My baby wants to eat all the time! Is this normal newborn behavior?
Absolutely! During these first few weeks, it might seem like your baby is constantly feeding, and that is normal and necessary. Your baby has a small stomach, and they digest breast milk in less than an hour. This keeps their digestive tract clean and flushes out germs. A small stomach along with fast digestion leads to your baby feeding often.
How Often?
Most newborns breastfeed between 8-12 times every 24 hours, even during the night. Let your baby feed on demand (as often as they want). This helps bring in your milk supply, builds trust between you and your baby, and makes your bond stronger. It also encourages your baby to lead. Your baby might want to breastfeed for 30 minutes and then sleep for 2 hours. Or your baby might cluster feed and want to breastfeed for 10 minutes every half hour for a few hours.
For How Long?
This is all a normal process for a healthy and natural breastfeeding journey. As your baby gets older and their tummy grows larger, they will feed faster and take in more breast milk, which leads to more spaced-out feedings. They will start sleeping longer stretches at night and you will settle into a more predictable routine. As time goes on, you will become more comfortable and confident with understanding your baby and with breastfeeding.
SOURCES:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16510619/
https://www.medela.com.au/breastfeeding/blog/breastfeeding-tips/baby-wants-breastfeed-time-normal