EBF moms: how long are feedings?

J&D2007 · August 2015

Just curious and I know every baby can be different, but are you feeding one side or both at a time and how long on each side? I feel like LO would stay on each side for an hour apiece so I've been limiting to about 20 mins a side. It seems as if he's productively eating and swallowing no matter the length of time.

Lizover23 · August 2015

My lil guy ( 3 weeks tomorrow) eats for 20 mins each boob during the day and 20 minute total at night.

Saratiff · August 2015

Lol I try to keep it to 30min a side. If after she is still snorting and trying to latch I put her back on. I don't know if that's right or not. I a am Meeting with a lactation consultant on Friday. So we will find out.

Edit: I'm sleep deprived and words are hard

taylorharber1108 · August 2015

15 minutes a side during the day and 10 minutes a side during the night. It seems to me that he eats more efficiently during the night.

KateDerek · August 2015

taylorharber1108 said:
15 minutes a side during the day and 10 minutes a side during the night. It seems to me that he eats more efficiently during the night.

Same here.

pabeybaby · August 2015

I do one side per feeding, but LO takes an hour before she finally pulls away. She either fights and cries a lot, or she tries to sleep the whole time, so it takes forever. I've tried different things to keep her awake or from crying but so far I haven't really found anything that works. I feel bad it takes to long to make my baby full.

saraheve23 · August 2015

My baby is the opposite, she nurses for maybe 5-10 minutes, but often (every hour or so during the day, stretches of 3-4hrs at night).

SassetteSmurfling · August 2015

Usually about 5-10 minutes per side but sometimes it can be longer.

deviduke412 · August 2015

15-20 min on each side. If I unlatch him and he's still rooting, I put him back on. About every 3 hours. He sleeps about a 5-6 hour stretch at night.

hcook321 · August 2015

10-15 one side, burp, change diaper, 10 -15 other side.

countryrhodes90 · August 2015

My little guy does short feedings of about 10 to 20 minutes total, and then about two really long feedings. I feed every 2 to three hours or on demand. I'm finally getting some sleep at night,, he goes up to three hours at night

amk013 · August 2015

It varies for us based on how sleepy he is. It's usually 10-30 mins.

Robin910 · August 2015

My LO does anywhere from 25-60 minutes for a feeding and I do 1 breast per feeding and alternate with each session. She eats about every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours at night.

benmel31 · August 2015

Up to 30 min a side. I aLways offer both sides, especially at night, to try to go longer between feedings.

carleym93 · August 2015

I do one side and I let her nurse until she pulls herself away. If I know she is asleep and barely sucking, I will unlatch her and put her to bed. She will stay on anywhere from 5-40 mins.

jrthomas14 · August 2015

carleyec93 said:
I do one side and I let her nurse until she pulls herself away. If I know she is asleep and barely sucking, I will unlatch her and put her to bed. She will stay on anywhere from 5-40 mins.

we do the same

andreaj33 · August 2015

My little one is 3 weeks old. He does 10 minutes one side. Burp. And, as long as he'll last, the other side... usually 5 minutes. Burp. He eats every hour to two hours.

leanne69 · August 2015

jrthomas14 said:

carleyec93 said:
I do one side and I let her nurse until she pulls herself away. If I know she is asleep and barely sucking, I will unlatch her and put her to bed. She will stay on anywhere from 5-40 mins.
we do the same

Ditto!! It has been working out great.

tarheelgirl8 · August 2015

deviduke412 said:
15-20 min on each side. If I unlatch him and he's still rooting, I put him back on. About every 3 hours. He sleeps about a 5-6 hour stretch at night.

Ditto.

J&D2007 · August 2015

tarheelgirl8 said:

15-20 min on each side. If I unlatch him and he's still rooting, I put him back on. About every 3 hours. He sleeps about a 5-6 hour stretch at night.
Ditto.

I'm so jealous that you guys are getting 5-6 hours at night!!

tarheelgirl8 · August 2015

andreaj33 said:
My little one is 3 weeks old. He does 10 minutes one side. Burp. And, as long as he'll last, the other side... usually 5 minutes. Burp. He eats every hour to two hours.

I try to do burps in between sides but DD screams bloody murder. I try telling her that we're just taking a small break and then she'll get more food, but no amount of logic or reasoning helps.

emuangel · August 2015

I wish my LO would eat faster. LO is 6 weeks old. He will nurse anywhere from 10-60 minutes (10-40 minutes per side). So the total length depends on if he nurses on one side or both, which tends to change weekly (sometimes daily) as do the times. They are pretty consistent at 30-40 minutes per feeding. He will usually go anywhere from 1.5 to 4 hours between feedings, the 4 hours just happened last night before that he's usually between 1.5-3 hours during the day and 2-3 hours at night. I would like if my LO would eat faster and keep at least 3 hours between each feeding, because I want to pump but haven't found time with in the inconsistency.

monieelmore · August 2015

My two week old baby was nursing up to 30 min each side and still not satisfied. My nipples were so sore, that I couldn't really handle more than that at a time. After I would stop feeding, she would be really fussy. I thought she just wanted to suck more, not that she was actually still hungry. We just found out yesterday that she is losing weight because I am not producing enough milk. The lactation consultant said that normally babies feed for 10-15 min at each breast every 2-3 hrs. The fact that she had to nurse 2-3 times as long and still wasn't satisfied showed that something was wrong. Does your baby seem satisfied and break the latch himself after feeding? If so, everything is probably fine and he is just a slow eater. If after 20 min, he is still hungry, you may want to check your supply or talk to a lactation consultant? I feel terrible that my baby was so hungry and I didn't realize it! I hope that's not the case with your little boy.

oldcupcake · August 2015

I'm going through the same thing! I feel awful that our little wasn't getting enough from me when we thought everything was fine

We're supplementing and pumping more to up my supply. Hope everything works out for you, mama!!

Starynightsky24 · August 2015

Anywhere from 5-20mins on one side. She'll often cluster feed in the evenings and do 10ish mins every 90mins. Otherwise it's usually a good 2-3 hours between feedings. 3-4 at night.

cseley321 · August 2015

I average 15 to 20 minutes per side. If she has a really good latch though sometimes I leave her on that side until she let's go and then go pump the other breast. No idea if that's correct or not though

carleym93 · August 2015

I feed on one side because that is what the LC had me do in the hospital. She said if baby doesn't spend enough time on the breast to get to the more fat dense and calorie dense hindmilk, they will become fussy, gassy, possibly have diarrhea, etc. which is what was happening to my LO. If I were to switch her after 10 mins, she wouldn't have even gotten to the hindmilk on one side and she would be going straight to more foremilk on the other. Once she pops herself off, I always hand express out a little to make sure it is that creamy darker color of hindmilk and not the clearer foremilk. If she still hasn't gotten to the hindmilk when she falls asleep (which happens often) I will put her back on that same side at her next feeding to make sure she gets it.

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