Feeding often is normal
"I wish I had known that very frequent feeding is normal! That feeding almost constantly (or that's how it feels) is normal, it doesn't mean baby isn't getting enough milk."
Some babies feed very often, some less. As long as your baby is growing and nappies need changing regularly, frequent feeding - often more frequent than we are told they "should" be feeding - is normal.
It's easy to pick up the message that babies are supposed to feed after X number of hours, but those messages don’t come from from evidence of what we know about milk production and a newborn’s evolutionary behaviour.
Read on for loads more reassurance. But if you are concerned about your baby's growth or wellbeing, please see our 'Find Support' page, or visit your local healthcare centre.
“I wish I’d known that your boobs don't need to "fill up", so during growth spurts you can just keep giving each side, multiple times, it's fine and doesn't mean you have a low supply (in fact you are boosting your supply).”
It’s helpful to know that the more we remove milk from the breast, the more we make. Regular and effective stimulation, especially in the early months, helps establish milk supply for the months ahead.
Our breasts are not containers that are emptied and need to ‘refill’, they are streams where the flow is continuous (though it may sometimes slow down).
Milk supply is usually affected if we don’t remove milk effectively (such as when the baby has latching issues) or not frequently enough (such as when a mum is trying to restrict a baby’s time at the breast).
Frequent Feeding, by Prof Amy Brown and the College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University
