Attention BF moms!! How long.....

[surfmama106]

How long are your LO nursing for per feeding? DD use to nurse over 20min, 10 on each side, but lately I'm struggling to get her to 15 per feeding and sometimes I give up at 10. She gets 2 5oz bottles a day during the week but I nurse her in the morning at 5:30 (she's usually good here bc she's tired and hungry) then when I get home at like 4/4:30 (here I have the hardest time bc she's super distracted. I sit in the dark and switch sides whenever she seems to lose interest) and then at 7 before bed (here I struggle with keeping her awake to eat bc she'll fall asleep after 10min and I'm constantly switching sides to keep her with it)

The inconsistently with the number of minutes she nurses makes me consider just pumping and bottle feeding (especially at night so I know she gets the ounces). She's eating every 3.5/4 hours during the day and seems content so I'm not super worried, just curious how others are doing with it.

I keep telling myself that she's better at nursing now so she gets what she wants faster and maybe that's why the time is getting shorter, but I'm not 100% sold on that.

[isolemnlyswear]

DD nurses maybe... maybe 7 minutes during the day for both sides. She eats for 15 minutes from just one side at her 5am feeding but the rest of the day they are all super short. She goes 3.5 hours between feedings and is super happy. We went to her six month check up and he weight was good so I'm not too worried about it.

[hurricanerek]

DD has always been a very efficient nurser. She is done in less than 10 min both sides. Sometimes I squeeze into her mouth to make sure she's really gotten it all when she detaches. Maybe try that?

[lea]

5-10 minutes to nurse on both sides. He's never had long feedings.

[anotherdreamer]

My twins take 5-10 minutes, usually tandem nursing. The frequency of nursing varies: every 3 hours in the mornings/afternoon, while in the evenings they go a little more often. They are both growing well, DD1 is on track and DD2 is above track (she is a comfort nurser, so she snacks extra). Mine get distracted very easily now, it makes nursing in certain situations difficult; they still seem to eat enough to be contented, but sometimes I need to top them off again sooner than I would otherwise.

[kam3100]

5-7 minutes per side here. Occasionally it's 3 minutes per side. They become more efficient as they get older.

[jnnfrrose6]

Another efficient nurser here. The pedi had no concerns about it at the 4 and 6 month checks, so I don't worry about it anymore unless she's fussy when she pops off. Nursing rarely takes more than 10 min.

[honeybee434]

DD nurses about 10 minutes at a time tops. Unless she's kind of sleepy then sometimes she will comfort nurse a bit. She never eats as much milk as I leave at daycare, and lately will only wake up twice tops to eat, so I thknk she's just becoming more efficient as she gets bigger. She's still a chunk!

ETA: pumping now actually makes me more depressed as she gets more efficient. I hate pumping for 20 minutes what she can sometimes eat in 10.

[surfmama106]

Jan 27, 2015 21:59:17 GMT -5 honeybee434 said:

DD nurses about 10 minutes at a time tops. Unless she's kind of sleepy then sometimes she will comfort nurse a bit. She never eats as much milk as I leave at daycare, and lately will only wake up twice tops to eat, so I thknk she's just becoming more efficient as she gets bigger. She's still a chunk!

ETA: pumping now actually makes me more depressed as she gets more efficient. I hate pumping for 20 minutes what she can sometimes eat in 10.

This is prob the reason why I'm concerned. When I pump it'll take me 15-20 min to get about 5 oz which is what I leave per bottle for my mom. I know it's not the same but it makes me think that if I'm not nursing the same amount of time then she's not getting the same amount of milk.

She's definitely growing just fine in 80th for weight and off the charts for height, so I wasn't super worried to begin with, but hearing the same ish from others makes me feel better. Thanks ladies!

[lea]

The baby is way more efficient than the pump. I get hardly anything when I pump but I can tell from listening to DS swallow that he's taking in a fair amount. As long as LO is content after a feeding and gaining, it is fine!

[bullybutt]

I have no idea? I've always been a NOD feeder. Maybe 5 minutes? I also let her nurse herself to sleep. Lazy mom here.

[Leapinglizards]

DD feeds for anywhere between 10-20 mins. She feeds longer in the evening and at nights. I have been trying to feed her more during the day because she sleeps like shit but no luck so far. Sometimes if she has had a bad day she will comfort nurse but normally I will unlatch her after 30 mins because my nips cannot take anymore. She still feeds on one side at a time

[Lola]

I suppose if your concerned about it, you could do a weighted feeding to see how many ounces she is getting. Although when I was nursing he definitely was more efficient than my hospital grade pump.

[dawnfire]

My LO used to be a fast feeder, but now he seems to enjoy taking his time. He eats anywhere from 15-30 minutes, though 30 minutes is usually more rare. I think he's doing it because I only get to nurse him 3 times a day during the week (morning before work, evening right when we get home, then again before I go to bed for the night.) We're missing out on a lot of bonding time otherwise.

[soon2bmrsn]

DD nurses for about 8 minutes per side (so 15-20ish total) every 3 hours during the day.

[argonne]

DD has always nursed for short periods of time.  She's never nursed for more than 10-15 total, even when a NB.  Now, she nurses for about 5-7 minutes total, but she seems sated and is gaining and staying on her curve (25th %tile).  I guess she's just really efficient.  My DCP says she can suck a 5 ounce bottle down pretty fast.  I would only be concerned if your DD is losing weight, not staying on her curve, etc.

[Deleted]

5-10 minutes usually during the day off one side. During the night if he wakes or during his first morning feed usually 20 minutes!

[quinncat]

Usually 5 to 7 minutes total. She nurses from one side per feeding.