as long as he wants to be there. some babies are fast and done in 10 minutes; other babies take 30 minutes or more.
Allow him access as often as he wants it, and let him stay there as long as he needs to.
TTC #1 since 2007. Dx: Unexplained infertility. 4 IUIs in 2008 = BFN. IVF #1 07/09. DD #1 born April 2010 (40w5d). TTC #2 since 2011. Dx: Endometriosis and hypothyroidism. 2 FETs in 2012, BFP 6/12 but m/c @ 7 weeks. IVF #2 06/13. DD #2 born March 2014 (40w1d).
My LO took 40 minutes to nurse every 2 hours at that age. My sister's LO is a month old and nurses one side for 20 minutes, falls asleep and wants the other side 45 minutes later. Every baby is so different and there is no one "right" answer. Congrats!
TTC since April 2011. DH Dx MFI in February 2012. BFP #1: 7.16.12. MMC dx: 8.22.12, D&C 8.28.12, TTC Again November 2012. DH Varicocele repair November 2012; Repeat SA showed "dramatic" improvement February 2013 (awesome!)
BFP #2: 3.26.13, EDC: 12.7.13. Anya born December 9th, 2013!
It can seem like forever...you will soon be able to tell the difference between eating and just suckling for comfort. When they are just suckling, I would try to put a pacifier in to give yourself a break. And don't worry about paci/nursing confusion, I never had this happen and I gave DS2 a paci in the hospital b/c all he wanted to was suckle.
It pretty much felt like LO nursed none stop at that age. 45 minute was not our of the norm. I remember LO's jaw trembling from exhaustion but he'd keep going!
Re: 5 day old - how long should he be feeding at breast?
TTC #1 since 2007. Dx: Unexplained infertility. 4 IUIs in 2008 = BFN. IVF #1 07/09. DD #1 born April 2010 (40w5d).
TTC #2 since 2011. Dx: Endometriosis and hypothyroidism. 2 FETs in 2012, BFP 6/12 but m/c @ 7 weeks. IVF #2 06/13. DD #2 born March 2014 (40w1d).
2010: Infertility
October 2015: missed miscarriage #2 at 11 weeks (trisomy 22)
It can seem like forever...you will soon be able to tell the difference between eating and just suckling for comfort. When they are just suckling, I would try to put a pacifier in to give yourself a break. And don't worry about paci/nursing confusion, I never had this happen and I gave DS2 a paci in the hospital b/c all he wanted to was suckle.
I'm just trying to make sense of things :-)