how long should she be feedng?

[mum&2girls]

i just wondered how long Bethany should be bf for on each breast for as sometmes she wont stay on for long and falls asleep on me and im worred she snt gettng enough hope someone could help me??????

 

[keelie_b]

im still new to this myself so someone can probably offer better advice then me but in the very early weeks Dylan did this and would feed constantly. when Bethany stops and falls asleep change her position and wind her for a few mins then offer her the boob again you'll probably find she'll take some more. i keep doing this now until Dylan refuses the boob whilst awake so i know he is definately full rather than just being asleep. It takes longer but does the trick and keeps him going that little bit longer.
But if Bethany just fills quickly and doesnt need long on the boob to keep her happy then thats fine. Im sure she'd let you know if she was still hungry.
If your concerned just keep an eye on her weight, but bare in mind most newborns loose weight afterbirth so dont be alarmed at this. Your MW or HV will tell you if its too much though.
Good luck xx
(wow never thought id see the day that I was offering advice hope i helped a little)

 

[valentine]

Hey hun,

There's no set time, all babies are different. Mine wasn't a long feeder, but other mums have babies pinned to them for 23 hours out of 24. Its not really comparable.

Remember that Bethany needs to drain one breast fully before switching to the other - some babies, mine included, only needed one side and never fed from both in one sitting.

However, unless Bethany is showing obvious signs of hunger after a feed, I would assume she's getting plenty, particularly if she's going into a contented sleep afterwards. Keep an eye out for lots of wet and dirty nappies and enjoy your baby!

Valentine Xxx

 

[millylillyrose]

india used to feed for a good 15mins on one breast. she got back up to her birth weight before her 1st week was up.
now, she's almost 5months, still 100% BF'd and only ever feeds for about 3-5mins on one side, then she's done. I was stressing over it at first but she got weighed yesterday and is 20lbs!!!!!!! she's off the scale for fattness and height! some babies are just good feeders. i wouldnt worry if your LO is gaining well.

 

[Sandi4Paul]

Logan was always a quick feeder too, when he was one day old the M/W in the hospital gave me a lecture saying he should be feeding for 15 mins, but what was i supposed to do? Feed him for 10 then fight him for 5 so i could say i'd done 15. Honestly.

If bethany seems fine then she is feeding for long enough regardless of how much time that is on a clock.

Sandi

 

[clarey]

Really dont worry about the clock hun, I was obsessed with how long Eva fed for when she was tiny as the midwives told me she should be going for 15-20 mins, but she has always been super efficient and generally is done after 5 minutes on one side and her weight gain has been fine.
Just feed on demand, if you feel she is nodding off before she has got going you could try gently tapping her cheek or stroking her hand to stimulate her a little and remind her what she is doing, but it sounds like you are doing fine, Lots of luck, breastfeeding is tough but soooooo worth it