How often should I feed my daughter now that she is 6wks old? Is it still recommended 8-12 times? Should I wake her at night after 3-4 hrs? Or can I just let her sleep as long as she will until I hear her stirring? Will it affect my milk supply if I let her sleep? I want to breastfeed her until she decideds she wants to wean so I want to ensure that my milk supply will stay sufficient enough for her for the longterm. Please help. Right now she has been nursing every 2-3 hrs sometimes sooner but I don't let her go any longer than 3hrs except at night I have been letting her go no more than 4 1/2 hrs but she usually wakes on her own around 3hrs unless she is in my arms in my bed while we both sleep bc I have been leaving my boob out for her & then letting her wake to nurse when she wants to, which I wake along with her(Im a light sleeper) the probs with that are, lately I have been having let downs like almost nonstop in the am just as I wake, & she doesn't want to do anything but be in my arms & have the boob in her mouth alot, she likes her binky but not like she likes the boob. lol.. But I want to know how long I can let her sleep without affecting my supply bc I will b e going back to work come feb & I want to be in a night routine by then.

You can let your baby decide how often and how long she wants to breastfeed. Babies nurse for comfort and security as well as for food, and it is completely normal that she pacifies at your breast. The more suckling she does, the more milk you will have for her. It is OK at this point to let her sleep as long as she will at night and not wake her up; as you said, she is unlikely to sleep much longer that 4-5 hours at a stretch, and that happens not more than once in a 24 hour period. If you wake up sooner than she does in the morning and feel very full and ready to breastfeed, then go ahead and wake her up. I do not think that one longer period of sleep should reducde your milk supply. If she starts going for even longer periods without waking, than you might consider waking her to feed before you fall asleep for the night. I would continue to be sure she feeds at least 8 times per day, and once you return to work, pump enough so that you are either feeding or pumping at least 8 times a day to keep your full milk supply. If you do notice a drop in your supply, then all you have to do is

The rest of my answer was somehow deleted by my computer.

What I meant to say was: If your supply does decrease, just add another feeding or pumping, and your supply should return.