I know this is an old thread but I can really relate to what is talked about here. The conflicting advice is annoying. When I had DD we had skin to skin for a few hours and she had her first feed during that time so off to a good start. They would always ask me on the ward the times we fed and made notes. I would comment about her extended sleeping, she certainly never woke hourly or two hourly for a feed. No one commented I wasn't feeding her enough and the push was 'feed on demand' so whenever she woke up I would feed her. I went home and had two midwifes come to the home for the post natal care. Worrying about how often to feed and the fact my DD was a good sleeper from the outset (4hr blocks not uncommon), I kept a diary of start and finish times. Both midwives said it was fine. MCHN came for the first visit a week later and she said same thing. I 'fed on demand' which was every time she woke up but because she slept a lot we were only feeding about 6 times a day but for long times (40-60min). With each midwife, I was asked about dirty nappies and I told them every second day which was aparently fine (she had lots of poos the first few days but once the moconium passed things slowed down). So I continued to do what I did because so many people told me no probs. I even had a pregnancy LC visit at the hospital but in that time no one talked about how often and how long to feed a baby and how many wet or dirty nappies. I had a LC visit a week after she was born and because the visit was about attachment, how often to feed was never discussed.

So imagine my horror when 2-3 weeks later I was on the ABA web site reading how babies should feed 8-12 times a day (with 10+ being average!!!) with 3-4 dirty nappies. I rang the hotline and they said I hadn't been feeding enough and she had to have that many dirty nappies. So in a panic I rang MCHN for an extra appointment and ended up there in tears, guilty and worrying I had been under feeding and lack of pooh and was told and reassured again everything was fine (small weight gains but no losses). She suggested I wake 3 hourly during the day and let her go at night so now at 6w I'm still doing this. I STILL DONT KNOW what the right answer is. I feel like a fool and embarrassed. I am still confused. Even with waking 3hourly during the day when I put her down after last feed say 8-10pm she will wake around 2-4am for a feed and then not again until anywhere between 7-9am so taking those large blocks into account in the 24hr period, with daytime wakes we are still only averaging about 6-8 feeds. The MCHN said it is normal for a BF baby to not pooh for days but I had read in their first month they should pooh 3-4times/day and it was then normal for them not to after the first month but she disagreed with that. I have since had another appointment (with a different nurse) and showed her my feeding diary and she again says it all looks 'great'.

I still doubt myself and what I'm doing and my DD is 6w !!! I still dont know what the right answer is but based on everything I've read I'm not feeding her enough but based on everything I'm TOLD I am !!!??? I'm going to the Doctor this week and I'm sure I'll have another opinion again. I still feel guilty and wish I could go back in time 6w and start all over again with having read about feeding 8-12 times 3/4 dirty nappies then I could of discussed this with the LC. I'm trying to get another LC appointment so will yet again discuss it with someone else for their 2c.