In the early days babies do need a minimum of 8 - 12 feeds a day for hydration. They'll usually average every 2 hours, then may go a bit longer over night after a few weeks if you're lucky Some do start with the standard 3 - 4 hours though (not mine!)

I let my babies decide re swapping sides. I started out feeding on both sides, but within the first few weeks they settled in to one side each feed.

I think demand is more about not holding out, rather than not waking. They need that minimum amount of feeds