In the first weeks and months of your baby’s life, frequent feeds are essential for your baby’s growth. Newborn babies have a very small stomach but also need to double their weight in their first five to six months of life. Frequent feeds are what allow your baby to grow and thrive.
Frequent feeds also help establish a good milk supply while helping to reduce engorgement.
In some cases, frequent feeds can be a sign of inefficient milk transfer or low milk supply, but if your baby has lots of wet and dirty nappies, is gaining weight well and is generally happy and healthy, then the frequent feeds are unlikely to be a sign of a problem. Check out our reassuring signs page for more information.
Gradually, you and your baby will develop your own feeding pattern, and the amount of milk you produce will regulate as breastfeeding continues.
Frequent feeds are also recognised as cluster feeds, when your baby feeds more regularly for a certain period of time. For more information on cluster feeds, check out our frequent feeding page.