“I feel like I’m constantly nursing.”
“You are constantly nursing, but it gets better.”
This is a conversation that happens consistently in my office, but happened first in my house after our first child was born. It is not uncommon for babies (especially breastfeeding babies) to need to feed about every 2 hours (occasionally more often at times during the day). I am a big believer in demand feedings during the first week as I think it helps better establish your milk supply and gives you and the baby lots of practice with latch and positioning.
So, after you get everything arranged; change a diaper, do the feeding, then change the big blow-out diaper, you may only have a short break before it’s time to nurse again….but this gets better. I find that it happens about the 3rd week, when the baby start to go 3 hours more often.
Here’s what most babies are doing for their feedings during the first week:
Breast feeding-Most babies are breastfeeding somewhere between 10-20 minutes per side every 2-3 hours.
Formula feeding-Most babies are taking about 2-3 ounces every 2-3 hours.
One of the best ways to gauge if the baby is getting enough is to track wet and dirty diapers. You should have about 6-8 total wet and dirty diapers per day. If you’re not seeing this, it’s time to contact the doctor.
DoctorJSmith 