Breastfeeding Questions and Answers
Q. How often should a newborn be breastfed?
A. You should breastfeed a newborn at least 8 times a day, depending on how long they sleep between nighttime feedings. If he can go four hours between feedings, you'll probably feed him twice between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. If you feed him just before he goes to bed, you may only have to get up once during the night.
Q. How often should an older baby be breastfed?
A. Depending on your child's age, you should feed him every 3-4 hours during the day. As your baby gets older, she breastfeeds less, but eats more with each feeding. If you are going to breastfeed after your child is over 6 months old, you should not breastfeed less than 5 times a day. If your milk supply is decreasing, you may need to add a feeding or two to your day to help increase your milk supply.
Q. How do I discontinue a feeding as my baby grows?
A. The most common change moms need to make is going from a routine every 3 hours to every 4 hours, dropping a feeding in the middle of the night, or dropping a feeding late at night.
Most of the time, you'll know when your baby is ready to change her eating habits by changing her sleeping habits. A baby who has followed a 3 hour routine normally takes 3 naps a day and if he eats every 3.5 to 4 hours he may skip the last nap of the nap or make one of the other naps considerably shorter. Babies are usually ready to do this around 3 months of age.
Most babies give up middle-of-the-night feedings on their own around 6 to 14 weeks of age. You'll know they're ready when you wake up in a panic in the morning wondering why your baby didn't feed you. The baby will need more food during the day, and if you are breastfeeding your breasts may feel full for a few days, but it is worth it!
Late night feeding is usually the hardest to give up. Some parents think that if they don't feed the baby right before bedtime, the baby will wake up in the middle of the night. If you think your child can't get enough of the late-night feeding, delay it in 15-minute increments until you feed him at the time you want. If the last two feedings of the day seem too close together, don't worry. Everything will work itself out and you will both be much happier!
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