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How long does your lo feed for (if bfing)?

Hi ladies,

Just wondering how long your lo's tend to feed for at each feed.
Ryans feeding has been all over the shop and apparently he tends to feed for a long time 20-30mins before I take him off. The hv said today to expect him to reduce that time as he becomes more efficient, since she was here he's had 4 short feeds 10-15mins, taken himself off and settled.

Just wondering how long your lo's feed for, not sure if this is him growing up or of he's worn out as he's got s bit of a cold?

Shanee and Ryan 4weeks1day x

Replies

  • Isobel feeds anywhere between ten minutes to half an hour. In the beginning I was getting really worked up and stressed about times and length of feeds/time between feeds but im more relaxed now and just let myself be led by her (completely against my personality, trust me!!). I would say, as long as you're getting plenty of wet and dirty nappies, to not worry too much about the length of time he feeds for. If he wasn't feeding well, he'd soon let you know!!! Its quite stressful the whole breastfeeding thing isnt it? I wish there was a way to know for sure how much they were getting each time. Sounds like ur doing really well xx
  • Thanks Hun, am still so stressed about his feeding. Hv had said she was going to weigh him today then turned up without the scales and said to go to the clinic next week. Had I known that wouldve gone yesterday to at least know his weights going up alright. We're going to be worry about them for the rest of our lives now....think I need to get used to worrying lol
  • my little one is 3 weeks tomorrow and he feeds for anywhere between 20 mins and an hour!
    I've had problems with bf as hes been losing weight so i'm having to express at th end of every feed, top him up with formula and wake him up every 2 hours to feed.
    The bf support people said he should be feeding for between 20 + 45 mins at this stage and settling for 2 hrs
    Hth
    B x
  • Thanks Hun, I've been having to give formula top ups too as he lost too much weight initially and we've been having problems getting bfing established. But over the last couple days he's be gradually decreasing the top ups as have only been giving him them whenhws still unsettled after his bfeed.
    That's interesting as I was told let him have 20-30 mins then take him off and offer the other boob which we were doing, but during the day he rarely settled for as long as 2 hours. It's so hard to know what's right isn't it
  • Thanks Hun, I've been having to give formula top ups too as he lost too much weight initially and we've been having problems getting bfing established. But over the last couple days he's be gradually decreasing the top ups as have only been giving him them whenhws still unsettled after his bfeed.
    That's interesting as I was told let him have 20-30 mins then take him off and offer the other boob which we were doing, but during the day he rarely settled for as long as 2 hours. It's so hard to know what's right isn't it
  • yes its really hard!
    I'm letting him feed for as long as he likes and i've now started offering the other boob (didnt know i was supposed to......) and so this am he fed for qn hour and a quarter and settled for 2 hrs. I'm still going to express at the end of each feed to try and increase my supply and when he needs a top up he gets breastmilk at least some of the time.
    I've had such contradictory advice its so hard to know what to do for the best.
    I'm just hoping he starts to put weight on at his weigh in tomorrow.
  • Hiya Kayssis, I find feeding times a bit random - everything I have read says 20-30mins but we have some feed which are 10 and he comes off with milk coming out of his mouth and point blank refuses anymore!!! (Does this funny pursed up lips face which cracks me up!!).

    I have almost burnt my Gina Ford book, am not going to read the baby whisperer as I am soon realising that you have to go baby led. We have a bath, feed. settle routine, put freddy in his moses in our makeshift sitting room (our sitting rm is still being plastered!!) and then feed him if he wakes and then dream feed at 10/10.30 ish.

    I am hoping he puts weight on as he wasn't back to birth weight @ 10days. But yep, feeding times are v random for us! x
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