What's normal?

[dotmyers]

My 4 week old, who has gained almost 3 pounds since birth still wants to nurse every 2 hours. Shouldn't he be able to go longer?

[ima062002]

There are two factors that influence the frequency of nursing. One is your personal ability of holding milk in your breasts at any given time. Women differ in that. Has nothing to do with size. So if you have on average less ability to hold milk than the next momma, then your baby would have to nurse more times in 24 hours to get roughly the same amount of milk. The second one is style. Some babies are snackers, some prefer to eat until milk comes out of their ears lol. My second child never went more than 2 hours in between for about 15 mo and then only stopped because he started daycare in the morning. He never nursed for more than 10 min. though.

[Shaunsmom]

I think in the early days of nursing (yes, including at 4 weeks)...babies should be fed on demand. There were times when I just fed Shaun (between birth age and 12 weeks) and within less than 2 hours later, she wanted to nurse again. Any time our daughter made a peep (and before she was crying)...I nursed her. It was hard work and sometimes very stressful on me to be constantly nursing. Totally worth it though:)

She is now 15 months old and sometimes, she does nurse every two hours- sometimes more if she just wants to nurse again. I know that every baby is different in their feeding habits. I'd try not to implement a set schedule at this point in time.

I don't know that there is a normal for every breast fed baby, as all babies are different.

[lolabear]

i have 3 kids and i can attest to the fact that they are all different. my youngest who is now 4 months would eat more often than my girls did b/c he would only nurse one side per feed, still does will not take the 2nd side right away.

4 weeks is still pretty new and there is a boy at daycare now 6 months old and still eats every 2 hours so it varies

[madelsmama]

Very much within the range of "normal" for a baby that age, and very, very common.

Let's not forget, too, how quickly BM is digested and how much babies love to suck! These points also play into a baby's frequency of nursing as do growth spurt, where baby may need to nurse even more frequently to up your supply.

Sounds like you're both doing very well! Congratulations!