5 Day Old Feeding Frenzy

When you understand your newborn’s sleep patterns and habits, you can start to establish a little more structure in your daily life and build a little more confidence in your decisions and actions during the baby’s first days.

While newborns can’t stay on a strict sleep or feeding schedule – mostly due to their many growth spurts in these early months – these sample newborn sleep and feeding schedules can guide you through these stages and make sure everyone is getting the sleep and nutrition they need.

May 23, 2014  feeding frenzy! 11 8 day old basset hound puppies at dinner time! First Time Outdoors! 26 Day Old Basset Hound. Newfoundland puppies feeding frenzy - 5 weeks - Duration: 1:42.

Otherwise, you may be soothing a crying baby all day.

A newborn baby cries a lot more when they are over-tired, not sleeping enough, or hungry. In other words, getting him or her on a routine (even if it’s not a strict schedule) can be a life-saver!

Your newborn’s feeding schedule should be age-appropriate, and you should never withhold food from a newborn just to stay on schedule. A newborn sleep schedule is also often based on how long your baby can stay awake (not strictly by the clock), which is usually short in the newborn days.

Keep reading to discover what you can do to get started.

Understanding Newborn Sleep Patterns

A baby is considered a newborn from birth until about 3 months of age.

During this period, your newborn’s sleep patterns will look nothing like yours.

Your baby will sleep in short bursts – anywhere from 30 or 45 minutes to 3 or possibly 4 hours – and then eat between periods of sleep.

In other words, the typical day/night sleep cycle doesn’t really apply to newborns. Some newborns come out of the womb with their days and nights completely mixed up!

This is called day/night confusion, and babies who struggle with it tend to sleep a lot during the day and then wake up frequently at night.

Many newborns also seem extra sleepy in the first week or two after birth and must be woken up to feed or drift off while feeding before getting their fill.

Eventually, though, your newborn will definitely “wake up” within three weeks after birth. This is when you will start to deal with more wakefulness. In fact, you may start to miss the early weeks of having a super-sleepy newborn!

Babies simply cry more often as they get a bit older (depending on temperament), but you will quickly learn how to soothe a crying baby.

Working with Newborn Feeding Schedules

5 Day Old Feeding Frenzy Free

Newborns feed very, very frequently, but this isn’t a problem that needs to be solved.

It’s perfectly natural!

Your newborn’s tummy is quite small. They simply need to fill it up regularly.

Formula-fed newborns may need to eat slightly less often than breastfed newborns because it takes a newborn’s tummy longer to digest and break down formula.

So babies tend to feel fuller for longer periods of time. Breast milk, on the other hand, is digested fairly quickly.

How much breastmilk or formula does your baby need?

Every situation is different, of course, but if your baby is formula-fed, you can use a fairly simple formula to determine approximately how many ounces your baby needs in a day.

Simply multiply your baby’s weight by 2.5.

For example, an 8-pound baby would need about 20 ounces of formula in a 24-hour period.

If your baby is breastfed, the general rule is that most newborns need between 20 and 30 ounces of breastmilk (and between 25-35 ounces once they’re past the newborn stage).

How often should you feed your baby?

In general, if you are exclusively nursing, it’s best to nurse on demand in the first few weeks after birth to ensure that your milk supply becomes well-established. In fact, in order to maintain your supply, you’ll need to nurse every 2 to 3 hours, on average.

Once your baby is past 3 months of age and is in the infant stage, that will slowly stretch into 5-6 hours, and then 7-8, and eventually right up to 10 or 11 hours once your baby is 9 months old or 10 months old.

Newborn Growth Spurts

Believe it or not, a lot is going on with your newborn baby.

So much growth and development is happening in that little body! Your newborn will very likely go through growth spurts at the following times:

  • 7-10 days of age
  • 2-3 weeks of age
  • 4-6 weeks of age
  • 3 months of age

During these growth spurts, it will feel like your newborn is feeding almost constantly (and like when she’s not feeding, she’s sleeping). This is 100% normal – feed your newborn as often as she needs it, as the extra nourishment is important during the growth spurt.

How to Create a Newborn Feeding and Sleep Schedule

Your unique newborn’s wake times and total sleep needs may vary from what is recommended below.

These schedules are based on averages, but your baby may need more or less sleep (or shorter/longer wake times) than what is listed here.

Remember, watch your baby’s sleepy cues closely (rubbing eyes, yawning, staring off into space, etc.), and let those guide the sleep schedule.

Remember, too, that if your baby is already fussing, he or she is already overtired. Try to get your child down for his or her nap earlier next time, before the fussing starts.

2-8 Week Old Newborn, Breast Feeding

This schedule is best for babies who consume average amounts of breast milk and for moms who have average breast milk production and storage amounts.

9:00 AMWake and Feed*
10:00 AMNap (30-60 minutes)
11:00 AMWake and Feed
12:30 PMNap (30-60 minutes)
1:30 PMWake and Feed
3:30 PMNap (30 – 60 minutes)
4:30 PM Wake and Feed
6:00 PMNap (30 – 60 minutes)
6:30 PMWake and Feed
7:30 PMCatnap (20 – 30 minutes)
8:00 PMWake and Feed
9:30 PMCatnap (20 – 30 minutes)
10:00 PMWake and Feed
11:30 PMFeed and Bedtime*
3:30 AMFeed and Right back to sleep
6:30 AMFeed and Right back to sleep

* – We recommend you make these fixed points in your baby’s schedule. You can read more about this in our article on fixed points in a baby schedule.

Babies who eat smaller amounts, babies with reflux, and moms who produce and store smaller amounts of breastmilk will need a different schedule. So will babies who eat larger amounts per feeding and moms who produce/store greater amounts of breast milk.

Schedules for those scenarios, as well as schedules for older, breastfed newborns, are available in our newborn book, Essential Keys To Your Newborn’s Sleep.

2-8 Week Old Newborn, Formula Feeding

This schedule recommends longer naps and fewer feedings than the breastfeeding schedule above, simply because formula is more difficult for baby to digest. So, babies tend to feel fuller longer and therefore need slightly fewer feedings.

9:00 AMWake and Feed*
10:00 AMNap (60 – 90 minutes)
11:30 AMWake
12:30 PMFeed and Nap (30 – 60 minutes)
1:30 PMWake
3:00 PMFeed and Nap (60 – 90 minutes)
4:30 PMWake and Feed
6:00 PMNap (30 – 60 minutes)
6:30 PMWake
7:30 PMFeed and Nap (30 – 60 minutes)
8:30 PMWake
9:30 PMNap (30 – 60 minutes)
10:00 PMWake and Feed
11:30 PMFeed and Bedtime*
4:30 AMFeed and Right back to sleep
7:30 AMFeed and Right back to sleep

* – We recommend you make these fixed points in your baby’s schedule. You can read more about this in our article on fixed points in a baby schedule.

For formula-feeding schedules for older newborns, see our newborn book, Essential Keys To Your Newborn’s Sleep.

Additional Newborn Sleep Articles

Want more newborn sleep tips? Check out our other newborn sleep articles:

  • Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits In Your Newborn (Members Area tele-seminar)
  • Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep (Members Area digital book)
  • Your Top 5 Breastfeeding + Sleep Questions Answered by an Expert (Members Area article)

Want FREE sleep help that you can put to use right away? Download a copy of our free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night! The guide is available to download instantly, which means you can start using the techniques in it as early as tonight. So download now, and learn why your baby is waking at night – and what you can do about it.
Click here to learn more about how to get your free guide.

A better night’s sleep could be just a few clicks away. So don’t wait – download now, and start your journey to better sleep tonight!

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Need Newborn Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!


If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your newborn's sleep problems on your own...than personalized sleep consulting is for you. We have been around since 2008 and invite you to tap into 10+ years of experience. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.
For even more help getting your newborn baby to sleep, check out our e-Book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn's Sleep. At over 90 pages long (and containing a variety of sample schedules for breastfed and formula-fed babies from birth - 16 weeks), this e-Book truly is a one-stop resource designed to help your newborn establish healthy sleep habits, right from birth. Whether you're a brand new parent or an experienced parents who needs to brush up newborn sleep basics, Essential Keys To Your Newborn's Sleep is a comprehensive and budget-friendly resource that will provide the information you need to work towards excellent sleep for your whole family, from day one. Grab your copy today!
Or, join our VIP Members Area that will grow with your family. It's packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more and actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services! This is a resource that will truly grow with your child: it'll help you through the newborn phase and prepare you for the months ahead.

The challenges of breast-feeding can surprise even moms who’ve been to this party before. But with the right approach, you’ll find that coping with most feeding concerns is much easier than sterilizing bottles!

These six tips will help you overcome common obstacles faced by nursing moms.

1. Get attached to latching

Women frequently experience nipple tenderness in the early weeks of breast-feeding. If nursing goes beyond just discomfort, though, there could be a problem, such as thrush, poor latch or a physiological issue. Working with a lactation consultant or other breast-feeding support service will help ensure that baby gets enough milk and mom doesn’t suffer nipple trauma.

“If there is any discomfort beyond 30–60 seconds, it is not right,” says Jennifer Enich, a lactation consultant at Seattle Children’s Hospital. “If the nipple hurts or looks damaged or misshapen after nursing, likely something is not right. There is usually a solution to pain that is way better than forgoing all the beauty that can come with nursing our babies.”

Bottom line: If it hurts, get some help!

5 Day Old Feeding Frenzy Video

2. Nip biting in the bud

Many mothers assume that once a baby has teeth, the nursing relationship is over. In reality, a baby cannot bite while breast-feeding because her tongue gets in the way of her teeth. Sometimes babies bite before or after nursing, but usually these episodes are fleeting.

Betty Fitzsimmons, a leader at La Leche League of Tacoma, who breast-fed her 11 children, offers this great tip: “Keep your little finger ready to go into the corner of the baby’s mouth to stop the bite when you feel it coming on. Biting does not have to be the end of a good nursing relationship.”

3. Respect the laws of supply and demand

It’s common to worry that your baby isn’t getting enough milk. Fret not: “Primary insufficiency is exceptionally rare,” says Barbara Orcutt, R.N., M.N., a lactation consultant at Beyond Birth Seattle. “Delayed lactation is more common.” This delay may be caused by separation of baby and mother, poor assistance for first feeds, interruption of the mother while she is trying to feed, introduction of formula or pumping exclusively instead of nursing at the breast.

Because breast-feeding is a supply-and-demand system, the more you nurse, the more milk you make. “Newborns’ bellies are so tiny and breast milk is so easily digested, they need to feed at least 8 to 16 times every 24 hours,” says lactation consultant Emily Healy of Seattle Breastfeeding Medicine. “The first step to getting milk supply back on track is skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby.” This contact stimulates the hormones that help produce milk.

In rare cases when the milk supply is truly insufficient, the cause may be related to physical concerns, such as poor latch or hormone imbalances. In more extreme cases, prescription medications can help induce lactation.

Old

Sometimes the opposite is true and milk comes in abundantly, leading to uncomfortable engorgement. Pumping can help, but again: Remember the rules of supply and demand. If you pump too often, you will make more than your baby needs, which can exacerbate engorgement.

So go gentle on the pump and soothe the pressure by alternating cold packs and warm showers. You can also try whole chilled cabbage leaves in your bra. Yes, you’ll smell a little like salad, but it really works.

4. Keep the milk flowing

To avoid plugged milk ducts, feed your baby often enough to empty the breasts regularly. If a plugged duct does happen, turn to massage, warm packs and changing your nursing position to remove milk from all areas of the breast.

5 Day Old Feeding Frenzy 2

Plugged ducts may also lead to mastitis, an infection in the breast. Mastitis is more common in mothers who are stressed. Breast-feeding is a lot of work for the body, and moms deserve good nutrition and some extra rest (ah, that elusive prize) when they’re doing it.

“A day in bed with baby is a perfect prescription for mastitis,” says Raissa Larson, also a leader at La Leche League of Tacoma. A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatories or antibiotics as well.

5. Get by with a little help from your friends — and a few professionals

Research tells us that social support encourages breast-feeding success. There are cases in which breast-feeding simply doesn’t work out, but that’s very rare.

Feeding frenzy online

North Seattle mom Melanie Burch remembers struggling through thrush and mastitis with all three of her children. “What kept me going was the resolve that I was just going to do it,” she says, and she also had incredible support from her family and community. Breast-feeding trouble may be as much an emotional issue as a physiological one, and nursing mothers need ample encouragement to move past it.

Feeding Frenzy 2 Download Free

“It’s important to remember that it’s a process,” says Enich, who nursed her own three children and has supported countless families, and sometimes it takes time for everything to fall into place. “Each time a woman breast-feeds, both the mother and the baby have to learn how to breast-feed together,” Enich says. “It’s a unique situation each time.”

6. Don’t sweat the mixed messages

Perhaps most surprising to new mothers is the onslaught of breast-feeding advice; figuring out what to heed and what to ignore is part science, part art. Being on the receiving end of wildly different and even conflicting guidance is a common experience for nursing moms. All you need to do is keep trying new approaches until you find one that works, and don’t forget to tap into your maternal instincts — you know yourself and your baby better than anyone else does.

Feeding Frenzy Play Free

Tera Schreiber experienced a handful of common obstacles while nursing her children, and she is grateful for the amazing community of lactation support in the Puget Sound area.