Feeding times: how long each feed?

[NikiJJones]

My little boy is ten days old today. He took to breastfeeding immediately after birth and latches on perfectly each time. I also have plenty of milk. I was leaking from 4.5 months pregnant and it really came in full flow on day three.
My query is about the length of each feed really. The midwives have been really insistant that I feed every 3 hours at least and that each feed is at least 20 mins long. Problem is: my little boy is such a placid little thing that he just does not want feeds that often and not always for that long. I was having to wake him for nearly every feed. I checked with my NCT counsellor and she said that 4 hourly is sufficient, considering that he had gained 3oz by seven days old, so now we are on 4 hourly feeds. Some of these feeds are long, eg: this mornings was 30 mins give or take a few sits ups for burps, but just now he only wanted 10 mins, and nothing I can do will get him to take more.
Can I have some of your experiences here please? Do you think 10 mins is sufficient for some feeds if others he is taking more? Also, my left boob seems to have a faster milk flow and this is the one he often only wants 10 or 15 mins from. Could this be a factor?
Just want to make sure we are doing this right.

 

[Logiebear]

Wow Nikki, congrats on the birth of your little boy, seems like only yesterday we were in the baby loss section together hun. Well done hun on deciding to breast feed.

What you describe is all perfectly normal behaviour for a new born. Think about bfing as eating a 3 course meal and when you eat sometimes you don't all 3 courses. Sometimes you may only want a drink. Babies are experts at getting what they want. If your son wanted more he would take it. And when he does want more it takes longer to feed him. Don't worry about it

 

[Samantha675]

Sounds normal to me as well.

 

[happyfamily123]

After I left the hospital I never woke up Julian for feeds. Early on he would only eat maybe 5-10 minutes side but now he is six weeks old and at his most recent feeding he ate for fifty minutes I think as long as he is gaining weight and happy with what milk he gets it should be fine.

 

[Shifter]

Like I said on your journal, it's normal, sometimes they just want a drink or a snack. Also, he may just feed more efficiently some times than others, especially if you have a quicker let down on one side.

 

[celine]

I think thats fine hun, i know in the first week they are insistant you have to wake ur lo's up for feeds but after 10+ days they know weathere they are hungry or not and should feed fine

 

[Lu28]

Sounds perfect hon, you're doing a great job

As long as weight gain is ok and you're getting the usual wet and dirty nappies then everything's fine. Babies somehow seem to know exactly what you need, it can just be a bit strange to trust them to know best, I know it was for me!

 

[Faerie]

Go with his flow! He'll take what he needs, and sometimes that might take 10 minutes and sometimes it may be 40.

I couldn't get Sofia to feed at first using the hospital's 3 hour rule, as soon as I just started to listen to her it worked.

 

[Kitten]

Mine's the same, he's very picky. He went 7 hours without a feed the other night (which I got told off for, apparently I should have woken him) but then days like today he's feeding every 2 hours. I asked my midwife about lengths of feeds and she said 10minutes was sufficient as baby gets 90% of his milk in the first 5 minutes and "the rest is just time wasting". I have tonnes of milk too and you can hear him gulping it down so I figure he probably gets in 10minutes what most babies get in 20mins because I drown the poor lamb and the midwives agree!

 

[Babyshambelle]

Olivia usually only feeds for 10 minutes, and I know shes full because my lordy does she give her lungs some exercise if shes hungry!! She makes up for the shorter feeds in the day and night by cluster feeding at about 8pm and 8am. It's weird at the start, but once you really learn to trust that they WILL tell you if they want feeding then it becomes the easiest thing in the world. You sound like you are doing a fab job already

 

[Shifter]

I asked my midwife about lengths of feeds and she said 10minutes was sufficient as baby gets 90% of his milk in the first 5 minutes and "the rest is just time wasting".

For some babies this may be true, but not for all! I'd take anything this MW says about BFing in future with a pinch of salt. It's quite normal for newborns to doze off during a feed and comfort suck for some of it and then wake up and feed some more. It's not "time wasting" it's the way their little bodies can fill themselves up and stay satisfied for longer.

As long as baby is coming off all sleepy and "booby drunk" (see the BF photo thread for examples lol!) then they are getting plenty at each feed, no matter how long they take.

Keep up the good work Niki hun!

 

[NikiJJones]

Oh, he certainly comes off Booby Drunk!! Sometimes he looks so funny we are helpless giggling at him!
Today we had a monster feed of 50 mins!!! Sometimes he was just lying there with my nip in his mouth, but altogether it was a record! I am just learning to trust him now. If he wants 10 mins, so be it, and if longer then fine with me. I'm such a typical teacher: I want everything to run by a pre-written timetable, and I am just having to give in and go with what my little boy wants now.

 

[Lucy&Pard]

Leo used to feed 5 mins each side from about 2 weeks old until 7 months and I worried soooo much that he wasnt getting enough - all the experts used to say that some babies are quick feeders and will feed for 10 mins each side but he was like 5 mins each side.But try not too worry. He will tell you if he wants an extra feed in the day to make up for it etc. My friends baby feeds for over an hour each time! Yikes!

 

[jms895]

Same here, sometimes Caine is on 20 mins sometimes 5, though the older he gets the more 'efficient' he gets at sucking