How long does your LO feed for?

[ellie]

Just curious really ... bit concerned that mine seems to have lost a tiny bit of weight this week (being tiny to begin with ) and we've only been breastfeeding since Monday ... mine will do anything from 5 minutes to 25 minutes at a time before falling asleep (usually) or coming off. Is this way too short? How long does your baby feed for at a time?

 

[lucilou]

Hi! it's normal for newborns to lose a little weight at first, so don't worry about that!

It can feel quite random - Hamish would feed for 10 minutes one feed, then for over an hour the next.... it can depend on a lot of things and sometimes there didn't seem to be any logic to it! Try to make sure you wind a lot though - I found Hamish wouldn't feed effectively if he had wind.

It's really early days for you though, so just keep going and try not to worry about what is 'normal' - I don't think it exists! I am sure you will be fine!

 

[florabean1981]

yeah, my little boy lost 7oz in the first 5 days & took until he was 22 days old to regain his birth weight. (about 10 days is considered the average norm).
Feeding at first does vary HUGELY; everything is so new & it takes them a while to understand what's going on, what they need/want, how long it's been since they last fed, how windy they are, how sleepy they are, how they're latched on, what position they're in while feeding & lots more.
As the time goes on, they become more effective at feeding & more adjusted to what they want... You may find your LO will more in the evenings (cluster feeding) & will obviously want a lot more when going through growth spurts.
Harry (my son) fed anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour in the early weeks.
So long as you carry on feeding on demand & your baby comes off looking content & brings wind up well etc, chances are they're fine. So long as your LO is having plenty of wet & dirty nappies each day, hasn't got a sunken fontanelle, his skin turns pink again quickly if you pinch it, etc, he's probably getting enough at each of his feeds.
If you're at all worried, speak to your midwife/HV/GP for advice.

 

[lyre]

i think different babies take different amounts of time depending on how efficient they are at feeding and how often they feed etc, so you can't really compare. like the others said, its all about contentedness, wet nappies etc. and its normal for newborns to lose weight.
obviously keep an eye out for dehydration and if you're concerned ask your health visitor or doctor x

 

[DolceBella]

Bella has always been very efficient at getting milk out. She nurses for 10 minutes on 1 side and is good for another 2.5 hours.

 

[Maffie]

Noah took 4 weeks to regain to his birth weight and he still puts on slowly now. I say the norm is anything and everything. All babies and mums are different.

 

[Pregnancy-No1]

my LO is 6 weeks old, only feeds for about 7min sometimes less... but he has gained very well so each baby is different..

 

[polaris]

Hi Ellie, I was just thinking about you and wondering how you are getting on?