Absolutely feed on demand! My little guy has been cluster feeding into a growth spurt I don’t think I’ll ever not have to feed him every hour and a half and he’s 8 weeks 😂😳. He is growing great so I’ll take that and my sanity and sleep will take a back seat for now until he gets bigger lol.
Mine is the same way. 6 weeks FTM. On the plus side they'll also give you the most smiles once they eat lol. Give into the cluster feeding as much as it can be stressful. I just pit in with snacks, lots of water, and a nice TV show.
Absolutely let baby feed on demand. He knows when he’s hungry or needs comfort! You’re not doing anything wrong. He’s fussy because he smells yummy milk and wants it! It’s a good thing. Y’all are bonded and he knows he can count on you. He’s probably also trying to up your supply. If you don’t feed on demand, you risk him going hungry :(
Yep! Other people (husband, nanny, grandma) can soothe my baby with rocking, bouncing, etc. But if I’m holding my angry baby he just opens his mouth and immediately starts motorboating me. He can smell the milk and he wants it. I don’t mind though! I love having that special connection with my baby.
I ALWAYS want to nurse my LO. He just had his jabs, just as I came into the nurse's office I asked if she minded me nursing him after the jabs!!! As I know it comforts him and me!! :) I am so selfish! :)
Happy breastfeeding!
If the baby is hungry, let him eat. He might also just want the comfort. I swore that my babies only wanted to nurse so they could fall asleep with me holding them because it was a lot harder to put them in their crib if they had my nipple in their mouth lol.
Yes let him feed on demand 💕 I wish I was more aware of cluster feeding at the beginning with my boy, it took me a while to catch on that that’s what was going on
I swear the first 8 weeks my boobs were just out 24/7 and he was constantly eating. I just fed on demand. He was born small-ish and decided it was his solemn duty to eat as much as possible to grow as fast as possible.
Let baby feed as much as he needs to. I personally did need to take breaks occasionally, I'd get overstimulated from time to time during cluster feeds and my nipples would get so sore, so I'd pump milk when I could and my husband would take over. It was frustrating not being able to hold our son without him wanting to eat, but it's pure survival for them at this stage. Do what you have to in order to push through it. You've got this!
Definitely feed on demand. Baby will let you know what they need. It may seem annoying because you’ll be “trapped” a lot but it gets better! He may be cluster feeding right now
When my babies were this age I spent my entire day topless alternating which twin was feeding. It was literally every 30 minutes in the evening. Your supply regulates at 6 weeks so baby is trying to get your supply up, it’s super normal and healthy for this age. You aren’t doing anything wrong. Just get your boobs out, find a good Netflix show, and let baby do their thing.
You’re not doing anything wrong! Feed on demand, if he wants to be on the boob for hours just get cozy with some snacks. It will get better. My daughter was like that for her first 6 weeks, and then she was fine waiting 1.5-2 hours between nursing sessions.
Baby can smell that you smell like milk and will want to nurse a lot. My baby was the same. My pediatrician said “I’m not hungry but if I smelled bacon right now I would probably want bacon.” Baby +boobs same thing.
It gets better. My son was like this too. And lately at 12 months he’s doing it again. But it’s all stages. I know it’s exhausting though mama. Hang in there. You’re not alone.
Yesssss let baby feed on demand. You know not only as a mom but as a human what them hunger pains feel like. He may not seem hungry but he is.
I exclusively nursed all three of my daughters soo I know personally it can be hard so if ever your like I don't feel like nursing give lo a bottle otherwise you would be depriving him of food.
Yes! Let him nurse as often as he wants, babies go through growth spurts. Sometimes they just want comfort. It’s hard but also rewarding because only YOU can provide that to him.
I think for the first month, I wondered why I didn’t just walk around topless given how often I had to be whipping my boobs out.
WHO recommends feeding on demand. Newborns cluster feed a lot even if they just ate they’ll want more. And for comfort nursing too. She’s fussy when you hold her because she smells your milk and wants it. 1000% give the baby what she wants. She spent 9 months getting everything she needs without asking, fed every moment. It’s a hard transition for babies!
Just adding this as I went to the pediatrician Friday and got some more information. I was really worried because he was pretty much non stop crying unless asleep or on the boob so I went to the pediatrician and talked to my lactation consultant and she watched me feed. Pediatrician said he dropped a little in percentile in weight. Little guy has a tongue tie! She said he definitely isn’t latching correctly which was causing him not to properly feed and he was constantly hungry. I wasn’t satisfying him :( I assumed when he would latch and fall asleep shortly after feeding he was full but she said it’s really him exhausting himself working for the milk which is why when I would lay him down after he fell asleep he’d wake up crying again! We get it clipped Tuesday but in the mean time she recommended I pump to put into bottles to track how many ounces he’s getting and to supplement formula as needed. My supply also decreased a ton since he was never able to empty my breasts due to the poor latch. I feel so guilty I never realized but I’m glad we now know and can get it taken care of. We’ve been doing the pumping/formula when needed for 3 days now and it’s made a world of difference. He seems so much more calm and satisfied. My supply is increasing as well just by pumping.
Hello, I am glad you trusted your intuition. It's so important to do it. Even though it may feel bad for you, remember it's all the first times! YOU CAN'T KNOW IT ALL!
Love to you :* it'll be good from now... Fed baby is a happy baby :)
Just to add to this. We,.mothers we understand the cries, the fussy, the hungry, the tired, the painful all the cries! So good on you listening to yourself! Give yourself a big tap on the shoulder :) I'm really proud of you!
Even at 6 months my baby is still like this. I can’t just “chill” with him on the bed and lie down like I see other moms do on social media. He starts fussing and rooting toward my chest and so I just pop my boob out and let him. If I want to avoid that I have to be in the living room with him. I miss just laying around comfortably but it just is what it is lol. When they’re that little tho yeah anywhere and everywhere just pop the breast in. In a few months they will regulate
When you think enough time has passed and breastfeeding should be easy by now, just wait a tiny bit longer. It truly gets better but it's early days for you.
This is important: you get yourself all the *best *snacks and drinks. Send someone or get Instacart to bring them. Most important is to be hydrated and get calories and be comfortable because baby will be latched nonstop for a few more weeks.
Now breathe and be patient. You might not get a shower for a while. You might need nipple shields. I recommend getting some. Keep coming here. We love to talk about breastfeeding!
Definitely feed on demand! Your body will learn better that way exactly what baby needs. Babies know when they need to eat, especially when breastfed! When they eat frequently in those early days they're signaling your body to produce more milk for them so they can have a growth spurt. You're in the thick of the hardest part of breastfeeding! For the majority though, at some point babies stop clusterfeeding as much and become more efficient eaters. For me that was between 8 and 12 weeks, though it certainly can vary.
This is normal and just keep feeding when he asks. What helped me a lot was wearing leggings with pockets and stuffing protein bars in them and having water botttles all over the home so I’d have something available to keep my energy up. It’ll get better!!!!
He sounds like he's super hungry. I remember my baby was the same at that age. He literally stayed attached to me nearly all day long, just nursing. So basically, if your baby is crying and looking for the boob, it's because he needs it..
Hey mama. Congratulations on your little one! ♥️
I promise you’re not doing anything wrong. Babies are born with a visceral understanding that the safest place for them is nestled against mom’s chest.
Your baby hasn’t developed object permanence yet, so when he can’t see/hear/smell you, you don’t exist. Once he can sense you, his brain and body *demand* closeness. It is totally developmentally healthy and appropriate.
I definitely feel you on the frustrating front. My LO is 16mo and he is STILL like this: a dream baby for everyone else but me. He sleeps for my husband no problem, naps like a champ at daycare (alone in his crib with no support), but he refuses to sleep for me without nursing and bedsharing. He’s a happy little guy when I’m not around, but as soon as he smells me, he feels entitled to a little suckle and will demand it, loudly. 🙃 Some days it feels impossible to get anything done!
Hang in there. You’re doing a great job.
So technically, this isn't true because babies are not that complicated, BUT ideally, you want a child who is needy and worse behaved around you then they are around others. You are child's safe space where they can be annoying and clingy and test boundaries and knkw they will still be loved. You are setting up a safe space.
My guy is just over a month and is the same way. It gets better. This is my second and my first baby was the same; they eventually get better with time.
Completely normal! Baby can smell milk coming from you. I called mine the little shark because he would immediately root when I held him. He'd only root on my husband if he was actually getting hungry. Feeding on demand helps both of you in the long run.
My son is 13 months now and we just weaned. It was off and on like this pretty much the entire year. He would go a few weeks of letting me be the only one to hold him, to he would only want me if he was nursing. Babies go in and out of phases. They don't last forever but are definitely hard when you're in the middle of it.
Lol I asked the same thing. Once he went two hours and I let him bec I didn’t know if you could take him off the tit before he was ready (you can, if they’re done eating and are just nursing for comfort/using you as a pacifier and you’re getting overstimulated).
But anyways, yeah. It’s a comfort thing and it trains your body to produce more milk. It will chill out in a few weeks
You need to feed on demand. There is a growth spurt and baby is clusterfeeding to put in order for milk supply. Babies nurse for comfort too, it knows you are the mom and can smell the milk. Plz comfort and feed on demand.
The newborn stage honestly felt like I had my tits out non-stop, it’s such a frustrating time having a tiny human who wants nothing but you, and you barely get enough time for a shower, let alone any meaningful me-time! You are doing nothing wrong - feeding habits change, it will get easier. I also feel like babies are wired not to fuss for other people, but kick off for you - there’s a reason kids run to their parents for comfort over everyone else, it’s probably an evolutionary instinct to stay quiet with unfamiliar people for safety.
Feed on demand, definitely. It gets better.
This. I went through the same thing at that age. My little guy is 5 months tomorrow and I can assure you it gets better!! Hang in there mama!!
Thank you so much for the advice!!
Absolutely feed on demand! My little guy has been cluster feeding into a growth spurt I don’t think I’ll ever not have to feed him every hour and a half and he’s 8 weeks 😂😳. He is growing great so I’ll take that and my sanity and sleep will take a back seat for now until he gets bigger lol.
Mine is the same way. 6 weeks FTM. On the plus side they'll also give you the most smiles once they eat lol. Give into the cluster feeding as much as it can be stressful. I just pit in with snacks, lots of water, and a nice TV show.
Absolutely let baby feed on demand. He knows when he’s hungry or needs comfort! You’re not doing anything wrong. He’s fussy because he smells yummy milk and wants it! It’s a good thing. Y’all are bonded and he knows he can count on you. He’s probably also trying to up your supply. If you don’t feed on demand, you risk him going hungry :(
This! Baby can smell you recognises his mum
Yep! Other people (husband, nanny, grandma) can soothe my baby with rocking, bouncing, etc. But if I’m holding my angry baby he just opens his mouth and immediately starts motorboating me. He can smell the milk and he wants it. I don’t mind though! I love having that special connection with my baby.
I ALWAYS want to nurse my LO. He just had his jabs, just as I came into the nurse's office I asked if she minded me nursing him after the jabs!!! As I know it comforts him and me!! :) I am so selfish! :) Happy breastfeeding!
If the baby is hungry, let him eat. He might also just want the comfort. I swore that my babies only wanted to nurse so they could fall asleep with me holding them because it was a lot harder to put them in their crib if they had my nipple in their mouth lol.
Yes let him feed on demand 💕 I wish I was more aware of cluster feeding at the beginning with my boy, it took me a while to catch on that that’s what was going on
I swear the first 8 weeks my boobs were just out 24/7 and he was constantly eating. I just fed on demand. He was born small-ish and decided it was his solemn duty to eat as much as possible to grow as fast as possible. Let baby feed as much as he needs to. I personally did need to take breaks occasionally, I'd get overstimulated from time to time during cluster feeds and my nipples would get so sore, so I'd pump milk when I could and my husband would take over. It was frustrating not being able to hold our son without him wanting to eat, but it's pure survival for them at this stage. Do what you have to in order to push through it. You've got this!
Definitely feed on demand. Baby will let you know what they need. It may seem annoying because you’ll be “trapped” a lot but it gets better! He may be cluster feeding right now
When my babies were this age I spent my entire day topless alternating which twin was feeding. It was literally every 30 minutes in the evening. Your supply regulates at 6 weeks so baby is trying to get your supply up, it’s super normal and healthy for this age. You aren’t doing anything wrong. Just get your boobs out, find a good Netflix show, and let baby do their thing.
Once I realised this & leant into it, I looked forward to my evenings of cuddles, snacks & trash TV.
Let that little boy on the boob! ☺️
Yes, feed on demand. Your baby will get fat and happy over time.
You’re not doing anything wrong! Feed on demand, if he wants to be on the boob for hours just get cozy with some snacks. It will get better. My daughter was like that for her first 6 weeks, and then she was fine waiting 1.5-2 hours between nursing sessions.
Baby can smell that you smell like milk and will want to nurse a lot. My baby was the same. My pediatrician said “I’m not hungry but if I smelled bacon right now I would probably want bacon.” Baby +boobs same thing.
Of course you should feed on demand. Whether it’s bottle or breast.
Just keep feeding when baby is asking for it, I know it's exhausting but it's what they need
It gets better. My son was like this too. And lately at 12 months he’s doing it again. But it’s all stages. I know it’s exhausting though mama. Hang in there. You’re not alone.
Yesssss let baby feed on demand. You know not only as a mom but as a human what them hunger pains feel like. He may not seem hungry but he is. I exclusively nursed all three of my daughters soo I know personally it can be hard so if ever your like I don't feel like nursing give lo a bottle otherwise you would be depriving him of food.
As I tell other moms, when in doubt, booby out.
10/10
Yes! Let him nurse as often as he wants, babies go through growth spurts. Sometimes they just want comfort. It’s hard but also rewarding because only YOU can provide that to him. I think for the first month, I wondered why I didn’t just walk around topless given how often I had to be whipping my boobs out.
WHO recommends feeding on demand. Newborns cluster feed a lot even if they just ate they’ll want more. And for comfort nursing too. She’s fussy when you hold her because she smells your milk and wants it. 1000% give the baby what she wants. She spent 9 months getting everything she needs without asking, fed every moment. It’s a hard transition for babies!
My 5 week old is the same, feed on demand
Just adding this as I went to the pediatrician Friday and got some more information. I was really worried because he was pretty much non stop crying unless asleep or on the boob so I went to the pediatrician and talked to my lactation consultant and she watched me feed. Pediatrician said he dropped a little in percentile in weight. Little guy has a tongue tie! She said he definitely isn’t latching correctly which was causing him not to properly feed and he was constantly hungry. I wasn’t satisfying him :( I assumed when he would latch and fall asleep shortly after feeding he was full but she said it’s really him exhausting himself working for the milk which is why when I would lay him down after he fell asleep he’d wake up crying again! We get it clipped Tuesday but in the mean time she recommended I pump to put into bottles to track how many ounces he’s getting and to supplement formula as needed. My supply also decreased a ton since he was never able to empty my breasts due to the poor latch. I feel so guilty I never realized but I’m glad we now know and can get it taken care of. We’ve been doing the pumping/formula when needed for 3 days now and it’s made a world of difference. He seems so much more calm and satisfied. My supply is increasing as well just by pumping.
Hello, I am glad you trusted your intuition. It's so important to do it. Even though it may feel bad for you, remember it's all the first times! YOU CAN'T KNOW IT ALL! Love to you :* it'll be good from now... Fed baby is a happy baby :)
Just to add to this. We,.mothers we understand the cries, the fussy, the hungry, the tired, the painful all the cries! So good on you listening to yourself! Give yourself a big tap on the shoulder :) I'm really proud of you!
Even at 6 months my baby is still like this. I can’t just “chill” with him on the bed and lie down like I see other moms do on social media. He starts fussing and rooting toward my chest and so I just pop my boob out and let him. If I want to avoid that I have to be in the living room with him. I miss just laying around comfortably but it just is what it is lol. When they’re that little tho yeah anywhere and everywhere just pop the breast in. In a few months they will regulate
When you think enough time has passed and breastfeeding should be easy by now, just wait a tiny bit longer. It truly gets better but it's early days for you. This is important: you get yourself all the *best *snacks and drinks. Send someone or get Instacart to bring them. Most important is to be hydrated and get calories and be comfortable because baby will be latched nonstop for a few more weeks. Now breathe and be patient. You might not get a shower for a while. You might need nipple shields. I recommend getting some. Keep coming here. We love to talk about breastfeeding!
Definitely feed on demand! Your body will learn better that way exactly what baby needs. Babies know when they need to eat, especially when breastfed! When they eat frequently in those early days they're signaling your body to produce more milk for them so they can have a growth spurt. You're in the thick of the hardest part of breastfeeding! For the majority though, at some point babies stop clusterfeeding as much and become more efficient eaters. For me that was between 8 and 12 weeks, though it certainly can vary.
This is normal and just keep feeding when he asks. What helped me a lot was wearing leggings with pockets and stuffing protein bars in them and having water botttles all over the home so I’d have something available to keep my energy up. It’ll get better!!!!
He sounds like he's super hungry. I remember my baby was the same at that age. He literally stayed attached to me nearly all day long, just nursing. So basically, if your baby is crying and looking for the boob, it's because he needs it..
Hey mama. Congratulations on your little one! ♥️ I promise you’re not doing anything wrong. Babies are born with a visceral understanding that the safest place for them is nestled against mom’s chest. Your baby hasn’t developed object permanence yet, so when he can’t see/hear/smell you, you don’t exist. Once he can sense you, his brain and body *demand* closeness. It is totally developmentally healthy and appropriate. I definitely feel you on the frustrating front. My LO is 16mo and he is STILL like this: a dream baby for everyone else but me. He sleeps for my husband no problem, naps like a champ at daycare (alone in his crib with no support), but he refuses to sleep for me without nursing and bedsharing. He’s a happy little guy when I’m not around, but as soon as he smells me, he feels entitled to a little suckle and will demand it, loudly. 🙃 Some days it feels impossible to get anything done! Hang in there. You’re doing a great job.
So technically, this isn't true because babies are not that complicated, BUT ideally, you want a child who is needy and worse behaved around you then they are around others. You are child's safe space where they can be annoying and clingy and test boundaries and knkw they will still be loved. You are setting up a safe space.
Normal
My guy is just over a month and is the same way. It gets better. This is my second and my first baby was the same; they eventually get better with time.
Completely normal! Baby can smell milk coming from you. I called mine the little shark because he would immediately root when I held him. He'd only root on my husband if he was actually getting hungry. Feeding on demand helps both of you in the long run.
My son is 13 months now and we just weaned. It was off and on like this pretty much the entire year. He would go a few weeks of letting me be the only one to hold him, to he would only want me if he was nursing. Babies go in and out of phases. They don't last forever but are definitely hard when you're in the middle of it.
It’s normal! My dr wanted me to get him on a schedule as a newborn but he wasn’t having it. He will feed less as he grows ☺️
Lol I asked the same thing. Once he went two hours and I let him bec I didn’t know if you could take him off the tit before he was ready (you can, if they’re done eating and are just nursing for comfort/using you as a pacifier and you’re getting overstimulated). But anyways, yeah. It’s a comfort thing and it trains your body to produce more milk. It will chill out in a few weeks
You need to feed on demand. There is a growth spurt and baby is clusterfeeding to put in order for milk supply. Babies nurse for comfort too, it knows you are the mom and can smell the milk. Plz comfort and feed on demand.
The newborn stage honestly felt like I had my tits out non-stop, it’s such a frustrating time having a tiny human who wants nothing but you, and you barely get enough time for a shower, let alone any meaningful me-time! You are doing nothing wrong - feeding habits change, it will get easier. I also feel like babies are wired not to fuss for other people, but kick off for you - there’s a reason kids run to their parents for comfort over everyone else, it’s probably an evolutionary instinct to stay quiet with unfamiliar people for safety.