Nursing Frequency

Very much agree with the other posters - he sounds like he is gaining weight just fine. Some days it might be 7, some days it might be 9. It's ok if it's not the same every day. And he will definitely let you know if he's hungry! Good luck.

Let your baby tell you when he is hungry. Severn sounds like plenty to me. My first didn't eat more than every 3 hrs (on ave. sometimes more, sometimes would go 4+ hrs) from birth! She grew well and was excusively breastfed for 8.5 mos (no food even). I truly believe that you should follow the babies cues vs. a schedule or set amount. Just like adults we (should) eat when hungry - some days it's more than others.... Good luck and ENJOY!

The best advice we received from our pediatrician when we had our first child was to let the baby dictate when they need to eat for the first few months (until about 12 weeks).

Each baby will really be different. Our son NEVER drank more than 6 oz at a time (even at 11-12 months). Our daughter could down 10 oz without blinking. So, having them dictate what their preferences were (our son was a snacker, our daughter loved large meals) and letting that help establish a routine was really helpful.

Here's what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at that age:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f...

http://www.babywisebooks.com/babywise-method/ is the best article I have ever seen on this topic. It lists the five leading experts/authors in the world on it and shows who the original is on the subject and then who came after and how all of them have definite similarities we can draw on. (all 5 are also medical professionals).

For any mother that cares to research for herself, this site will also show you dozens of doctors and pediatricians support and comments for the Babywise methods that over 6 million parents love with their children over the last 24 years.

If you are interested in what the American Academy of Pediatrics thinks on this subject (they have over 50,000 more Pediatricians):

The AAP states that newborns "be nursed whenever they show signs of hunger..... approximately 8 to 12 times every 24 hours."

If you look at page 70 of On Becoming Babywise Pediatrician Robert Bucknam, M.D and co-author Gary Ezzo state, "with these recommended times you will average between 8 - 10 feedings a day."

Looks pretty safe to me as the AAP recommends the same exact amount of feedings for your baby and Pediatrician Bucknam/Ezzo recommend the same authority: the mom should make the call as to exactly when her baby is hungry.

When it comes to the concept of babies crying, the American Academy of Pediatrics (quoted in On Becoming Babywise on page 146 says, "Many babies cannot fall asleep more without crying and will go to sleep more quickly if left to cry for a while. The crying should not last long if the child is truly tired." The AAP goes on to say, "Sometimes you think your baby is waking up when she's actually going through a phase of very light slumber. She could be squirming, startling, fussing, or even crying-- and still be asleep. Or she may be awake but not on the verge of drifting off again if left alone. Do not make the mistake of trying to comfort her during these moments; you'll only awaken her further and delay her going back to sleep. Instead, if you let her fuss and even cry for a few minutes, she'll learn to get herself to sleep without relying on you." The AAP goes on to say, "same babies actually need to let off energy by crying in order to settle into sleep or rouse themselves out of it. As much as fifteen minutes of fussing will not do your child any harm. Just be sure she's not crying out of hunger or pain, or because her diaper is wet."

This is precisely the entire point of Babywise and from what I read, the whoe them of the book. I cannot fathom where all the rumors of "no medical backing" and "dangerous" come from as Pediatricians all over the country back what 23 year Pediatrician and author Robert Bucknam, M.D. and his co-author Gary Ezzo have written.

Moms-- enjoy this book, use your common sense..... and happy sleeping!!

Updated

http://www.babywisebooks.com/babywise-method/ is the best article I have ever seen on this topic. It lists the five leading experts/authors in the world on it and shows who the original is on the subject and then who came after and how all of them have definite similarities we can draw on. (all 5 are also medical professionals).

For any mother that cares to research for herself, this site will also show you dozens of doctors and pediatricians support and comments for the Babywise methods that over 6 million parents love with their children over the last 24 years.

If you are interested in what the American Academy of Pediatrics thinks on this subject (they have over 50,000 more Pediatricians):

The AAP states that newborns "be nursed whenever they show signs of hunger..... approximately 8 to 12 times every 24 hours."

If you look at page 70 of On Becoming Babywise Pediatrician Robert Bucknam, M.D and co-author Gary Ezzo state, "with these recommended times you will average between 8 - 10 feedings a day."

Looks pretty safe to me as the AAP recommends the same exact amount of feedings for your baby and Pediatrician Bucknam/Ezzo recommend the same authority: the mom should make the call as to exactly when her baby is hungry.

When it comes to the concept of babies crying, the American Academy of Pediatrics (quoted in On Becoming Babywise on page 146 says, "Many babies cannot fall asleep more without crying and will go to sleep more quickly if left to cry for a while. The crying should not last long if the child is truly tired." The AAP goes on to say, "Sometimes you think your baby is waking up when she's actually going through a phase of very light slumber. She could be squirming, startling, fussing, or even crying-- and still be asleep. Or she may be awake but not on the verge of drifting off again if left alone. Do not make the mistake of trying to comfort her during these moments; you'll only awaken her further and delay her going back to sleep. Instead, if you let her fuss and even cry for a few minutes, she'll learn to get herself to sleep without relying on you." The AAP goes on to say, "same babies actually need to let off energy by crying in order to settle into sleep or rouse themselves out of it. As much as fifteen minutes of fussing will not do your child any harm. Just be sure she's not crying out of hunger or pain, or because her diaper is wet."

This is precisely the entire point of Babywise and from what I read, the whoe them of the book. I cannot fathom where all the rumors of "no medical backing" and "dangerous" come from as Pediatricians all over the country back what 23 year Pediatrician and author Robert Bucknam, M.D. and his co-author Gary Ezzo have written.

Moms-- enjoy this book, use your common sense..... and happy sleeping!!

i wouldn't be too obsessed w/the numbers either. 8 feedings a day vs. 7 feedings a day? as long as the child is gaining weight, it's not a problem. i nursed my girls and in the beginning it was like every 2 hours around the clock, then as they grew, they tapered themselves down but i never let them go for more than 4 hours w/o a feeding when they were tiny. by the time i weaned them, they were down to 4 feedings a day.....breakfast, lunch, supper, bedtime. they seemed to get enough b/c they didn't fuss between meals to eat again, and they gained weight just fine.

Don't worry mom! He will certainly tell you when he wants to eat. Babies are amazing in the way they will compensate for sleeping longer stretches and such. And get ready he's right around that growth spurt mark so don't be surprised when he's after you all the time for a couple of weeks lol!

As long as you are nursing when he's asking to be fed, you don't need to be too concerned about numbers. I find myself frequently obsessing about the number of feedings as well. When my son was that age he was sleeping well at night and I also had trouble fitting in more than 6 or 7 feedings. In hindsight I noticed that I wasn't putting him to breast every time he fussed. Now, however, I am slowly weaning myself away from watching the clock and tuning into his clock...

It would be neat if you could learn how to nurse while wearing him so that you could meet your children's needs simultaneously. FYI - my day time milk supply dropped when my son went from sleeping 6 to 7 hours at night - I now dreamfeed him to ensure that my milk supply stays ample. Fortunately, this isn't the case for all women.

As long as you are feeding him on demand and not putting him off more that a couple of min when he is hungry than that must be what he needs. He will let you know if he needs to nurse more often. Likw during a growth spurt!

He's gaining weight perfectly, so he's obviously getting enough milk. Don't stress out about how many feedings he's getting. If he'll happily wait 3 hours or more between feedings, let him. If he's fussy earlier than that, feed him then and then try to get back near the 3 hour schedule at the next feeding. By 6 weeks, my daughter was eating every 3 hours 6 times daily, but she was also sleeping through the night (from 10-waking her at 6:45). Good luck!