My 5-week baby is feeding every 2 hour!!!

[missionmumlondon]

Hello my fellow mums, I am a first time mother living in London.

My baby is 5 weeks old. He doesn't sleep through the night. He is feeding about every 2 hours, e.g. 12am, 2am, 4am and 6am etc. My first question is, is it normal? He's gained so much weight and he's pooing and weeding a lot. I'm so knackered from the broken sleep. I thought he was going through a growth spurt, but it's has over two weeks.

My second question is how do you make your baby feed longer on your breast (for the breastfeeding mums)? I want my bubba to feed longer so that I don't have to wake up every two hours.

Thank you! Also this is my first time posting and using mumsnet so please pardon if I've done anything wrong!

I have twins and I don't think I had an hour of sleep for months. Both had colic and therefore one screamed for hours and one puked a lot. Your body does get used to it. Sleep when baby does, don't bother about housework and get out as much as you can to groups as it does help. Those times were a blur and sleep will come ..... well a little more sleep.....

Every 2 hours is normal, and his little tummy can't hold any more.

Popskipiekin Bubba feeds between 15-30mins per feed. Thank you x

That's a normal length of time for a feed.

Yup normal feed length. Any soreness?

All babies are different.My first fed every two hours and often for about an hour each time at least, such a boobie monster! My second fed perhaps 2 to 3 hourly for about 20 -30 minutes, though by number two I did co sleep (or just fell asleep whilst lying sideways feeding her in bed!) So I often drifted off and woke an hour later and tried putting her back to bed.
Co sleeping is a great way to get through the night but read up on the safety of it first.
As for getting them to feed longer.....not sure it made much of a difference with number one. Babe would still wake up just as often. I used to feed on one side, change the nappy to wake dc1 a little (my boob milk would make babe go super sleepy) then do the other side. Tickling feet and ears to wake them a bit. Maybe try this on the evening feed but I really don't think there's much hope. I was lucky with mine.dc1 went 9pm till 5am from 4 months so I had a long stretch. Dc2 still woke a few times at night for a while-perhaps it a weight thing as dc2 was smaller.
Fresh air during the day, plenty of water(you) and feed alot during the day perhaps.
Sorry if that is not that helpful. This time feels like it will last forever but it's over so quickly. Well done, you can do it! :)

Not just normal but GOOD. It means you're establishing great milk supply and will be readily able to continue feeding for as long as you want to. As he grows, the time between feeds will space out and he will start to sleep longer on a full and happy tummy.

Fwiw, I know you didn't post to get a lambasting from grumpy people. You have most of our sympathy, my lovely. Hang in there and keep being the mum you're being.

Totally normal. Mine only just sleeps through the night since he started walking.

Can you feed lying down during the night? I found the constant feeding wasn't so bad when I could do it lying in bed with my eyes closed!
It does get better eventually. All babies are different so don't get disheartened if your Nct group babies sleep for longer periods, it doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong.

Sorry if I'm being rude but what exactly were you expecting?!!!

Because breastfeeding is not the norm in this country, many people only have experience of formula, ie full bottle every 4 hours.

My bf baby fed every 2 hours. Irl family and friends just went on about how he "couldn't be hungry again", how he couldn't be getting enough milk, or my milk wasn't rich enough, and why don't i try a bottle of formula, he'd go longer and i could "have a break". For them, having formula fed, the aim was sleeping through by 6 weeks, and they shared lots of tips like giving water, as they "weren't hungry", and just needed to learn there was nothing to wake up for.

Had i not had online forums and resources, this would have been my only source of information, and likely i would have listened to those who had had experience of babies- maybe there was something wrong with my milk to be feeding so frequently, and i'm fairly sure i'd have given formula. Then chances are baby might have gone longer as formula takes longer to digest and is easier to overfeed, and i'd have bought into the myth that he'd been feeding so frequently because i didn't have enough, or quality milk. And then likely passed on my "experience" of how babies should feed.

I am not sure why a handful of people are posting unhelpful comments like 'what were you expecting' not very clever (though you are trying to be) when a new mum has asked a perfectly reasonable question and should supported properly.
Missionmumlondon you are doing fine-try to get bubba to feed for 30 mins, offer both boobs, drink plenty, keep eating well (flapjacks are perfect!) Congratulations! Brings it all back now that I am past that stage. I would do a little winding, sometimes a big burp would make space in babes stomach for more milk!

My baby (the word bubba makes me cringe) fed almost constantly for the first 6 months.

Lying down on my side feeding was a godsend.

You will always have other mum's, who's baby slept through. It will continue with everything from weaning to walking and talking.just nod and say 'that's nice.'

Yes, let's have a conversation about saying bubba versus baby???? Coz that's important. Goodnight op.

Mine fed every hour for 45 minutes of every hour for the first 3 weeks. Then every 2-2 1/2 hours for 30 minutes each time until 4-6 months.

We co-slept and they fed every 2 hours until 9-10 months old. They were still feeding 3 times a night at 15 months but I slept while they fed.

I've got 5 dc. The youngest is now almost 4 and still wakes in the night occasionally. She just comes through from her room and hops in our bed.

DH has never done a night feed. (They wouldn't settle for him and I couldn't sleep with my baby crying for me.) I've always managed to get at least 6 hours sleep a night, but I've not had an unbroken nights sleep in 17 years. But I've been very lucky that as long as mine were being held and fed they were happy. None of them cried as long as they were held.

Yes, it is hard, but your baby sounds normal to me.

Your fellow NCT Mums are likely lying/ bending the truth. And if they are not, then they should enjoy it while it lasts, because it won't

My ds fed every two hours until 8wks old and then suddenly missed one out, so he started to sleep from around 1-5am. I cried with relief, lol

bad did you do the "jolt - something bad happened no it didn't what time is it did I sleep through crying?" The first time they don't wake up when you expected, in hindsight, is hilarious!

Lol. Sorry but my LO is 6 weeks and I love getting 2h between feeds, a few times at night has been 2.5h which is amazing!! What are your fellow NCT mums saying their baby does?!?

To get a bit of a block of sleep have you thought about pumping a feed for DH to give e.g. around 10pm- 11pm?

Thank you @Notapissingcontest I thought we all are meant to support each other (as women). I was just really trying to get some answers, didn't mean to offend anyone.

@Mysterycat23 that's so good to hear. My Nct mums are saying they do 7pm,11pm,3am and 7pm for their 3-6 weeks old. I'm the only one that has a baby that needs a feed every 2 hours... glad to hear that there are women out there same as me.

I do pump so my husband does take a feed or two :)

Thank you!

As others have said, 15-30 mins per feed is quite normal. My DS1 would feed for ages - well over an hour - so that I would often have only half hour break during the day between feeds. He was eventually diagnosed with tongue tie. DS2 (12 weeks) often feeds for 45mins - quite enthusiastically for 15 mins then has to be encouraged and then gets a second wind. I think this is longer than many babies. But it might be worth a shot to do what you can to encourage your baby to feed a bit more than he is currently managing - just to see if he will. Strip him down, skin to skin, tickling etc. If no joy then don't worry, normal normal normal. Continue as you are.

I would say though that make sure he is getting enough during the day, that your day feeding times are peaceful, frequent and uninterrupted. I always found nights were far worse when I had been on the go with DS2 a lot during the day or had had lots of visitors so that I had been feeding him sporadically/not for long, and so he just seemed to need way more during the night.