How often should a 15 week old be feeding?

Accepting that there is likely a huge range of what's normal, what is the normal number/frequency for feeds at 15 weeks? Miss A has been feeding anywhere from 2.5 hourly down to hourly overnight for about 8 days now, and during the day is two hourly to maybe four hourly if we're out and I'm lucky enough that she's kept asleep with the pram movement.

I tend to just offer the breast whenever she wakes, if she's upset or if I'm trying to get her to sleep, but I'm wondering if I should be trying to stretch her out a bit between feeds and maybe encourage bigger feeds but less of them? She has been sick so I've put the hugely increased overnight feeds down to that but she's a lot better now and back to feeding normally. She had been doing at least one stretch of anywhere from 6-8 hours overnight for weeks prior to this latest cold so I know she can do it. Lots of feeds during the day is no problem, but the total lack of sleep at night is starting to take its toll.

You're right, it is all normal :)
Hourly overnight is really rough! :hug: If she's sick, then that's likely the cause. Once she's feeling better you should be able to go longer between feeds again. Do you have help at all to get some catch up sleep any other time?

Sounds totally normal to me. My children did the same sort of thing, and I offered the breast whenever I couldn't settle them. My kids usually went 2-3 hourly round the clock at that age, sometimes, not every night though, with one 4ish hour break over night if I was lucky (5 if I was REALLY lucky)!

My folks are normally a great help, but they've both had the flu that's been going around too so they haven't been able to help me at all. My big girls have both been home sick from pp and kindy a lot too, so my chances of snoozing with Miss A during the day are pretty much non existent at the moment. We're pretty much the plague house ;-) Just hanging out for the school holidays to start so that maybe a couple of weeks away from the revolving door of germs at school help us all kick it for good.

So overnight should I try longer to resettle her without offering her a feed? Last night I tried to resettle without a feed but she just got more upset so gave up - figured if I was going to end up feeding her anyway I might as well just get on with it and not spend more time awake than I needed to.

Yeah. If she's unwell it'd probably be extra hard to change the pattern. Whereas, once she's well, she may either start stretching on her own, or else it'd probably be a lot easier to do it. Right now, it might be easier for you to just go with it.
Sorry to hear you're plague house! That really sucks. you certainly have had a bad run with illness. hope things pick up in the next few weeks.

Spock has been doing the 2.5-3 hr thing over night. its an improvement to a few nights ago when it was 1-1.5hrs. she is doing a leap tho (wonder week) (based on her behaviour today). it is really hard and i hate blaming ww everytime. but your DD is simular age.
during the day she probably has about 6 feeds. mornings she spreads them 3-4hr afternoon 2 hrly. and between bath and bed she tends to feed for an hr straight.
i dont know if its normal...just what happens here.

There's a huge range of normal hun - current research shows from about 1-6mths, most babies feed between 8-12 times in 24 hours to ensure they are getting enough milk and maintaining your supply.

Some babies, like your little miss, feed more than that. There can be all sorts of reasons why but the real question is "is it a problem for you?" It sounds like she needs a bit more right now if she's a bit sick, or going through a developmental change or something, are you ok to ride it out for now? See how things go in another week or so, then look at changing things if it hasn't improved?

MadB is right, you guys have had such a bad run with sickness etc. I really hope things approve for you guys soon :hug:

Hope you're family gets well soon.

Just a suggestion which helped me recently from Barb or MadB, how about breastfeedng while lying in bed?

That helped me rest during the week when dd had her wonder week.

Sendng you healthy vibes.

Mum2SweetCs - thanks lovely. I do feed lying down at night, and during the day if its a day where I've managed to get both big girls to school. You're right, its an absolute lifesaver. I could never get the hang of it with my first two so I'm relieved that its Miss A's favourite position ;-)

OP - it is a problem in that I'm getting literally no real sleep, just dozing. I'm sick as well, so the lack of sleep is making it hard for me to shake the illness as well as getting to the point where I'm no longer confident driving because I'm just so tired - no a good situation when I have to drive Miss I and Miss E to school. Having said that, it is what it is and hey, its not like my DH is going to start lactating any time soon so its just something I have to accept for now and hope the situation improves soon. We've tried a few times to get her to take a bottle but she is definitely a booby girl through and through, so even if I could express enough to get a whole feed so DH could give me a break, she won't take it.

I know we'll get there eventually. I just want to make sure I'm not doing the wrong thing by Miss A.

You've also got the added complication that she's approaching 4mths, good old sleep regression is possibly lurking... And she's starting to realize there's mum and there's dad and then pretty much everyone else... So she's got lots going on, not just sickness.

What if DH tries to resettle her overnight? Even for an hour or so?

Is there a way you can get some more rest during school hours? Can DH help out a bit more on the weekend? I know what it feels like to just not be able to shake a cold, it really saps your energy. Adding your sleep deprivation, well, it's no wonder you're finding it a bit hard.

Rest assured you are absolutely doing the right thing by her. You are responding to her needs, listening to her and giving her what she needs. Hang in there. :hug: