How long should a baby feed from one breast until that breast is...?

Question

completely empty or close to empty? Does it vary among women or is it generally the same? Thanks for your answers!

30 wks pregnant with my (baby boy) first =]

Answer 1

in the first few weeks after your milk has come in it may take awhile for the baby to empty your breast, 30 min or longer. As he grows and becomes a more efficient nurser it will take 10-15 minutes.

Answer 2

You nurse until he falls off and looks content. Do not watch the clock. If I did that my baby would weigh a hundred lbs. She would only nurse for 7 minutes and she was done and content. There is an average but that's not for every woman. Your breasts are never empty. They continually make milk. The demand part just determines how much it makes and when it's expected to be released.
At first you'll want to nurse until he falls off or falls asleep (my baby didn't fall off at first she'd just fall asleep and would not be awakend so I'd break the suction and put her to bed). Then try on the other side. You'll want to do this until you know your flow. If you have a strong flow (lots of milk fast) then you could just do one side. If you don't have a strong flow then you might need to nurse both sides for a while or your entire nursing relationship.
Good luck and remember watch your baby not the clock. You'll see how much he drinks by watching his jaw drop and pause. If he's just sucking you won't see him jaw drop and pause. A few minutes of the jaw drop pause motion and you'll know he got a good amount of milk. You'll have a lactation consultant talk to you in the hospital but go back to one a week after your milk has come in (after engorgement) and they can watch you and can show you when he's drinking or just sucking. I did that and it really helped me. I went in just before my babies 2 week appointment and saw she was getting 3 1/2 oz in 5 minutes. It really helped. Some feedings will also be longer than others. That's why you want to watch your baby. Good luck. Just remember watch your baby.

Answer 3

Every woman and every baby is different so this will vary considerably. I breast fed all 4 of my children. In their newborn days, I typically would nurse on one side until he/she stopped or fell asleep. This could take anywhere from 10-30 minutes. I would then burp them and change their diaper. After that I would offer the other breast. Generally, in the beginning, they would nurse a bit longer on the first side and not as long on the other. At the next feeding I would start on the breast that I had ended on. Sometimes it would be hard to remember which to start on since both sides were equally engorged, but that only lasts a few weeks. After that, it is easy to tell which side is fuller or you can give yourself a reminder such as a note at your nursing chair or I used to put a safety pin on the bra strap of the side I ended on. As the babies grew older, nursing for nourishment got quite proficient and they could empty both breasts in as little as 5-10 minutes a side. Of course, there are those times when nursing is done more for comfort or the baby is going through a growth spurt and nursing times can be very frequent and last a long time so it seems as though you have a baby attached to you 24/7. Babies can be slow, sleepy eaters, others are quick and ravenous, and there is everything in between. Even the same baby fluctuates from feeding to feeding. While there are some babies who seem naturally born to the task of breast feeding, it is not uncommon for babies and moms (especially first babies & first-time moms) to struggle for the first few weeks. Breast feeding problems are normal and common, from too sleepy babies to improper latch and many more issues, it can seem overwhelming. Take advantage of any breast feeding classes your hospital offers as well as the guidance of the lactation consultant at the hospital. I had my first baby with the thought that this was going to be easy, simple, and natural. My mother never breast fed so while she was immensely supportive, she couldn't guide me. My husband was also supportive but was way over his head when it came to his wife and new baby daughter sobbing most of the day and night. If it weren't for the help of a kind and gentle lactation consultant from the hospital who came to visit me, I would have never been able to make it through those terrible 3 weeks when I couldn't seem to make things work and felt a failure not to be able to feed my baby. It got better, though, and I went on to have 3 more babies. The youngest 2 I nursed until they self-weaned at 11 months and 14 months.

Answer 4

I breastfeed. THis is my 2nd one, she is now 5 months old. No bottle either.

Usually 15 minutes on each and switch back and forth on which one you start the baby on.

When a baby starts to nurse at first and they are hungry it usually "aggressive" and latches on with a bit more force. So switch breasts each time too. Drink plenty of WATER, MILK, take your vitamins, DO NOT stress over things, eat "healthy foods."

You will feel the let down process, its like a burning or tingle in the breast. Its going to hurt like crazy for a while when they fill up around the 2nd to 3rd day. Make sure you get the Lanisol I believe is how its spelled and keep on your nipples to keep them moist and so they will not stick to nursing pads. The best NON leaking nursing pads I have found are GERBER in the blue box that curve around the breast to help prevent leaks. Comfortable nursing bras help too. Snug but not too snug.
There really isn't a time limit on each breast though, you can't put a time limit on the child's hunger. Mine sometimes would emty one side and then the other as they got older. After I while you will notice the baby slowing down on nursing during feeding. Wake the baby up or pump while you are feeding. I pumped but I never fed it to her in a bottle. Was just incase soemthing happened to me, I'd have a backup supply of milk.


****SAGE ALWAYS SLOWS MY MILK PRODUCTION, I read somewhere that it actually stops it.

Congrats on your baby boy and I commend you for breastfeeding. 1 million kudos!!!!!!!

Answer 5

It is a good idea to breastfeed your baby for about 15 minutes on one side first and then to switch to the other side. If the baby has had enough while still feeding on the 2nd side then stop but the next time you breastfeed, start again on this side, following the same method i.e. start on the side you left off last.
This prevents your breast from getting engorged.

Answer 6

I try to feed for about 10 minutes on the first side, burp, then finish up on the other side. You will find your baby's habits and be able to determine how long. Some women feed from one side only and switch for the next feeding.

I kept a nursing journal for my 1st child so I could keep better track.

Good Luck!!

Answer 7

Follow your baby's lead. Leave him on one side until he comes off on his own. Then try to burp him (he may not need to as BF babies take in less air) and offer him the other side. Letting him set the rhythm like this will help insure that he gets plenty of the filling hindmilk.