Breastfeeding - your experience

[toni2890]

My little one is almost 3 weeks old.
I have been breastfeeding but feel like he constantly feeds.
Does this settle down to more routine feeding example, every 2/3 hours like formula?
What is your experience?

My experience was that those early weeks were absolutely mad - constant feeding like you say, sometimes 4 hours of constant feeding in the evenings. I understand that it’s normal - the baby is building up your supply. I found things settled down around 6 weeks.

There’s an infant feeding board on here you might find helpful

Absolutely! The first few weeks feel never ending, but the cluster feeding is baby building up your milk supply. I exclusively breastfed and my daughter slept through the night (11-6ish) by 10 weeks, so don’t panic, it does improve!
I dreamt of buying formula in the early days as my nipples were so sore etc, but everyone told me to hang on until 6 weeks. I then started expressing and offered her a bottle a day, which made a huge difference and made it feel so much easier.
I fed exclusively (alongside expressed) til she was 1 - hang in there, you’ve got this!

The kellymom website is super helpful - kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussy-evening/

Agreed, it was constant for what seemed like forever with both of mine. I wrote down all the early feeds and it added up to more than 9 hrs in every 24hrs I spent feeding.

Yes. ,its normal. it will get better.put your feet up and enjoy the telly while you can!

You're probably describing cluster feeding, which does start to slow down a bit! It's the baby's way of letting your body know how much milk they need, I think!

It does settle down. The first few weeks are a bit mental but by 4-6 weeks you start to get into more of a rhythm (apart from occasional growth spurts). I nearly threw in the towel at least once a day in the first 3 weeks with my eldest but then it got so much easier.

Yes, completely normal, and yes it does settle

Yes it settles down!

It definitely settles into a sort of routine around 12 weeks.
I did find though that it depended entirely on the birth weight of my kids. The 5 pounders fed little and often until evening time when they cluster fed.
My youngest was the only one out of 5 born at 7lb and she fell into a routine really quickly.

Yes it settles, the first 5 weeks were awful!!! But after that it calmed down and was much easier.

I always think that BF is much harder in the short term, but much easier in the long term. Plus, boobs are magic, like seriously. Whenever DS was upset, or grumpy, or fell over, or tired or anything, quick feed soothed immediately.

DS BF till 10 months and the magic boobs thing was ace, but didnt stop DH and DS having a lovley strong bond, DS is now 2yr 9 months

The first few weeks are hard, but in my experience it massively pays off later - no faffing with bottles when out, bf is loads more convenient.

I will say that if you want the baby to take a bottle (which really helps, especially if your baby is a shite sleeper) you should introduce it now, assuming your DC can now latch on easily. If you leave it too late it can be tricky.

I think I fed every 2-3 hours until 5 months, and now at 7 months it’s every 4-5 hours because she’s on solids as well. It gets so much easier from about 6 weeks once your supply is established. Hang in there!

It will calm down, my baby was glued to me for 6 weeks but then gradually started spacing feeds out and we ended up around every 2 hrs until he started weaning at 5 months. I'd rather be able to satisfy a hungry baby than be thinking 'the formula tin says he can only have x feeds in 24 hrs so he needs to wait until y for a bottle!'

The first 6 weeks baby will be glued to you, OP. Its very normal and exactly how it should be but that doesn't mean mean it isn't knackering!

I'm 17 months into feeding DS past the first 6 weeks you will see a big change and the time.between feeds will hugely increase.

Thanks everyone. Trying to persevere until 6 weeks.
The thought of long drives make me nervous when they feed so much.

Yeah I found those early weeks were constant, but it does ease - I just set goals of getting to the next week etc and it definitely improves! You're doing great 🙌

It's normal. Just do on demand at this age it's much easier. Saying that my daughter is 15 months and we are still on demand 🤣

An update if anyone e is interested …
Still breastfeeding at 12 weeks, so glad I kept going.
Still not in any set routine feeding wise but definitely less than what it was. Definitely Finding it easier now than the first few weeks.