Confused...

I will ask the health nurse on Thursday but...I am getting mixed advice on how often I should be feeding. She is 12 days old and will wake for feeds anywhere between 3-5 hours after last feed commenced. If I do the math it's around 7-8 feeds a day. I am reading it should be 12 times a day and as little as 6 times a day (min)
Bubs seems happy. I always wake her if it has been 5 hours after last feed (has happened a few times, usually overnight) And I assume she will wake before that if she is hungry.

Does this sound alright?

I'm no breast feeding expert, but I found what worked with my two was to forget about the clock and follow bub's cues.

All babies are different, some only go 1-2 hours between feeds, like my DS2, some go longer.

Obviously, at this age I wouldn't leave her more than 5 hours between feeds, but other than that forget times and how long between feeds and just go with it.

All u need to do is trust your mummy instinct :)

I always used the 3 hourly rule (ie: feed every 3 hours when they are so tiny) so this equates to 8 feeds a day. If you are averaging that many a day I would say you are right where you need to be, she may be extending a bit longer over night (4-5 hourly) but I'm sure she is making up for it during the day by feeding much more frequently.

So long as she is having wet and dirty nappies and is alert when awake you are doing a good job. :)

It can be confusing when you're told different things. Are you breastfeeding exclusively? The easiest way to tell if you're going ok is to watch your baby. Do you know the signs to look for to know whether she's getting enough?

The average number of feeds is 8-12, and it's fairly unusual for babies this age to have fewer than 8 in a day. The other reason mothers are encouraged to feed more frequently is because every time you feed, you're laying down prolactin receptors in your breast. These receptors act on prolactin, a hormone that controls milk production. The more receptors you have, the higher your potential maximum supply is. So, generally, the more the better! This doesn't mean some babies can't get by on fewer than 8 feeds, but most mothers & babies will need 8+ to ensure baby gets enough and mum establishes a good supply.

Most of the time you can trust that your baby will ask for feeds when they need it, but there are occasions when very young babies may need to be woken to feed. The easiest way to know is to watch those signs of adequate intake.

DS1 came out of the womb on a 4 hour clock, and fed at 3am, 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm.

Midwives initially tried to get me to wake him up for extra feeds, but he wasn't interested. His feeds were loooooooooooong though, anything from 45-90 minutes.

DS2 would feed anything up to 12+ times a day!

Go by nappies, temperament,and growth :)

I just go by what DD wants .. I don't time them or wait a certain amount of time etc , I just let DD feed when ever she wants ;)
You are doing great Tasha , just go with it .. xx

Thanks for your replies. Mad b I will check it the link. :)

Feed the baby when the baby is hungry. Baby cannot tell the time :)

You're doing perfectly! I would focus on baby and sufficient output. Babies feed based on their genetics too. My ds come out at 3.5 kg which is average but at 2 is the size of a 4 year old (no exaggeration). Little wonder he fed 2 hourly as a tiny baby and doubled his birth weight so quickly. Dd was the same weight at birth and was a less frequent feeder and is a more average size (she was a big spewer though too).

Follow her cues and just try to keep feeds within a four hour period until you are sure she is gaining weight and your supply is settled a bit. It will be different in a week and then two weeks. You are not going to interrupt a good sleeping pattern or anything at this age because she doesn't even know day from night yet. Just keep doing what you're doing!!!