I feel like I am going mad as my baby feeds every 2 – 3 hours and then for almost an hour. Can this possibly be normal?

Believe it or not, this IS perfectly normal! By feeding the baby every time there is a demand and letting baby feed until baby is finished, you are doing the best job possible. This situation will improve as your milk supply rises to meeting these demands. And as baby grows the gaps between feeds will lengthen, until baby is feeding roughly four hourly. In fact the most efficient way to have a good milk supply is by frequent feeding.

Feeding habits and demands vary so widely from baby to baby that you should not compare your baby’s feeding habits to those of another baby. If you need more reassurance it might be worth visiting your clinic or talking to a lactation specialist who could spend some time observing you feeding and might be able to give you some helpful suggestions concerning your particular situation.

The other way to reassure yourself that everything is going well is to check the number of very wet nappies your baby produces per day. If there are six to eight nappies per day then everything is as it should be. So pat yourself on the back and try to relax and enjoy this precious time with your newborn.

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