How many hours/day are you nursing LO?

breezypip · January 2016

For those of you who EBF and track the time, how many minutes or hours on average are you nursing per day? I've been tracking on an app and I nurse on demand, which feels constant. I'm at about 7 1/2 hours per day, 45 min per session, give or take. Does this seem "normal" or excessive? I'm beat.

AnnH74 · January 2016

I EBF except for one feed per day (pumped milk). I am around two and a half hours per day (if I were to add in the one bottle it would be closer to three hours per day). Not sure how you time your feed but that's actual eating time (I pause for burping and diaper changes, etc). It usually takes about an hour per feed but I don't rush through it. Hope that helps.

Mizuiro007 · January 2016

I seem to average the same as @AnnH74. According to the app I use we average close to 3 hrs per day (I also pause for burping). DD doesn't eat very long for most sessions though and I think that has a lot to do with my having a fast let down. She sometimes eats 8-10 mins every hr or 15-20 mins every 3hrs. In the evening and over night she'll eat 30-45 mins with 4 hr stretches. This is all with feeding on demand.

Court11152325 · January 2016

DD has a shallow latch we're working on. She's 5.5 weeks. I probably nurse for 6-8 hours a day - counting comfort nursing after she's done eating.

ETA she's EBF and rarely gets a bottle right now.

wetherbeee · January 2016

I average about 3 and a half hours a day, give or take. We also EBF. He's gotten incredibly more efficient in the last week or so and can finish one breast in 5 to 10 minutes if he actively nurses the entire time. But he likes to suckle for comfort after a lot (i stop timing when he does this)

breezypip · January 2016

I had a feeling this had to be on the long side. I was wondering how every one else manages! DH barely has any time to bond with her because she's either always nursing or crying to nurse. We have a small window between the two. It also means I have little to no chance to pump, so I can't get a break. She does do quite a bit of comfort nursing which may be included in my time, but even so she's spending double the time at the breast than most of your babes. I would love an extra few hours and I suspect she should be spending them napping which she usually refuses to do. Luckily she's started sleeping longer stretches at night.

Like @Court11152325 we have had tons of latching issues. I've finally dropped the nipple shield and our latching seems much better, yet we haven't improved our efficiency it seems. I was hoping since we're at 7 weeks now it would start to get better. I'm about to throw in the towel and at least convert some feelings to formula because I'm really starting to feel like a prisoner.

esscapelle · January 2016

My LO is about 6 weeks old. I BF on average 2.5 hours per day, plus about 2 bottles per day. My LO eats between 12-20 minutes per session...I have no idea if he's extremely efficient or if I have a fast let down, but it's always been that quick. I nurse every 2-3 hours.

(I use the MammaBaby app to time feedings)

breezypip · January 2016

esscapelle said:
My LO is about 6 weeks old. I BF on average 2.5 hours per day, plus about 2 bottles per day. My LO eats between 12-20 minutes per session...I have no idea if he's extremely efficient or if I have a fast let down, but it's always been that quick. I nurse every 2-3 hours.

(I use the MammaBaby app to time feedings)

I think I could manage that schedule! But the only time I get a 2-3 hour stretch in between is when she's sleeping. It's more like 1-1.5 hours. It's like a constant cluster feed. To get a shower I feed her, hand her to DH and rush through my showers and by the time I'm done she's already screaming to be fed again. How is that any way to live? Lol

rzaremba · January 2016

It really depends, the past few days he's nursed closer to 6 hours. I think he's going through a growth spurt. We are also working through weaning from the shield, so he might be taking longer due to that. When I see that he's comfort nursing I try to take him off and give him a pacifier, which has worked pretty well.

dmendo01 · January 2016

I don't time but I would be willing to bet I spend 6 hours/day at least nursing. I let her comfort nurse a lot though she won't hardly take a paci. It's kind of exhausting but what can you do. I am actually okay with it right now as I feel she will probably break of it once I return to work because she will have to!

Court11152325 · January 2016

With a shallow latch I let DD comfort nurse because it can help with supply and a bad latch can dwindle supply. @breezypip I have days that I can shower and it's not a big deal, and other times I can hear her crying before I'm even out. This after a 45 minute session.

esscapelle · January 2016

I'm like @rzaremba - if I sense that LO is comfort sucking, I use my pinky to take him off and give him the paci. If I let him comfort suck, I know my time would almost double.

angelicac06 · January 2016

Around 3 hours since week 7.
Week 1-6 close to 7 hours!

All of a sudden my LO just became very efficient taking less than 20 to feed. It freaked me out at first but hes still gaining weight like crazy (over 15 lbs now.) I used to complain that I was a slave to my couch but honestly now I miss it. Never thought I'd say that lol.

breezypip · January 2016

@angelicac06 that's the magic I've been holding out for!

grkgdss00 · January 2016

I checked my app and were around 3 hours a day. We're EBF at 3w old. She usually liked to eat 5-10 min per boob, with an occasional 20 min session

momotheflyinglemur · January 2016

My app says that on average I am an hour and a half on each side. Feeds usually take me about 30-35 minutes with breaks for burping and such. Occasionally, he'll stay on a bit longer, but he's pretty consistent.

breezypip · January 2016

So I wonder if it's that she's not getting as much as she should be causing her to br hungry all the time, or if she just has a crazy appetite? I think I'm going to get a baby scale so I can get an idea of how much she's getting per feed.

I did manage to pump 5oz and DH bottle fed her one night and she went through that like no one's business. A few weeks ago she did the same with 6oz and I had to nurse her right after because she was still rooting.

thatgirlree24 · January 2016

I don't use an app but I'm like you that I breastfeed on demand and almost all day

laurabwalker · January 2016

I am nursing every two hours, 20-30 mins each feed. At night she will sleep 2-3 hrs, feed and then 2 hours sleep, feed, then it's hourly till 5-6am. She is 4 weeks, but she is now over 10lbs
Basically it's all I do

Court11152325 · January 2016

@breezypip you'll want to be careful with such large amounts in the bottles. If your baby goes through them quickly she may not register that she's full. Check out YouTube videos on pace feeding and probably aim for 3-4 oz a session.

Weight gain is the best way to tell if baby is eating enough, but wet and poopy diapers are another good way.

Also if you're having latch issues like me, I know that DD has to be on the breast longer to get all the good hind milk so she just takes longer. Comfort nursing is also a good way for her to get hind milk.

jenEP · January 2016

I only spend about 1.25 to 1.5 hours per day nursing. I nurse every 2 hours, but DD is a guzzler. She only feeds for 5-10 minutes total per session. She isn't really a comfort nurser either. Although this may sound nice, it leaves us with a lot of awake time and she's been petty crabby lately. I often wish I could nurse her longer because she's happy during those times and I enjoy nursing. It is nice at night though, because I can feed her in 10 minutes and go right back to sleep.

angelicac06 · January 2016

jenEP said:
I only spend about 1.25 to 1.5 hours per day nursing. I nurse every 2 hours, but DD is a guzzler. She only feeds for 5-10 minutes total per session. She isn't really a comfort nurser either. Although this may sound nice, it leaves us with a lot of awake time and she's been petty crabby lately. I often wish I could nurse her longer because she's happy during those times and I enjoy nursing. It is nice at night though, because I can feed her in 10 minutes and go right back to sleep.

Yes this!

Court11152325 · January 2016

Very jealous @angelicac06 and @jenEP - Most of my middle of the night feedings take 1 to 2 hours total from waking up, changing diaper, nursing, and getting back to sleep. And for some reason recently DD has decided to stop her 4-5 stretch from 9-1 or 2 and get up at 12. She's been waking up every 3 hours from her last nursing session like clock work. Which means I get as little as 1 hour of sleep it as much as 2.

sharonholck28 · January 2016

I haven't calculated the exact amount of total time but my LO nurses between 8-13 times a day. Sometimes she does quick times between 5-10 mins. Most of the time she's closer to the 15 min range. But there are days where she may have a couple feedings that are 25-30 mins.

Most of those longer feedings though I think she might just be comfort nursing cause I don't usually hear any swallowing and she is knocked out.

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