How long should I breatfeed for?

Question

My son is 10 days old and Im breast feeding but Ive had to give him bottle aswell as it doesnt fill him up. He's hungry every 3 hours, so he has an hour on my breast, then when it hurts too much I fill him up with a bottle, and he'll drink between 3 and 4 ounces. Is this normal? Why does he need so long on the breast?

Answer 1

Wow..you have a very healty eater! First of all, your milk might not be entirely in yet. You also might be having a problem getting a good latch. That's probably why he's taking so long...he's not getting much and he's doing some "comfort sucking" which is like..suck suck wait........suck suck suck wait.....

You're doing right by offering the breast for a while, then topping off his feeding with formula. You're being very patient..great job, mommy!!

If the breastfeeding doesn't ultimately work out for you, you could always pump. I pumped for three months and it worked out great for me and my baby. It gets exausting, though..because it's sort of doing twice the work...pump, feed, pump, feed...you feel like that's all you're doing.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

The WHO recommends that you breastfeed for at least 2 years.

However, at 10 days you shouldn't be thinking about how long you should be breastfeeding, but how to make it work for right now. Newborns should definitely be eating *at least* every 3 hours - most experts suggest that newborns should eat on demand every 1-3 hours. It's really important that you get comfortable, relax, use lots of pillows around you, and make sure the babe has a good latch. That will make it more comfortable for you, and if the babe has a good latch, it probably won't take him so long to eat (an hour is pretty long - he should be able to finish a meal in about 15-30 minutes).

Don't let people tell you that you don't have enough milk - it's a total fallacy, and an excuse for some people to give up breastfeeding. The odd that you don't have enough milk are extremely low, and there are lots of ways to get your milk supply up if that is the case.

Check out La Leche League, Mothering.com, Jack Newmans "Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding," a post-partum doula (dona.com) or a lactation consultant in your area. There are lots and lots of resources if you'd like help.

Stick with it! Breastfeeding is normal and it shouldn't be dismissed cause it's sometimes difficult the first few weeks! E-mail me if you'd like more detailed info or resources.

Answer 3

I know this doesn't sound fun, but try feeding him more often... I have a 4 month old - a very big baby boy - and during his first few weeks he ate almost every hour. He could be going through growth spurts like my son did. I recommend trying to feed him every 1 or 2 hours, then maybe it won't take as long. I had a similar pain problem because of the feeding - Medela makes nipple shields that made a huge difference for me. It doesn't affect your milk supply (old ones used to, not the new ones - I am able to feed my son and pump 5+ oz a day on top of that). Another problem my son had was "chewing" instead of "sucking" which made the feedings take much longer. See if your local hospital has a breastfeeding clinic. We visited ours - it was $100 for the initial consultation, but they provided us with an additional nipple shield and unlimited follow up appointments and phone call help. Check out Laleche.com and kellymom.com for more breastfeeding help.

Answer 4

Get in touch with La Leche League in your area. They are a breast-feeding group. They will give you advice. An hour is way too long! At this stage, 10 minutes or so on each side should fill him up. and every three hours is just about right.

If he is drinking 3-4 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours, then he is not getting very much from you. La Leche can help you. don't give up

Answer 5

Newborns will usually eat between 2-3 hrs for the first couple of months, don't worry too much how often he feeds, you'll feel like a feeding maching for a little while longer. Make sure his latch is good, so when he is sucking he is actually drinking and swallowing often. If you're worried about how much milk you're producing try switch nursing, meaning feed on one side for 5 min then switch breasts and feed for another 5 min then switch again. Have your latch checked by a lactation consultant to be sure, you're breasts should not be sore even after feeding for an hour. Good Luck.

Answer 6

I would say to stop the bottle and just breastfeed. You should breastfeed only until you have a solid supply. I had a hard time keeping my baby happy and full at firs too. After a few days though she got happy and full easily. She is random though. Sometimes he goes five or six hours between feedings and sometimes only an hour. And sometimes she eats for 20 minutes and sometimes seems never to fill up. Speak with your doctor about whether you need to offer a bottle or not. I had to try lots of different positions for both me and the baby to get things right. Though now I can tell if she is just comfort sucking or nursing. Sometimes I have to put her down to find out though. When I have her she wants to EAT!!! Good luck and congrats!

Answer 7

You may simply want to feed him more frequently instead of using the bottle to supplement. A lot of times, mothers will feel their babies are still hungry and give them formula on top of breast milk and end up over-feeding their babies. Try to feed him every two hours, even if it's just a 10-minute feeding. They don't have to be at the breast a full hour. Basically, just feed your baby on demand during this time. There's no need to try to put him on any schedules or try to limit his intake in any way. Babies cannot get overweight on breast milk, but they can on formula. As long as your baby is steadily gaining weight, you're not starving him.

Answer 8

It's normal for a breastfed baby to nurse every 2 hours. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes. He only has a tummy the size of his little fist, so he needs to eat frequently. He's also growing really fast right now. They tend to hit a growth spurt around 10 days to 2 weeks of age. This means it's a period of frequent eating. It's normal at this very young age to feel like you do nothing but feed the baby.

If he is on your breast for an hour, is he actively sucking that whole time or is he falling asleep? Can you tell the difference between nutritive sucking (hear him swallowing?) and "flutter sucking" which is mostly for comfort?

Have you seen a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader to check out his latch and make sure he is nursing properly?

Has he had a one week check up? It's normal for them to lose some weight in the first week. They should regain it by 2-3 weeks of age. NORMAL.

Answer 9

I fed my son for 20 minutes on each side. You are probably just not producing enough milk or he is not actively nursing. To increase your milk try pumping after you get done nursing him and that will tell your body that it needs to make more milk. You can save what you pump and give that to him in a bottle later. Also, make sure that you are drinking A LOT of water that will help your milk supply. If your baby is just not nursing actively you will want to make sure that you don't have him swaddled, undress him down to a onesie and play with his feet, whatever will keep him alert while feeding. Good luck, breastfeeding is very hard until you get the hang of it, but stick with it as it is SO worth it!

Answer 10

He shouldn't be drinking more than 4 ounces at a feeding either from the breast, bottle or a combination.

First contact your physician for advice. Next consider if you're not producing enough milk and rememdy that problem.