Great, thanks very much all.

Tbh I always changed before a feed anyway as my LO fell asleep feeding afterwards.