Roughly how much and when should a 2 week old sleep?

[littleEDfamily]

Fuschia - took your advice today and tried to stick to 3 hour feeds and seems to have worked well. No crying windy baby in the late afternoon, which we had for a couple of days before, and I no longer look like Jordan. What I meant by cluster feeding was that she would wake after a long nap, say 5 hours, ravenous and then prob have 3 feeds in an hour (2 and a half boobs, although I never know how to tell when a boob is empty - anyone got any advice for knowing when the tank is dry?).

We have no worries about bubs thriving (she's chubbing up nicely!) or jaundice, just rather needing to tweak the routine so I'm not overflowing with milk and bubs is able to digest the milk she is getting more easily. I think I was definitely overfeeding with 'poor' quality milk at too infrequent intervals.

Feeling optimistic (I do like a bit of a routine, I do) - thanks again for the advice all. Newborns really are the cutest, and so much easier to really enjoy the second time around.

[Fuschia]

That's good news ED. And yes that's cluster feeding.

Do you know what, re the empty boobs... that's when they get the good stuff! The milk that collects in your boobs loses fat back into the body amd ends up watery thirst quenching foremilk... once that's gone they get the hindmilk (which you produce as they feed) Some mums will offer both breasts, some find that's too much foremilk and just sticking to one side reduces windiness and increases weight gain.

Keep emptying your breasts as often as possible (8+ times a day, possibly 10-12) and you will both be benefitting.

[new mother]

Gosh I feel so broody reading this. I would love a tiny little snuggly one again. Unfort school fees rear their ugly pound sign heads and prevent it.

Fuschia, it was the militant and categorical way that the 3 hour wake up was expressed to us that I now realise was ridiculous. One cannot generalise to this extent. Boys will be different from girls and larger babies different again.

OTOH, 5 or 6 hours without any food would lead me to waken the baby.

As a digressison, you have twins I think. Did they have the same pattern?