My 5 week old baby seems to be breastfeeding all the time it seems.?

Question

Having a hard time getting her on a schedule. Is this normal for her age?

Answer 1

Your baby is too young to be on a schedule. Breastfed babies should eat whenever they want to since you can't actually measure how much they are getting. It's completely normal.

Answer 2

I breastfed my son for 8 months and I don't think we ever had a real schedule. We had a somewhat of a routine but when I realized that he let me know WHENEVER he needed something I relaxed and took my cues from him and now I have what has to be the worlds happiest 11-month-old! I do remember he hit his first real growth spurt at about 5 weeks and I thought I wasn't giving him enough so I got a breast pump and tried to supplement him after each feeding but by the time we got that worked out the growth spurt was over and he never really did eat that much extra when I would supplement anyway!! The subsequent growth spurts were much easier because I realized that's why he wanted to nurse so much. Just keep with it, you will never feel you can give her a gift to match such a wonderful start in life and a bond like none other!! By the way, if you do supplement, the playtex disposable lined bottle maybe a little more work but they are worth it!! My son never had an issue going between that and the breast and never had problems with gas because there were no air bubbles to get in his little belly!!

Answer 3

You don't schedule a baby that age. You follow her lead and respond to her cues. She knows best when she is hungry and tired.

It's normal to feel like a 5 week old is nursing all the time. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes. Her tummy is the size of her fist. Feedings at least every 2 hours are normal. She's about to hit a 6 week growth spurt as well.

ETA:
What Mystic said was GREAT and I'm sure I'll be quoting some of it in the future!!!!!

Answer 4

Yes this is completely normal. Babies are programmed to want to nurse a LOT. The more they nurse the more your milk supply goes up. Don't force a schedule, allow her to feed on demand and eventually she will fall into one on her own. She's too young right now to try to make that happen so just roll with it. You're doing a much better job than you're giving yourself credit for. In another 5 weeks you'll have SO much of a better handle on this whole nursing business. Hang in there, you're doing a GREAT thing for you and for your baby.

Answer 5

Babies at this age eat often. You shouldn't put a baby this age on a schedule yet. They are too young to need it yet. Feed your baby on demand and often. They go through spurts at 1, 3, 6, and 12 weeks. Your baby is just going through one sooner. Good luck and keep breastfeeding. Your baby will benefit from it forever and so will you.

Answer 6

good for you for breastfeeding. Keep it up. Many babies have a growth spurt around 6 weeks, although it might be a bit earlier. Breastfed babies need to eat more often than formula fed babies becuase the breastmilk is easily digested and goes through the body faster.

Your doing a good job, this is normal. Just keep feeding her when ever she wants. Her constant nursing is increasing your milk supply. It will get easier I promise.

Answer 7

Around 5 weeks your baby goes through a growth spurt.So they will want to eat all the time.It will last for a like maybe a week in a half.Just keep nursing on demand. This is completly normal. DON"T give a bottle.That will cause nipple confusion.Best of luck..It will get better just hang in there.

Answer 8

I have two words for ya: Growth Spurt! Its completely normal.

Usually baby's eat when they need too, not becuase they want to. Especially that young.

I understand a sleeping schedule...But an eating shedule??? I think you are fighting a losing battle dear. The baby is going to want to eat when its hungry, so let the baby eat when its hungry.

Happy Holidays!

Answer 9

Breastfed babies, and for that matter formula fed babies, should never be fed on a schedule. Their needs vary too much from day to day and week to week.

Breastfed babies also suckle for comfort and human contact. And before you say "But I don't want my baby to use me as a pacifier" ask yourself what you would think if someone said "But I don't want my baby to use a pacifier as a mother". I am not saying either is wrong.

However it is possible that your baby isn't draining the breast as easily and quickly as she could. It would be good to join your local La Leche League or ask some other breastfeeding moms. www.llli.org

Also it tends to really get easier at 6 weeks for most women for some reason.

I have to tell you the fear that they aren't getting enough may never go away. My baby was 20 lbs at 4 months and I would still wonder if he is getting enough. Now he is 9 months, almost 30lbs and generally won't eat solids as he prefers milk and every time he has a fussy day I still wonder.

Luckily however I grew up seeing people breastfeed. It pains me everytime people stop breastfeeding because a breastfed baby is acting perfectly normally. Breastfed babies do NOT act like formula fed babies, they just don't. And there is nothing wrong with breastfed babies.

Don't believe the people who tell you "Some babies just aren't satisfied with breastmilk" or "Some babies just can't get enough milk" or "Some women can't make enough milk". 99% of women (who haven't had breast surgery) can make enough milk, often for twins. And ALL babies get enough from breastmilk, how dumb is it that we think they can't. What do you think happened before formula, babies died of starvation?

Even moms in third world countries who are skin and bone and don't get enough to eat, let alone a well balanced meal make enough milk for their babies and you will too. The only difference between them and us is they know how to breastfeed and have the support of other women to help them with it. They don't have the problems associated with bad latch (like low supply and nipple pain).

Human babies are designed to eat small frequent meals. These meals are meant to digest quickly. This is because human (and primate) babies are meant to have constant contact with mom. They can not defend themselves, they can not outrun predators (like a baby horse for example). They need the protection of mom. They also need the constant contact and interaction with mom for their brain development.

People worry that breastfed babies do not seem as "satisfied" as breastfed babies. Think of how you act after a reasonable nutritious meal full of veggies compared to how you act after you overeat at Thanksgiving. Do you act more satisfied after Thanksgiving? Do you seem sleepier, more content? Sure. Does that mean you should eat that much food, particularly starchy, fatty food EVERY MEAL of EVERY DAY? NO! Formula feeding is like that, it sits in the stomach, it makes babies feel very full. It is what it is. However, let us not forget for a second that by DEFINITION the breastfed babies are the "normal" ones.

If you think formula feeding is good because you know exactly how much the baby is getting look at all the questions on here from formula moms asking "How much?", "How often", "How do I get my baby to drink more (or less)", "Is this normal". We are moms and we worry no matter what.

Try to trust in yourself, breastfeeding is the best possible thing for both you and the baby. You have enough milk and your baby will thrive!

Answer 10

This may not be the same case but I had a friend who had the same problem and it was actually because the baby wasn't getting a lot of milk during the feedings. It could also be that you may be mistaking a pain or gas cry for a hunger cry. It could be a lot of different things my best advice would be talk to your pediatrician about it and maybe they would have a better understanding of the actual problem.