how long does it take to breastfeed?

Question

I have tryed breastfeeding in the past. I have two girls, 4 and 5. I only feed them for like 2 months. I would like to breastfeed for at least 6 months to a year. But how long is each feeding suppost to last?

Answer 1

Until the child lets you know that he is done. He'll either fall asleep or come off the breast seeming satisfied.

Early on, it will probably take 30-45 minutes per feeding. As the child gets older, he will become more efficient at getting the milk out and it will take far less time. Maybe 15 minutes, maybe even less for some older babies.

The links below have good breastfeeding information that will be helpful to you.

Answer 2

A feeding can last anywhere from 20 mins. to almost an hour, depending on how alert your baby is, if they are latched on properly, and how often you feed/how hungry baby is. A typical feeding should be around 30 mins. with the baby nursing from each breast for about 15 mins. It takes longer in the beginning while you and baby get the hang of it but the more you do it the simpler it becomes.

Answer 3

When I was breastfeeding my son as a newborn, he would fed for 20 minutes every two hours. A month later, he was feeding for 30-45 minutes every two hours. By six months they're eating baby food and don't feed as long, just about 25 minutes. So it depends on your baby. If they want more give in, cause it's better for them.

Answer 4

The feedings get shorter as the baby gets bigger. As they get bigger they stop falling asleep at the breast, this speeds up feeding times. They are also eating more once they get over 8 months or so, so they don't nurse as much. As they get bigger they are more efficent, so they can drink faster. They are also very curious about everything going on around them, so they don't want to nurse that long. My daughter is 7 months. She nurses for maybe 5 or 10 min on each side. If she falls asleep, it may be more like 15 min on each side. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I have five children and breast fed three of them. I fed them every two hours for about an 1/2 hour each time. Let the child decide when they are done. Most of the time my babies fell a sleep after about 20 minutes. As long as your milk is producing enough you should feed them as much as possible. breast milk is the best for a baby's growth. also make sure to alternate breasts so you donot get gorged in the one breast. That hurts. Good luck and let the child decide when they had enough.

Answer 6

With my two children, it lasted about ten to twenty minutes, depending on the age and how hungry the baby was. I breastfed mine for 16 months and 2 years, respectively, but near the time I weaned them, the feedings came fewer and shorter, because the babes were getting most of their nutrition from solid foods. It really is different with every baby.

Answer 7

It depends on your baby.

Some are really efficient--little human vacuums!--and they can get all they need in a short amount of time. Others are snackers, and they could nurse all day long.

Usually, when you're first getting started, nurses will tell you to try to go for 10 or 15 minutes on each side. New babies are usually NOT very efficient nursers, and your technique may not be that great, and you aren't good at reading their cues yet.

But as your baby grows, you'll realize that he or she lets go or refuses to nurse longer at an empty breast, so it's time to switch sides. That might be 5 minutes in, or 25.

Some babies only nurse on one side at each feeding.

Each kid is different. Only yours knows how long each meal should be.

Answer 8

I went to a lactation consultant and she told me that there is no set time limit for how long baby will eat. She said your breast should feel emptier after the baby is finnished. Each person also has a different flow, what may take one baby 30 minutes could take another 5. The baby will know when it has had enough. A good way to tell if the baby has had enough is his/her arms will be limp.

Answer 9

In the begining 30-45 min. By the time they are 6 months it is more like 20-30 min. depending on how fast your baby eats.

Answer 10

Newborns stay on breast for half an hour or so. But when they're older they get better at it. My 2-month is done in 10 minutes now. You can always pump if you can't stay for feeding that long.