For a 5 day old newborn infant baby, how long should each breastfeeding session last?

Question

My son frequently falls asleep during breastfeeding, which means that it often takes as long as an hour for him to get full. That doesn't leave much time for Mom to get sleep, given that our pediatrician wants the feedings to occur every 2 to 2.5 hours.

So, is a full hour of feeding necessary, or does the baby get much of the benefit from the feeding in a shorter time?

Answer 1

The first few weeks of nursing is the hardest, and very often new moms give up by the time the baby is six weeks old. Your baby is still learning about nursing, and he isn't very good at it as of yet. The best thing you can do is to just give up: that means that you give up the house work, the laundry, whatever else you can give up, and just be mom for the moment. It will very quickly pass by, and after six weeks, he should be able to go longer between feedings, and nurse like a champ in 30 minutes or less. The going without sleep is the hardest, and I fell asleep nursing more times than I can count in those first few weeks. I would be asleep in the rocking chair with the little one still attached to the breast! After awhile I just took to co-sleeping: put the little one to the breast, and if I fell asleep, I was in my bed. Best thing I did for myself. My daughter took over an hour to nurse because she was a premie and her suck reflex wasn't well developed. And she ate every 2 hours. When she hit 12 weeks (6 weeks early) she slept a little longer, and nursed well. My youngest son nursed every two hours. It took him about two weeks to learn how to suck well, and each nursing lasted about 40 minutes. As you can tell, there just really isn't a lot of sleep the first few weeks. Hang in there; you can do it. Check out the La Leche website for more support.

Answer 2

Been there - it's tough - but a newborn will feed anywhere between 5minutes and 1hr - and they'll probably want feeding every 1-2hours (timed from when you start, not finish a feed) - this can make it seem that they are forever feeding. PLEASE persevere - this will pass once your milk has come in and a supply and demand system has been established. A mothers milk comes in at approx 5 days - and the more baby nurses - the more is produced - so this early constant nursing is crucial to get that milk supply healthy. This will settle after a few weeks - baby will start to drink more efficiently - taking more at each feed and staying full for longer - going mayb 2-3 hours between feeds.

You can encourage them to take more at each feeding - maybe try burping them, or blow very gently in their face to wake them up.

It really is worthwhile though - I know it's knackering - you're tired and exhausted still after the birth - so just rest whenever baby does - night or day. Say no to visitors and ignor the housework. The ONLY thing you need to concentrate on is your son for the next few weeks.

I hope this helps

Answer 3

Yep completely normal my son did this for a week or so when he was first born mostly cause he kept falling asleep at his feedings and would not finish and would wake up hungry again. All the way up until he was 4 months he was eating every 2 hours and now at 8 months he eats every 3-4 hours sometimes longer like 4-5 hours but that is when he has had some solids for lunch or dinner. Try alternating breast at each feeding that is the best thing to do.

Answer 4

Well, the 'hind' milk, which is equally important, usually comes towards the end of the feeding. However, you should be keeping track of urine output to determine if your son is getting enough breast milk. I think 6-12 wet diapers per day but I would ask your Pediatrician. Has been a little while for me. My kids are older. Some newborns will nurse 15 minutes, some for 30 minutes and some for an hour. Depends on your baby. It is common for newborns to fall asleep on the breast after nursing for only 5-10 minutes as this relaxes them. You can place a cool (not cold) washcloth on your sons forehead and down his arms to wake him up. I know that this sounds improper but he will need to nurse for nutrition purposes.

Answer 5

Make sure he's fully awake before you try feeding him. Unswaddle him, maybe even take his legs out of his pj's to cool him off a little.
If he falls asleep while eating, do it again to wake him up. It could be that the little guy has low blood sugar from not nursing well, which would make him lethargic. I had to use something called an "SNS"...it was a little valve cap that went on a bottle of formula and had a tiny rubber hose through the cap. I taped the hose near my nipple when i nursed so that the baby gets a little formula along with the breastmilk. After 3 feedings like that, he was much more alert & able to stay awake.

20 minutes on one side, and as much as he wants from the other side (usually 5-10 mins in my experience) are usually the guidelines.

Answer 6

New borns need to breast feed every 2-2.5 hours, they do tend to fall asleep because they have to work so hard to breast feed, its new and they are not use to it. Its been 16+ y ears since I breastfed so I dont remember exactly, but yes there were many a sleepless night. I remember falling asleep sitting on the couch while breastfeeding. I suggest you conact the local Le Leche League in your area, t hey are a grreat source of support for breastfeeding moms. You may also want to contact the hospital or place you delivered, sometimes they offer new mom/baby support. Dont give up, you baby will have so many benafits from this healthy start. Good Luck and Congrats.

Answer 7

If he's hungry he'll eat, and stay awake. As long as he's gaining weight after the first week, just play it by ear. I wouldn't worry about trying to keep him up for a full hour unless it pays dividends by him sleeping longer when he's finished. If he wakes up every hour hungry. Plus, how well is the milk flowing? He may be getting his fill already and he shouldn't need more than a few ounces each feeding.
Plus, you could bottle Mom's milk with a breast pump so Dad can have a turn with a bottle. Other than that, Mom's usually have to suffer a little with sleep.

Answer 8

Its not quantity is quality. If he gets himself full completely while feeding, he wont be hungry again for a little while.

If he doesnt get full you'll just end up feeding him constantly.

I'd say that if he falls completely asleep and stops all sucking then go ahead and let him sleep, and you sleep as well. Worry less about what the doctor wants, and more about what your individual baby needs. So long as he is fed when hungry he will thrive, and that is what the doctors want when they say 'feed every 2- 2.5 hours'. I promise he will never let you forget or not know when he's hungry :)

Answer 9

Breastfeeding can talk a long time yes. The important thing to remember is to let them come off on their own when they're finished. Even if they have fallen alseep, they will still suckle. The suckling causes more milk to let down and this milk is called "hind milk" and has all the fat in it. When the milk lets down again they will start gulping again, even if they are asleep. This is what will keep them full longer and also helps in brain development. During the night it might be ok to cut feedings shorter, as you do need to keep your sanity. During he day however, I would let your baby unlatch itself when it's finished. That way he's getting all the healthy hind milk that he needs. Hope this helps and congratulations.

Answer 10

My daughter is nearly 5 months old now and is breastfed.
When breastfeeding you don't have to stick to a feeding schedule. I was told that feeding on demand is best when breastfeeding. If your baby falls asleep while feeding, let him sleep, he will soon let you know when he is hungry again. Feeding on demand is much better than sticking to set times, your baby takes what they need when they need it. My daughter certainly hasn't suffered any by feeding on demand, the health visitors actually thought at one stage that i'd given up and went on to formula as she was such a healthy weight for her age.
Hope this helps and good luck with the feeding, it's such a rewarding experience.