Baby is eating every hr( breast milk)?

Question

My little girl is 17 days old....She was on an ok schedule until about 4 days ago. She was sleeping alot and only waking up every two hrs on the dot to eat and staying up for alittle while between feedings even at night which was ok...Now she has been waking up almost every hr at night to eat and it is now carrying over to the daytime...My breasts are so sore from her feeding so much is this normal? WHAT DO I DO?

Answer 1

Hi there Honey. Yes, actually it is pretty normal. Sounds to me like your baby is just going through a growth spurt. Hang in there and within another 24 hours she will be back on that "ok schedule" that you mentioned! It really does not take all that long for your body to catch up when you are nursing that often. She will settle down. What ever you do, DO NOT let anyone convince you during this time that "she is just not getting enough to eat and it is time to drag out the artificial gunk!". Even one bottle of formula can mess up all your hard work! Do NOT listen to anyone who is not a breastfeeding mother. I am not trying to say that bottle feeding mothers are stupid or anything it is just that unless you have breastfed you can NOT relate to any of this. I breastfed all of my children and have been helping nursing mothers informally since the birth of my first son. I nursed all of my babies until they were over a year old. There is nothing like experience when it comes to breastfeeding, really.
Are you letting her sleep with you? That is the other bit of really good advice that I would give you. The nights are not nearly so long when you snuggle your baby down in bed with you and the two of you can just sleep all night. Change diapers and sides every now and then and both of you will get lots of sleep! I promise. Anyone who tries to tell you that it is not safe to sleep with your baby is just plain wrong. They have proven that the incidence of SIDS is higher in bottle fed babies that did not sleep with mom.
Are you sure that she is latching on right? Be sure that she is opening her mouth really wide, almost like she is yawning before she is taking the nipple into her mouth. Don't let her just suck on the nipple, she needs to get more than that into her mouth. If in doubt try tickling her cheek with your nipple and then when she really open wide ( like a baby bird!) then let her take it into her mouth. I hope that makes sense. I just do not want you to get sore nipples! That can hurt.
Take care honey and don't get discouraged! We have all had to go thru growth spurts and it is no fun. It wil not last long, you will start making more milk in no time and she will be happy again, I promise!
If you possibly can take a day to stay in bed and just snooze, sleep and snack! Feed the baby and eat, and drink! Have lots of your favorite beverage handy and relax. If Daddy can pitch in and help that would be wonderful. It is what I call a "nursing vacation". I would go to bed with lots of diapers nearby and wipes, lots of healthy snacks and plenty to drink...on, and don't forget the baby! LOL....then just rest and nurse. It is the best thing for any rough spots in your nursing life with your baby. Really! If this is your first baby take advantage of that and get lots of rest. That together with plenty to eat and drink will have you making tons of milk in no time! Those are my rules to happy breastfeeding "snack and snooze". Remember if the baby is drinking you should be too! That is really important. Take good care of yourself. Just like when you were pregnant, the best way to take care of the baby is to take good care of YOU!
If you do not have the book by the La Leche League, "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" then you need to get it! It will be the best $18 you ever spend! They have a website also and can have someone call you or even come and see you. If you want to you can call the hospital where you delivered and see if they have a lactation consultant that you can talk to also. They can be wonderful.
Remember, there is NOTHING wrong with your milk supply! It just needs a day or two to catch up to her increased need right now. All will be well. You are giving your sweet baby the best stuff in the world! Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself. What you are doing is awesome! Hang in there!
Take care honey.
Love and Blessings
Lady Trinity~

Answer 2

I know how hard it is when it seems like all your baby wants to do is eat ALL THE TIME and it feels like there's no time for you to sleep or take a shower or talk to your partner or do something you want to do. But this too will pass. My baby went through a period of several days when he would eat like that, then go back to normal for a few weeks, then start eating all the time again. It's because he was having growth spurts, and his constant nursing was signaling my body to produce more milk. Your baby may do this on and off for the first 6 weeks or so, but after that it gets so much easier. As she gets bigger and her stomach grows she will space out her feedings and her growth spurts will be less frequent. You may want to use some lanolin creme for the soreness. When you're at home, let your nipples dry well before refastening your bra. Just concentrate on the fact that your baby will only eat this often for a few days, and soon you really will have a great breastfeeding relationship. Good luck, and keep up the good work!

Answer 3

She is probably going through a growth spurt. My son, who is now 4 months, did this almost constantly for a few weeks. Oi!

Keep feeding her on demand. Her belly is tiny, so she has to eat frequently if her body is using up all that she gets.

For the breast soreness, you can try using different feeding positions to help even out the pressure and help assure a good latch. If you're getting chapped or breaking the skin of the nipple or areola, after you feed your daughter, express some milk and rub it into the nipple and areola. The milk has healing properties that help keep you from additional damage. You can also use medical grade lanolin, which you can get at baby or maternity stores or online. The stuff works great and you do not have to wipe it off to feed.

Make sure your latch is good. There are videos online to help with latch. If she isn't getting a good latch, it may hurt while she's feeding or she may not get adequate milk, which could also contribute to her desire for more feedings. Just check your latch and keep feeding her on demand. Her schedule will change throughout the next months. That's just normal baby-feeding!

Good luck!

Answer 4

My daughter did this as a newborn. She wanted to nurse for an hour at a time, every other hour. I was really sore for about a week but then I felt fine. By 6 weeks old she was just eating every 3-4 hours. The thing that worked for me, and my best friend months later with her newborn, was to not let the baby sleep more than 2 hours in a row during the day. Wake that baby up and nurse her. It takes a lot to wake a sleeping newborn but do what you have to and keep her awake for at least 10 minutes. The first night that I did this my daughter slept a 4 hours stretch at night. Babies usually have one 4-5 hour stretch that they will sleep, and it's usually during the day. If you don't let them do it during the day, they will do it at night. Good luck.

Answer 5

I nursed my youngest child the whole first year and in the beginning it was tough. He nursed ALL THE TIME. I maybe had 1/2 hour-45 minutes in between each feeding and then he'd nurse for 40 minutes. Have patience-it will eventually get better. Your body requires 3 days or so for it to adjust to a change in demand. As for the sore nipples lanolin applied generously several times a day will help. Make sure your baby is latched on correctly and it might take a couple days for them to feel better. At night just sleep with your baby close to you and try to sleep while she's nursing. At that age it's too soon to speculate anything other than hunger or dirty diaper. Hang in there and try to get rest during the day.

Answer 6

Actually it is very normal and could keep up for sometime or she may change it again. You didn't state how long she is feeding for? Could it be she is feeding less at a time but more often? As for your breast being sore...your milk supply should be increasing. If it isn't, that could be why she is doing that. Make sure you don't smoke, and eat a snack w/ water each time she feeds so you are helping to produce more milk.

Answer 7

Your baby may be going through a growth spurt, which they go through at the age your baby is. In the meantime, get some lanolin to help your nipple discomfort.
To be sure though, make sure you are latching her on correctly, this can make them not get milk adequately, making them eat more often, and also, it can make your nipples sore.
And don't worry, babies eat often in the beginning--breastfeed babies eat about every 1-3 hours, so it is perfectly normal. My guy was a little piggy and still is, he is 4 months and still breastfeeds that often. If you don;t want to have to nurse as often, try an occasional pumping, so that way your nipples can rest.
Good luck with your baby.

Answer 8

NORMAL! its a growth spurt, shes nursing more often to build your milk supply because she needs more. She should go back to a normal schedule in a few days!

Answer 9

Yes it's normal. She's probably hitting a growth spurt. I've been nursing for 6 weeks now and I thought it was never going to get easy and it has so just be patient it DOES get easier!!

Answer 10

She's probably just growing. But at least make sure that she is hungry and not just using you as a pacifier. Make sure you hear her swallow, if she is then just feed her when she wants it. If she is using you as a pacifier then maybe you could try a pacifier instead. As for the soreness yo could try rubbing you milk on your nipples after she feeds, it might help.