7 weeks old and sleeping/feeding questions

BUSY BUSY BUSY!!! My life has been this since Tate was born but I love it! Hardly get to come on here anymore though!

Things are going along quite nicely but I do have a couple of questions that I hope you lovely people can answer for me!

While I don't want a strict routine and am quite happy to follow Tate's lead to an extent I am wondering when he will settle into more of a pattern.

At the moment he generally feeds every 2-3 hours during the day (breastmilk) and sleep for maybe an hour - 1 1/2 hours in between. He clusters feeds through later arvo to early evening - from about 5pm to 8pm then goes down for a big sleep - 5-6 hours. He sometimes starts this sleep later but it all depends. He then feeds 3-4 hourly during the night till it starts all over again. He's not a snacker and he is usually quite easy to settle except for one crazy time of the day.

What I want to know is:
1. Do I keep following his lead with lots of feeds during the day or should I try and stretch him out (it's been hot so that's why I figured he was feeding lots)

2. I have tried dreamfeeding twice - this doesn't make his night sleep go longer - will it ever work or should I give up on that one?

3. If he doesn't sleep in between day feeds should I try harder to settle him or just feed him again?

Sorry about the long ramble but just trying to do what's best. I think we're pretty good at settling him but I am worried that as he gets older he is already getting into a pattern of feeding HEAPS during the day although he does pretty well at night. He is a VERY good weight so no probs there.

Any ideas would be great!

Sounds to me like everything is going just beautifully :)

I would be letting him feed as much as he wants, especially in this weather. 2-3 hourly at 7 weeks is pretty normal for a BF bub I think, and 3 -4 hours overnight is normal too.
AR is a bit over 16 weeks and going roughly 4 hours overnight.

I don't know about dreamfeeding - I tried it & all it did was introduce an extra feed - if I don't get it to her in time now , she wakes for it! :lol: but then I figure if they are waking for it they need it. I don't think it hurts to give a dreamfeed, put it that way. If you make it the last thing you do before you go to bed there's no harm in it...

Sleeping between day feeds - I wouldn't worry so much about when he's been fed / wants to feed again but just how long he's been up. About an hour - hour & half is about right.

I think you are doing a great job! :)

Yep, sounds like your going great.
I found we didnt get into a routine until 3-4mths.....i pushed for one with DD#3 and TBH i ended up hating that newborn stage with her...i was stressed, she was stressed. WIth H ive just let him lead....around the 12-14 week mark i noticed he just fell into a pattern in the day and night.

Likeyou, ive tried the dreamfeeding thing too - NONE OF MY CHILDREN got the dream feeding thing. I would do it at say 10pm (after being put down at 7pm), but i would just be up again at 1130pm anyway. That rule about 'never wake a sleeping baby' i think in our household is so true.

ETA; H is still feedinig every 3-4hrs overnight...and he is 10 days off 6 mths. It sounds like your going really well.....

SOunds like you are doing perfectly - well done honey!
Cant write much as J just woke - dreamfeeds never worked here either though!