![]() It is more easily digested than formula milk, which means that breastfed babies often feed more frequently than formula fed babies (approximately every two hours compared to three hour for formula fed babies) 13. Why do babies need to breastfeed so often?įirstly, breastmilk is low in fat and protein but high in carbohydrates and lactose, which makes it easy – and quick – to digest. In the UK, when babies do co-sleep, they feed more per night 12. For example one study in rural Thailand found babies averaged 15 feeds over 24 hours 11. ![]() Other studies show less frequent feeds, but sill significantly more than in Western cultures. An observational stud of the rural hunter- gatherer tribe known as the !Kung, found that babies breastfed on average four times an hour, with an average feed being two minutes or less 10. However, in cultures where co-sleeping and carrying infants in a sling are common, and babies therefore have free access to the breast, they feed far more frequently than this. Put simply, this means that babies do not always have easy and unfettered access to the breast. Baby wearing for most of the day and co-sleeping are normal from an evolutionary perspective but not common in our society today. In Western culture our norm is to separate from our babies to some extent. Generally, the less energy dense the milk, the more they take in.įeeding frequency is also context dependent. Again, this can affect the amount or frequency of how often babies feed. In hot weather breastmilk can also be less energy dense, encouraging infants to consume more of a higher water content milk 9. Fat content and energy density are also higher during the day than the night. During a feed, milk becomes denser in fat as the feed progresses. they take in a similar energy density to those with lower fat content in their milk who take a little longer to consume it 8.īreastmilk also changes in content, particularly in terms of calories and fat. Mothers who produce milk with a higher fat content are more likely to have babies that have shorter feeds e.g. Research has shown that fat content can vary between mothers. ![]() Variations will also occur according to the content of the mothers milk. Things like growth spurts and cluster feeding (where babies feed numerous times over a period of up to a few hours) are common and are thought to stimulate the body to produce more 7. If allowed to feed whenever they want to, many breastfed babies are good at feeding according to hunger, which doesn’t fit into a set pattern (how many adults truly eat or drink at precise set intervals?). Just as with adults, some of us prefer set meals a day whereas others prefer to graze.Īs well as being little and often, most babies don’t naturally breastfeed to a set pattern e.g. However, as with everything, some babies will continue to take smaller feeds more often until they move to solid foods (and, still even then). This fits with the commonly observed ‘four month growth spurt’, which is often seen as a mistaken need for solid foods 6. ![]() Studies that have tracked this longitudinally find that many babies do start to feed less often but then start feeding again more frequently (akin to a newborn) around 4 months of age, before dropping down again. However, this pattern doesn’t necessarily remain. ![]() This means that from around 8 – 12 weeks some babies start feeding in longer intervals. Notably, babies calorie needs do not change vastly after the first few weeks, but they become able to take bigger feeds. Most tend to feed towards the latter part of that range, with around 11 – 12 feeds per 24 hours 5. However studies that explore how often babies breastfeed find that most do so between 8 – 12 times per 24 hours, although some feed much more than that (up to around 18 times in some studies). However, responding to a baby’s natural cues is a critical step in establishing milk supply and encouraging healthy weight gain and development in babies.Īs with everything, how often a baby naturally wants to feed will vary amongst individuals. Others may worry about whether babies need to learn to feed less frequently in a set pattern. One concern is whether feeding frequently is a sign that the baby isn’t getting enough milk, exacerbated by not being able to see how much milk the baby is consuming. However, the notion of responsive feeding can lead to significant concerns for new parents, particularly in relation to how often breastfed babies feed. Use PRC code “KELLY” for a special discount! ![]()
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