how often should a 10 lb 5 week old breastfed baby eat?

Question

My 5 week old is eating about every 4-5 hours. Should i wake her up to eat sooner? She is exclusively Breastfed.

the Dr. says she is gaining weight well, but i also introduced her to a paci this week, do you think there is a correlation?

This is my 2nd BF baby

Answer 1

On demand...
As long as your baby is gaining weight I wouldn't worry about waking her. Enjoy your sleep.
As far as the paci goes, both my babies let me know if it was suckling for comfort (paci) or hunger. that paci would be spit by 5 or 6 suckles if they were really hungry.
As you probably know, breastfed babies adjust their own feeding as they go through growth spurts and are able to eat more in one feeding. Let your baby be your guide!
Congrats on your second happy breast fed baby! keep up the good work!

Answer 2

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RE:
how often should a 10 lb 5 week old breastfed baby eat?
My 5 week old is eating about every 4-5 hours. Should i wake her up to eat sooner? She is exclusively Breastfed.

Answer 3

Its possible, but not likely. You only gave formula once so I cannot see it being the reason. He probably doesnt fell well either. Since you are sick, he probably has a little some of that too. WHen they do not feel well they eat more. It is more of a comfort thing than hunger. I would offer the breast when he is fussy, but if he just ate recently, I would just hold him and cuddle him, close to your breast and offer him your warmth and security. Maybe that is what he needs more. But I do know that my son recently went through that also around 4 weeks or so. It was just a phase. I felt like he wanted to eat every hour. but a few days later he was ok. If your son continues this for more than a week or so, pay attention to the signs. It could be more. Both of my nursing sons had (have) acid reflux and needed Zantac. If you suspect, look up the symptoms online and talk to your pediatrician. The meds worked like a charm each time! Its a small amount and not on it for too long. Good luck!

Answer 4

I would not wake her up to feed. I think I would pick her up as soon as she makes a noise, though. It just doesn't *seem* right for a newborn to eat so infrequently. Another thing to do is wear her in a sling for many hours a day. She will continue to be happy, and she will also have easy access to the breast, so she should nurse more often.

As long as you feed her when she demands it, she's fine. She knows how much she needs. If it makes you feel better, next week she's due for a growth spurt!

Kudos for breastfeeding. Keep it up, mama.

Answer 5

When she cries to be fed, feed her. Never wake her to be fed. She's the best judge of when she's hungry. If your breasts are too full, use a pump. Bottle-feeding breast milk in addition to direct from the breast is good. This way Dad can help feed her, or you could have someone sit her and not have to worry about her getting hungry while you're gone. Every 4-5 hours is about right for her age. If you've been through this once, follow your instincts or ask your pediatrician. I fed mine on demand, and they are both happy, healthy, well-adjusted people now! Good luck, and congrats!

Answer 6

As long as she is gaining weight there is no need to wake her.

How long does she feed for when she does feed? And does she have many wet nappies?
I'm pretty sure that very soon she will start becoming more alert and feed more often, very small babies are very sleepy and normally lose weight because of this. THey don't really need that much food in the very early days.

Answer 7

Babies should be fed when they are hungry not according to a schedule. If your baby only eats every 4-5 hours it´s fine, your baby is still young and his eating habit will change soon enough. Only when your baby is not gaining the right amount of weight every week then you should see a doctor...

In the early weeks babies are programmed to wake and feed frequently. A newborn baby will possibly spend the same time sleeping as she does awake. After the first few days, most young babies feed six to eight times a day, but these feeds will be spaced unevenly.

If you are breastfeeding so often she is undoubtedly building up your supply, as the more she feeds, the more milk will be produced. Check, however, that she is latched on well to ensure that she is getting the fattier hindmilk as well as thirst-quenching foremilk.

Your baby may well be reaching a growth spurt at five weeks and is genuinely hungrier. It's important to offer the breast when she needs it so that the quantity of milk you produce changes to match her requirements. Your supply should go up in between 24 and 48 hours.

Your baby also needs to be able to determine the length of her feeds and regulate her own appetite so it is vital that she is allowed to finish on one breast before starting the next. This means again that she is likely to be taking the more nourishing hindmilk as well as the foremilk. (Read here for how to tell when your baby's finished feeding). Sometimes, however, she may opt for short as well as long feeds, as we would when choosing a snack rather than a full three-course dinner.

Bear in mind that, at five weeks, your baby's stomach is tiny and she is only physically able to accommodate small amounts of food. As well as this, breastmilk is very easily digested and absorbed into the system. Two hourly feeding certainly does not mean that there is anything wrong with your milk - but you may need to check your baby's latching on technique, to make sure that she is feeding effectively.

Over the next few weeks a pattern of feeding may emerge, but do not be disheartened if this takes longer to establish than expected, as, even as adults, our intake changes daily.

Babies tend to go longer between feeds when they become more proficient and expert at emptying the breast and when they become more interested and stimulated by their surroundings. Once solids are introduced, a regular intake of breastmilk is still an important food source, but your baby may choose to cut down naturally after six months of age. She might even be happy with two to three breastfeeds a day.

Answer 8

Some breastfed babies will eat 8 times a day, most will eat 12-20+ times a day. It doesn't matter how often a baby eats as long as they are gaining enough weight and not experiencing other problems.

Just don't expect this to last ;-)

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/hunger-cues.html
Once your baby has established a good weight gain pattern (at least 4 ounces per week, for babies under 4 months), you can stop waking baby to nurse and let him set his own pattern.
"My baby just started sleeping longer at night. Do I need to wake him to nurse?"

If your baby is younger than 4 weeks, then it is a good idea to wake baby at least every 4-5 hours at night to nurse if he does not wake on his own. If your child is older than 4 weeks, you can allow baby to sleep as long as he wants at night as long as he is peeing, pooping, and gaining weight within normal parameters.

Answer 9

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More than likely he is fussy because he is going through a growth spurt. Just keep feeding on demand and everything will be fine. Not only will he most likely not get strep from you, (unless you stop BF and go to formula) your body is making antibodies to insure that he won't get sick. When babies go through growth spurts it is not uncommon for them to want to nurse several times an hour or almost constantly.

Answer 10

On demand. It has nothing to do with weight. Babies eat on demand for the first 2-3 months.