17/06/2026
I would say this is in my top 5 breastfeeding myths that I have mums come to me with. I completely understand why. Nobody prepares you for how much a newborn actually feeds, so when it happens it is easy to assume something must be wrong.
But feeding every hour is not a red flag. It is often just a baby doing exactly what a baby is supposed to do.
Babies don’t feed just for food. They feed for comfort, for warmth, for connection, to regulate their temperature and nervous system, because your breast is the safest and most familiar place they know. Milk is only part of the story.
And sometimes babies cluster feed, which is when feeds bunch together, sometimes for hours at a time and often late afternoon / evening and night. There are a few reasons this happens, but one of the big ones is that your baby is essentially sending a message to your milk making factory. They are about to grow, they are going to need more milk in the coming days, and cluster feeding is how they tell your breasts to ramp up production. It is clever, albeit exhausting.
As long as your baby has plenty of wet and dirty nappies, is growing well, is feeding comfortably and has moments of being settled and content, feeding every hour is fine. Tiring? Yes. A sign of low supply? No.
Perceived low milk supply is one of the biggest reasons mums stop breastfeeding before they wanted to, or introduce formula when that wasn’t the plan. And so often, there was nothing wrong with their supply at all, but then doing these things actually does impact their supply. This is exactly why we cover all of this in my preparing to breastfeed course, so you go in with realistic expectations and the knowledge to trust your body, even on the hard days.
The link to find out more is in my bio.
——-
Vicky x
Breastfeeding Consultant, Hypnobirthing, Antenatal Course
WOKING | GUILDFORD | SURREY | ONLINE
www.thefairybirthmother.co.uk
——-
