It’s not unusual to see a newborn baby feeding every hour or two. Dr. Pam tells us this all the time!

The question is when can baby sleep through night? And how to get baby to sleep longer at night if they’re used to feeding more often.

Baby feeding guidelines (how often should a newborn feed on formula & newborn breastfeeding schedule)

Dr. Pam tells us that we can expect to feed newborn babies at least 8 times every 24 hours. The frequency and amounts are the same with formula and breast milk.

Most newborns feed every 3-4 hours. But some may need to feed as often as every two hours! This can be exhausting if you need to start every 2 hours from the time you started your last feeding. (Not 2 hours from the time you finish the last feeding.) So you may have an hour or less between the time baby finishes one feeding and the time you start the next one.

Dr. Pam also says that gradual improvement in the quality of sleep can be expected as baby grows, develops, and their need for nutrients at night decreases. Which is why Calm Baby Sleep Routine gently transitions baby to sleep through the night as early as safely possible. The step-by-step routine by week offers 2-3 hours the first couple of week but then 6 hours for hte next few, 8 hours for the next few, then 10+ hours uninterrupted sleep at night by 12 weeks.

This routine is exactly what used with both of my babies. 10-12 hours of sleep each night since 3 months old.

5 common reasons why baby may be feeding so often and how to extend the time between feedings!

1. Health reasons

Your baby may need to feed more frequently because their healthcare provider advises you to. This is common for newborns to help treat health concerns like blood glucose issues, dehydration, jaundice, or to make sure baby is gaining enough weight.

2. It’s your preference

There is no one parenting approach that works for everyone. If feeding more frequently or demand feeding when baby wants to feed works best for you, go for it!

Calm Baby sleep routine is great for parents who want a strict schedule as well as those who prefer baby-led and demand feeding. This is because of the 1.5 hour feeding windows making it easy to get on a routine when you and baby are ready.

3. Habits

Habits can form in as little as a day or two. Like if they get used to being rocked to sleep each time it’s nap or bedtime.

If you’re transitioning to longer periods between feedings, your baby may wake up at night to feed out of habit even if they aren’t hungry. Even if their diaper is dry and clean, and maybe just for a cuddle. Babies are smart and it’s easy to get wrapped around their cute little fingers!

Keep in mind that your baby doesn’t know what breakfast, lunch, dinner times are until you teach them — in our experience, they’ll follow your lead if you guide them and tell them what time it is. They love being part of the action with their parents and older siblings.

4. Growth spurts

You should always feed your baby when they are hungry! Even if your baby has been consistently feeding every 3 hours, there may be times that you need to feed them more often. If your baby is going through a growth spurt, they may finish a full feeding then wake up hungry 45 minutes to 1.5 hours later for another full feeding during the day or at night!

5. Not getting enough nutrients at feedings or during in the day

Another reason baby may need to feed more often, or wake up to feed in the middle of the night is because they’re not getting enough at feedings. If baby is old enough to sleep through the night baby must get enough nutrients during the day to carry them through the night.

Not getting enough could be caused by a few things. For example, Mom may not be producing enough milk, baby may be lethargic (sleeps too much), or baby may not be latching to your breast properly.

If you’re bottle feeding, make sure the hole in the nipple is large enough so that the formula or expressed breast milk flows for them. Formula tends to be thicker than breastmilk. When baby gets older and feeds more quickly, you may need a larger round hole in the nipple or “y” tip.

More about latching issues

A girlfriend told us that her baby was not getting enough milk at feedings because of a tongue tie and couldn’t latch properly. Baby would exhaust himself trying to breastfeed and fall asleep on her. It wasn’t until the issue was fixed that he was able to latch properly and finish a full feeding within an hour or so (i.e., the band of tissue below the tongue was surgically cut by baby’s physician, which also took a few weeks to heal). Another girlfriend told us how having thrush impacted her ability to feed baby enough. Because she was in pain (and her baby was in pain) when breastfeeding!

Consult with your healthcare provider if you’re concerned about your baby’s health. This includes if you think baby isn’t drinking enough, if they’re sleeping too much, or if you have breastfeeding concerns like latching or milk supply.

Find out how to extend your baby’s feeding times to every three or more hours instead of every two hours or less in this posrt.