Nursing Amount?

I'm sure she is fine, all babies go at their own pace and they are all different.

That being said, at five months the stretches should start to go a little longer than two hours. Others may not agree, but if it was me I would try making her wait a little more each time (very gradually). This will also cause her to be a little more hungry and she will eat more at a time which will in turn enable her to go longer again. It is a good cycle to start. Also, she may be just about ready for some solids to be introduced within the next month or so. If you started giving her a little bit of rice cereal mixed with breastmilk before feeding time it would help her to go a little longer and give her some mass for her poops.

You can also check with your local La Leche League about any breastfeeding questions. Just google them.

Hi. My 5-month-old daughter is still eating pretty much every two hours as well. In fact, she WAS sleeping through the night and has started waking up to eat again. So know that you're not alone. In fact, I was on my birth board at babycenter.com and a lot of the moms were discussing this same issue. I also read that growth spurts and teething can increase the frequency of nursing.

As long as your baby is growing well I wouldn't worry about it. That's the proof that she's getting enough to eat. That said, I did just start my daughter on cereal this week. I was trying to wait until six months but the constant nursing was wearing me out.

Hi M.,

Breastfed babies are really good about making sure they get enough to eat. If she's nursing every two hours, she's probably just making sure she gets all the food she needs! My six month old still goes through phases where he wants to nurse all the time, every couple hours or more, just for little amounts each feeding. More likely than not she probably just likes eating little amounts at a time :) Or maybe too she really likes nursing and being close to you so she's trying to get that sort of interaction more frequently by nursing more... I think as long as she doesn't seem starving all the time, she's growing, and still nursing, she's probably getting enough, though if you have any concerns you should check with her dr. For your own sake though and hers you may want to make sure you have a good doctor that supports breastfeeding all the way, naturopathic doctors are good with this. Just try to enjoy nursing her while you can, because soon she'll be so active the nursing won't take such a high priority on her to-do list.

Regards,
A.

Hi M.,

The best advice anyone ever gave me about nursing was not to pay attention to all the scheduling "shoulds", etc. I think breastfeeding on demand and solely paying attention to the needs of your baby, and yourself, is the way to go. Babies are very good at getting the nutrition they need, especially when they are breastfed. My daughter always nursed more often than 3 - 4 hours as an infant and also went through periods of pooping less. My all around advice is trust yourself and your baby and you can't go wrong.

All babies are different. Just because your baby is breast feeding more often than what a book tells you is normal doesn't mean anything. If they are hungry and not getting enough food, they will cry. If you want to give her more food I think this is an acceptable age to start solids. You could try mixing some rice cereal with your breast milk, and see if baby will try it.