Inside you’ll find info on a newborn feeding schedules for the breastfeeding (or formula feeding) mom and how to make it work for you.
When my first baby was born I knew I needed a good routine.
I’m a predictable person, and the fact that I had a tiny human doing all manner of things I wasn’t familiar with, made me realize a need for some order.
For me to be a calm and settled mother, I decided to breastfeed on a schedule. I’m a big believer in mothering to your strengths.
As long as the baby’s needs are being met in a nurturing and loving way, why shouldn’t a mother order her day in a way that benefits everyone?
If you prefer to go with the flow, and you find peace and relaxation that way, go for it. But even as you do so, realize this…
➡️ Some mothers don’t love routines or schedules, but babies do.
Read: Advice For New Moms Your Doctor Won’t Tell You
The research is so overwhelmingly in favor of routines for young ones, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try!
If you want to breastfeed on a schedule, don’t listen to the naysayers and loud angry voices who say it isn’t possible. It’s very possible. It’s doable. Mothers around the world do it every day.
Even life with a newborn can be calm and predictable when you breastfeed on a schedule. You can also use this daily log for babies to help you keep track of all the newborn feeding scheduled times and what’s going on.
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
What's in this post...
Must Know Info
#1 – If your baby is hungry, feed him.
Scheduling isn’t really about getting your baby to follow some arbitrary time for feeding.
It’s about feeding your baby in a way they get the calorie rich hind milk at each feeding (aka. a full feed) so they naturally go longer between feeds and don’t try to snack for 5 minutes every hour.
It’s also prevents you from constantly breastfeeding a baby 24/7 who snacks for five minutes then falls asleep for 20. I call this frequent feeds all together “cluster feeding by accident.”
We can aim for a newborn feeding schedule, but this bears repeating: if baby is hungry, feed him.
When you naturally give your baby full feeds they’ll fall into a predictable routine.
However, when they are hungry, going through a growth spurt, or just generally needing to feed and they are off schedule… feed them anyway.
All 5 of my babies naturally fell into a 2.5 – 3 hour feeding schedule from birth, but on occasions when they needed more milk at various times I just fed them.
Period.
Feed the baby when she’s hungry.
Read: What To Do When Baby Is Feeding Every Hour (& Not Sleeping!)
The Biggest Thing You Should Focus On…
Full feeds.
I cannot tell you how important this is, no matter if your baby feeds at the breast or bottle. You can track baby’s feeds with this daily log, but know that the newborn feeding schedule can be flexible, but should always include full feeds.
Especially if your [thrive_2step id=’9673′]baby won’t sleep.[/thrive_2step]
Watch this video below on why full feeds matter.
A general rule of thumb, feeding for at least 20 minutes usually means baby got a full feed.
Read: What to do when your baby is feeding all day every day
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
#2 – Be flexible with your nursing times
I have nursed 5 babies on a flexible but consistent newborn routine and it has worked well each time.
Babies can easily adapt to a routine and follow it well, but there will be times – like when teeth are breaking through or time change or if they have some problems with reflux – where you need to be flexible.
Read: Cocooning a Newborn & 7 Reasons Why it Can Be Good For The Family
As the saying goes…
“Blessed are the flexible, for they don’t break when bent.”
If you are from a certain area or country that promotes demand feeding and strongly discourages newborn schedule feeding, do some little research on your own.
Often practitioners are concerned you’ll make the clock your master instead of simply using the clock to facilitate a nice routine.
It is not child abuse, cruelty or neglect to work towards a schedule and routine, it may be the best thing you can do for everyone, especially if you cannot cope with too much unpredictability.
Tried-and-true *hands on* newborn settling strategies that even the most fussy (or wide-awake-sleep-refusing) newborns cannot resist!
Learn MoreRelated Reads:
- Why Moms Lose Their Identity And How To Get It Back
- Enjoy Being A Mother Again With These 4 Stress Relieving Mindsets
- 5 Signs You Might Be A Depressed Mom & How To Start Feeling Better
Examples That Work
First, you’ll want to get our newborn’s morning and evening confusion sorted out. You can do that typically in less than a week.
After you’ve done that, begin with these suggested infant feeding times.
Note: Formula fed babies can probably go longer between feeds while breastfed infants will follow the schedule below.
⭐ Sample Newborn Feeding Schedule #1
- 7:00 am – full feed
- 8:10 am – wind down routine, nap
- 9:30 am – full feed
- 10:45 am – wind down, nap
- 12:00 pm – full feed, “play time”
- 1:30 pm – wind down, down for nap
- 3:00 pm – full feed, “play time”, bath time, family time, etc.
- 4:15 pm – wind down, nap
- 5:30 pm – full feed, family time
- 7:30 pm – cluster feed, wind down, down for nap
- 9:30 pm to 10:30 pm – dream feed (swaddled), immediately back down to bed
- Night feeds throughout the night as baby wakes up
⭐ Sample Newborn Feeding Schedule #2
- 4:30 am – feed baby swaddled (no lights on)
- 7:00 am – wake up, feed unswaddled (here’s why) in well lit area, play time
- 8:15 am – wind down routine, down for nap
- 10:00 am – full feed unswaddled
- 12:45 pm – wind down routine, down for nap
- 2:45 to 3:00 pm – full feed
- 4:15 pm – down for nap
- 5:30 pm – cluster feed
- 7:30 pm – cluster feed swaddled then immediately down for nap
- 9:30 pm to 10:00 pm – feed again swaddled, put immediately down to sleep
- Feed at night as baby wakes up
#3 – Monitor supply and demand, and adjust accordingly
With all five children I’ve been able to maintain an adequate milk production until nearly their first birthday, or longer if desired.
My two sons stopped breastfeeding just shy of one year because I’d become pregnant again, and the milk had changed.
But that’s another post.
My firstborn never fed for more than ten minutes at a time (and this is a full feed) and I was still able to maintain supply feeding 2.5-3 hourly and then as she slept through the night at 4 months.
This is without any extra pumping, expressing or tricks to keep up my milk supply.
Read: How To Dress A Newborn Safely In Summer (Day & Night)
It just naturally worked.
- Some mothers find their milk supply on the low side and need to more breastfeeding sessions to keep up supply.
- This may mean that scheduling is difficult for you unless you pump during the day.
- You’ll have to determine whether it’s more convenient for you to feed more frequently throughout the day (like with feedings clustered together), or if pumping and storing breast milk will be enough demand to keep up your supply.
- You’ll want to feed at minimum 8 baby feedings within 24 hours for those early weeks. See a detailed newborn routine here, a detailed newborn feeding schedule here, and a newborn sleeping schedule here.
When you drop a feed you may need to express or pump for a while to maintain your supply.
And, when babies begin sleeping through the night, much the same.
If baby is having a growth spurt, you will find your baby feeding more frequently, and this is a good thing. It means that your supply will build up to meet their need because, again, you always feed your baby when they’re hungry.
As with demand feeding, monitoring your milk supply may help you stop any issues before they progress.
Read: How To Know If Baby Is Getting Enough Milk
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
#4 – Menstruation may return earlier, depending on the individual
Okay this is partially in jest, but something worth mentioning.
I followed a newborn breastfeeding schedule and my period returned anywhere from 3 months postpartum (though I kept feeding for a year minimum) to as late as 7 months postpartum.
That’s just how my body worked.
Nursing did NOT equal birth control.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I love talking about the pros and cons of having babies close together.
Perhaps the reason I was able to have babies close together while breastfeeding might be due to the fact that I feed on a schedule.
Meaning, less constant stimulation may produce less milk which can trigger menstruation. Enough milk to feed baby, yes!
Enough to stave off menstruation for a whole year? Perhaps not.
It might not be true for every mother, but it is something to consider.
It depends entirely on the woman, but in my experience, menstruation resumed long before I finished breastfeeding.
#5 – It’s not “selfish” to want predictability
People’s criticism of newborn feed scheduling often revolve around two areas.
- That you’re a slave to the clock and don’t care if your baby is hungry.
- That the baby’s needs aren’t being met since you are worried about a routine instead of just meeting needs as they come.
We’ve already addressed the first concern since we agree to feed the baby when they show any sign of hunger.
If the routine doesn’t meet their needs, well, the routine gets changed.
If you are a routine oriented person and feel more confident, comfortable and calm in this setting, I recommend working towards a schedule.
Ultimately, the mother is in charge of everyone’s well-being and if she is going against her own natural rhythms there will be depression, stress, and even anger.
You must live within your own limits and boundaries.
Babies adapt well to the rhythm the mother sets, and as long as the baby is well-fed, well-rested and content, then you are on the right track.
➡️ A mother should feel free parent to her strengths so long as the baby’s needs are met in a nurturing and loving environment.
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
Benefits of feeding baby on a schedule
Predictability
Part of why the adjustment to parenting is so difficult is the complete life change a mother goes through.
Wonderful? Of course.
Challenging? Yes.
With a newborn on a schedule your days are still, for the most part, predictable. You know when you’ll have time to cook dinner, have visitors, or take a nap.
Some days have their challenges, but for the most part you can rest easy knowing what the day will hold.
Read: How To Run Errands With Baby And Not Regret It
Easier to manage all children’s needs
Having had no experience in this area, I honestly don’t know how mothers of multiple children who demand feed newborns get through the day.
I would probably have a nervous breakdown on day 8. If you aren’t a go with the flow type of mother, you likely couldn’t handle it either.
When you have a schedule and routine you’re able to determine how you can meet everyone’s needs in a timely way.
The baby can be fed during playtime, naps, or outside time.
The family dynamic will certainly change, but having a routine means the baby isn’t the only one whose needs are met while everyone else just waits.
Read: A Sample Joint Daily Routine For Baby, Toddler, And Preschooler
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
Newborn finds their place within the family instead of the family being completely baby centered
Inevitably life changes when a new baby enters the home.
And what a great change it is!
A new sibling to cuddle, a new baby to love, and a host of new needs to be met.
I believe it’s comforting to everyone when a newborn can come home to an orderly, peaceful, and well-run home.
Of course some days are bonkers and sometimes we lose it, but on the whole, a schedule allows for the family to continue running as a whole even with a newborn.
The mother meets the physical needs of the newborn and the older children while still maintaining order in the home. Everything doesn’t become all about the baby to the detriment of other family members.
The baby simply enters into the family who patiently waited for its arrival.
Read: How to teach your little one to sleep well as early as possible
You’re able to schedule errands around feeding easily
The best way to develop good sleep habits with your baby is to let them sleep.
Without a schedule they are constantly in the stroller, car seat, or carrier being carted from one place to another.
This works fine for a few months until they are about 4 months old (and have a sleep regression) or 5 months old and they are gearing for solids. They start becoming more aware and then, if you haven’t done the hard work of sleep training up front, you’ll have a baby who doesn’t want to sleep.
By having a schedule and a routine you can organize your play dates, appointments, visitors and errands loosely around the baby’s daily routine and schedule.
Again, baby’s needs are being met while things are getting done at inconvenience to no one.
Read: The Real Reason Moms Never Have Enough Time (Hint: It’s Not Because They Waste It!)
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
Routine helps everyone settle into the new norm.
The first few months postpartum can be a challenge for the entire family.
Children are learning new roles and adjusting as well as the parents.
Developing a new routine and schedule that benefits all will help everyone settle into the new norm. Because routines bring security and boundaries to children, they crave them.
When a major (and exciting) life change, like a new baby, occurs settling into a new routine is one of the best ways to help the dust settle.
Read: How to get through the mentally trying newborn weeks
It’s mentally and emotionally helpful for mothers who flourish in routine
I cannot stress strongly enough (oh if you could hear my real voice which gets very loud when I stress things enough) how important it is to parent how you were made.
If you love routine then I can’t see why you’d parent any other way.
Children get a sense of security from routines (source) naturally so if you feel calmer in a routine environment, the entire house will run more smoothly.
Stress, depression, and weariness are bi-products of functioning too long in environments we aren’t suited for, so don’t make your home one of those.
Get my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!
Basic Baby Sleep Times
Here are some basic baby sleep times. These will vary by baby, but it’s important to look at these and realize that babies sleep more than you think.
- Newborn to 2 months: 16-18 hours a day | 7 to 9 naps (one after each feed)
- 2-4 months: 15-17 hours a day | 4 to 5 naps (after each daytime feed)
- 4-6 months: 14-16 hours a day | 4 naps or so (probably dropping the last nap before bedtime)
- 6-9 months: 14-16 hours a day | 3 to 4 naps a day (eventually getting down to 2 naps a day)
- 9 – 12 months: 14-16 hours a day | 2 to 3 naps (eventually getting down to 2)
- 12-18 months: 14-15 hours a day | 2 naps a day (eventually getting down to 1 nap a day)
Handy tips for these early weeks
- Get on a good sleep routine
- Learn the signs of hunger for your baby, and use your routine to anticipate baby’s needs before he needs to cry.
- Set the foundation in the first days after birth by following these strategies.
- Remember that babies go through growth spurts at age 6 weeks of age and again at 3 months, so you will have to feed more (cluster feeding (feeding a few times close in time) works!) to increase your milk supply to get them through.
- A breastfed baby can also learn to take a bottle on and off, which will help if you have to run errands or need to be away on occasion.
- Your milk supply will ebb and flow throughout the day and is often at its lowest quality by late afternoon early evening, so cluster feedings will help this.
- Pay attention to the signs that your baby is over tired.
- The exact feeding time is not nearly as important as feeding on a routine or schedule. As in, every 3 hours is more important than feeding every day at 7:30 a.m. Both work well together, but if you hate working to a clock, aim for full feeds at set intervals.
- Note that many newborns will feed from 30 minutes up to even 45 minutes. I had one son who would feed for nearly an hour! Less than 15 minutes and that’s considered snacking, so aim for full feeds.
FAQ
Let’s dive in.
“How often do you feed a newborn at night?”
As often as they wake up hungry. Before you go to bed, give a feed right before you go to sleep then lie down to sleep. Sleep until baby wakes up ready to eat.
“How many days after birth do I start on a routine or schedule?”
I like to start Day One. Your routine will mainly consist of full feeds, snuggling/cuddling, then putting baby down for a nap, but this is the foundation for all sleeping schedules to come.
“How do I keep my newborn awake during feeds?”
Unswaddle them, first of all. Then you can rub their cheeks, the bottom of their feet, and even use a wet wipe to keep them alert during feedings.
“Do I always need to nurse on both sides during each feeding?”
No. If you have a baby who wants to feed for one hour, you’ll likely end up nursing from both breasts. If you have a baby who has a “strong suck” (a fun term from my midwife) then you may end up only nursing from one side.
It’ll depend on your baby, your milk supply, and whether or not baby is truly getting full feeds.
“My newborn is sleeping through feedings, what should I do?“
So this can easily happen, these precious babies are so comforted by both your physical touch and the breastmilk, that they happily drift off.
This can also, if it happens throughout the day, contribute to significant daytime and nighttime confusion. Baby will sleep through feeds all day, then want to be up feeding or playing all night.
“Should I wake my baby to breastfeed on a schedule?”
During the day, it is helpful to feed baby routinely to ensure they are getting enough calories during the day (example: every 3 hours). In this case, if it’s time for baby to eat, it’s okay to wake a sleeping baby.
“How can I ensure my baby is getting enough milk on a schedule?”
It’s important to monitor your baby’s feeding patterns, wet and dirty diapers, observe their growth and behavior, and make adjustments as needed when breastfeeding. We want to observe these things and change our schedule to meet baby’s needs, not the other way around.
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I breastfed my second child for a year on a schedule. My first child was adopted and I have done babywise principles with both of them so I saw how well a schedule benefitted her and wanted to keep it up with my son. I never had a problem with milk supply. My son is a very busy boy and I think he actually ate more on a schedule because I don’t think he would have wanted to stop playing to eat ad lib. He is 15 months old and still on a schedule! It made my life manageable and less hectic with two kids very close together!
Shannon, sounds like my experience too! And such a blessing to have an abundant milk supply. I think so many moms get so stressed over it!
Huh. I guess it never occurred to me to NOT breastfeed within a routine! I guess that goes to show how into my routines I get. :)
Ha! I hear you. I make everything into a routine even if I don’t mean to. I think “it works hallelujah” and I keep on doing it!
Wonderful and such an encouraging post for moms desiring som structure to the day even while breast feeding. Yes, hunger always trumps the schedule. And yes, getting a full feeding does prevent eating and sleeping at very short intervals. I loved feeding on a relative schedule and plan to use it with future ( hopefully) kids!
I felt the same! Feed when hungry, but most of the time unless it’s a growth spurt I find they stayed on schedule more or less. For someone like me the routine was a lifesaver!
I also have a 3 hourly schedule, but did you sometimes feed earlier due to an appointment clashing with the schedule, and the appointment was not possible another time?
Absolutely, I’ll feed earlier or later if i need to do that :)
We held to a pretty tight routine from day one and LOVED IT. I never felt like I was a slave to the clock, and I have never seen a baby cry so little as mine did (even though she had reflux!). Obviously, people all wanted to credit that to personality (and I’m not saying personality doesn’t play a role), but I knew that the main reason she was so happy was because her needs were always met before they became dire.
It makes me sad when people make ignorant remarks about the Babywise books, like claiming that women who use Babywise have breast milk supply issues. Even after my baby was sleeping 12 hours through the night without eating, I still had lots more breast milk than most of my demand-feeding friends. Breasts are smart cookies and usually rise to meet the challenge. One nice thing about breastfeeding on a schedule is that (at least for me) the breasts seem to have an internal clock, and if your feedings are more or less like clockwork, they will wait until shortly before the next feeding to bother filling with milk, instead of being full and sore all the time like I’ve seen in mothers who demand-feed. I liked not having to cart around the extra milk until it’s needed! :)
Melissa SO TRUE. I’d have letdown almost to the minute of our normal scheduled feeding. If I was busy doing something I’d say “Oh, feeding time… is that the baby waking up now?” Haha.
I followed the BabyWise principles and successfully breastfed on a schedule until my son was 13 months old. It was the best decision for us, since like you, I thrive in routine. I did have some milk supply issues, but I think those stemmed from Levi being premature and not an efficient nurser until he was 2 months of age. I just had to incorporate a pumping session or two into our day and eventually, I was producing more than enough for him. Thanks for this post! I know this is a common misconception that I was also faced with!
I had over production initially which actually caused quite a few reflux like issues with the babies but by 3 months leveled out. My midwife thought I was an alien when I said I do a schedule. Ha
I fed on a schedule from early days, (this is 17 years ago!) not because I am an organized person, but because I was having a lot of trouble establishing a milk supply. My baby was also underweight, and I wanted to make sure he was getting full feedings. Looking back, I swear by scheduled feedings because it meant baby was eating well, sleeping well, and while there could have been chaos in his life due to my own disorganized tendencies, he had routines set until he was well into toddler years.
I love a schedule… my second baby is 9 weeks old now and I guess I really don’t know how I would have survived these past two months without my routine. People often talk as if Babywise is all about sleeping through the night – but for me, that’s not the most important benefit at all. It’s the daytime – I LOVE having a plan for my days so that my two-year-old’s needs are met as well as my baby’s, AND we have time to clean, cook and have fun! :-) I totally agree that it is possible to breastfeed on a schedule. I nursed my firstborn for 18 months and finally weaned her because I was pregnant again. Never had milk-supply issues at all. I feel like the good, solid feedings you have when doing BW are a great help to maintaining a good supply.
I agree that the best part of BW for me isn’t the sleeping through the night but the sanity of the day! And congrats with your new baby :)
Yes, yes, and more yes. I was told at the hospital “remember, just feed the baby whenever they are hungry!” Not knowing anything at all about babies, I was like “ok!” and I did this for 3 weeks. When I found myself up every 10 minutes for an entire night for the 21st day in a row, I thought… wait a second, when have I ever let a child decide how things would be done? (I am a kindergarten teacher). I am in charge here! Starting that day I put the baby on a schedule- for me it was like you said, just making sure he got a full feeding and then finding other ways to soothe him if he got a little fussy. This helped both him AND me so much, and he really was SUCH a good baby even on the “big bad schedule” haha. Also, he is 10 months now and I still have a great milk supply. I am not looking to have babies close together and I don’t have my period back yet so that differs a bit but not in a bad way- for me!
Anyway, I love this post and could not agree more. I don’t know how people do on demand!
Yes! I think that some babies might naturally “be hungry” every few hours and it works well. Others we gotta give them full feeds and make sure they stay awake and then it falls into place. I would LOSE.MY.MIND. being up every hour every night for weeks or months. Mind gone! Thanks for sharing your experience and I love your perspective :)
Well, I’ve only had one baby so far, but for us strict scheduling would never have worked. She had a lot of trouble learning to nurse, and when she finally got the hang of it, she took 45 min to nurse on one side, and then refused the other side. An hour later she’d want to eat again. I was ok with this, because she slept for solid blocks at night. Even after she learned to nurse faster, around 4 months, she would only take one side at a time.
I love routines and predictability, like you. But I found that she settled into a routine pretty spontaneously; I observed when she wanted to eat and sleep, and encouraged her to do it at roughly similar times every day. We’ll see what happens with the second one, this summer. Maybe I was blessed with a naturally orderly baby. ;)
Yes, great point that they can naturally fall into a routine. Many don’t but many surely do! And also blessed is the mother who makes a plan and then adapts ;) Thanks for sharing, Phoebe!
I have come across your website from Pinterest after my little one is ill and strugglig to sleep. I have spent several hours reading bits on here today and fully intend to start the sleep routine/schedule as if tomorrow morning, I have just received the newborn one via email so am excited to use that. I love all your posts surrounding this but am confused by one point, you said it allowed you to have visitors etc but at the same time to not have the baby out and about all the time, when would you suggest running errands? Do you wait for them to be asleep before taking them out? If this type of thing is in your book I apologise and will purchase it. I love all the advice and would like to follow it, I just feel I am missing a few key points to make it successful for me. thank you for all the great advice and insights.
Hi Kirsty, I’d say that on the whole I try to keep baby home for a nap. But sometimes LIFE HAPPENS! If I need to run errands or go somewhere I try to do it directly after a feeding so that I don’t have to feed in public and that the next nap cycle I can put the baby down as normal. Does that help?
Hi! I found your blog through Pinterest as well. During the daytime, I’ve been feeding my baby every 2-3 hours depending on how her naps go. But at nighttime, I let her determine when she wants to eat and feed her whenever she wakes up to eat. Some nights this can mean after 4 hours and other nights it means after 2.5 hours. When I wake up for the day, I go back into my 2-3 hour intervals based on when the last nighttime feed left off. But because of the nighttime feeds, the daytime feeds are never on a set time.
I guess my question is: when you say you fed your babies on a schedule, do you mean they were fed generally every 2.5-3 hrs (whenever those times fell) or they were fed at set times 9am, 12pm, 3pm etc?
What did you do at nighttime? Did you set an alarm to wake up at set times as well? If you did, then how would the baby learn to sleep longer and longer intervals?
Anjelie, so what I do is to choose the times during the day that work best for us and unless baby is starving at another time (in which case I’d feed) I try to stick with those hours. That means the day is set and the night can vary, but at least the day is set.
I would like to try to breastfeed on a schedule. Can you show me an example of your schedule? My first was formula fed on a schedule.
My pediatrician recommend feeding our baby on a schedule as he is currently eating every hour pretty much all day and taking cat naps. But I’m a bit confused on how to transition. Do I just let him cry for an hour just to get to the 2.5 hour mark? He is 8 weeks
Hi! How do you troubleshoot when laying down baby drowsy but then they don’t fall asleep? How do you keep them well rested without caving to hold them all the time?
Great question, Megan! How long do you give baby to sleep while in the crib? I’d give him a while to settle. You can pat his tummy and put on music and white noise, give a pacifier, etc. A little but of over tiredness wont hurt but it’s the days on end that cause real problems!
Hi!
It takes my 7 week old a quite a while to fall asleep in the evenings. Up to an hour sometimes. During the day he will wake himself up if he falls asleep. So he needs my help yo fall asleep.. any recommendations?
How long is he awake between the start of one feed to aother?
Hi there,
I have a 9 day old baby that I’m struggling with – particularly the ‘witching hour’ where she becomes inconsolable and won’t eat or sleep, even though we know that’s what she needs. Your tips for that time are amazing, and we’re going to try them today. My question about the schedules you’ve posted for feeding and sleep, which we’re going to try to implement, is whether you wake the baby if it sleeps over its next feeding time? Again, sorry if that question is answered in your posts – I’m VERY sleep deprived!
WAKE BABY, ABSOLUTELY!
Hi,
Where do you fit in nappy changes?
Before a feed, or during to wake baby up?
Also, do you ‘reset the 2-3h timer whenever baby feeds?
yes, reset the timer when baby STARTS feeding! I change diapers before a feed at night and after a feed during the day :)
What if the baby wakes up during the night crying because he’s hungry. It’s almost impossible to change before the feed.. i usually do one breast, he will fall asleep and I’ll change him and then give him the other side.. and put him back after burping..
If what you are doing is working KEEP DOING IT!
Hi Rachel,
I know this post is a little old but I just wondered about nursing on one side – I have hyper lactation and my daughter (6 weeks) often will only want to eat from one side, despite every effort to get her to take the other! I know the Babywise / Prep for Parenting books continually emphasise that you need to feed from both breasts to give a full feeding. Would you mind if I asked what your experience was, as I know you had hyper lactation?
Kindest,
Lorna
For night feedings, do I still offer a full feeding or feed until my LO doses off and then put them back down?
If baby is taking a LOT of night feeds then I’d def work on a full feed.
Hi there! On the feeds (night) when you don’t wake up babe to change, are you still burping between breasts/before putting them down? FTM here 1 week pp.
Yes, either you can lay them on top of yoru chest more upright or try burping. Wtih nursing, I found that baby fed much slower and lying down (me personally) and there really wasn’t even a need to burp but you’ll have to see how your baby does!