Feeding and sleeping

[@llli*sb]

Hi all, my son has been sleeping longer stretches at night and usually is in bed by 8 or 9, meanin the last time I feed him is around 7:30.

About how many times is he still supposed to be eating? 8-10? If he takes a longer nap in the afternoon I worry that he isn't eating enough. He is 11 weeks, 18 pounds and I have a bit of oversupply. Will my supply decrease?

When do they start feeding less? He does have good output and obviously is gaining weight. Thanks.

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

Wow. 18 pounds at 11 weeks! Let him sleep at night if he wants to. Don't worry about counting number of nursing sessions - watch diapers and weight.

Even if your supply decreases, it won't decrease to anything less than he needs.

[@llli*littleturtlelove]

Most babies will sleep more at night, then go back to waking more, then sleeping more and back again. At almost 3 months if he is not waking at least once in an 8 hour stretch, you will probably want to pump to relieve fullness and protect your milk supply. Babies around your son's age get most of their calories at night. I also agree with PP about not watching the clock, if his weight and diaper out put is good, I wouldn't be too concerned.
As far as your question about times he should be eating, it should be around every 3-4 hrs average. By longer nap in the afternoon, do you mean 2 hrs? 3 hrs?? If you an oversupply, your body will adjust to the demand. Babies don't usually start feeding less, they start becoming more efficient, meaning they don't take as long to eat when they do feed.

[@llli*esthervegan]

i would wake a sleeping baby to relieve breast fullness. I would avoid pumping/expressing b/c it can exasperate over supply.

[@llli*littleturtlelove]

If you over pump you can make the over supply worse, but pumping or feeding enough to take the pain away will help and will aid in her body adjusting to demand.

[@llli*mommal]

After 6 weeks, feeding frequency may decrease to 8 per 24 hour period. A very, very few babies will nurse less frequently than that and still be okay. Most will nurse more, and feeding frequency will increase during growth spurts or when baby needs an increase in milk volume. I personally think it makes sense to continue to keep an 8 feeds per day minimum until baby is well started on solids or over a year, whichever comes first.