bf dd2 only feeds for 5-10 mins at a time?

[UptownFunk00]

Dd2 is only 9 days old but feeds every hour to three hours but only feeds for 5-10 minutes at a time. Why is this? Isn't it supposed to be about half an hour?

[SecretSpy]

Is she well and doing lots of wet and dirty nappies? Then she may just be efficient. There's no set amount of time a feed should take

[tiktok]

There is no supposed time :)

If anyone tells you this, it is a dead giveaway that they do not understand how bf works.

The point of breastfeeding is to transfer milk effectively - if your baby is transferring what she needs in 5-10 mins, then that is fine. Offer her the other side when she seems to have had what she wants from side one. If she doesn't want it, or doesn't want it yet, no worries.

If she is gaining weight and thriving, then she is doing great.

Are you happy with the way she is developing and feeding?

And where did you hear/read the half hour rubbish?:)

(Some babies do need half an hour. Some babies need an hour or more. Some babies are a mix. Some babies change day to day, feed to feed. If it's working, it's all good :) )

[Onsera3]

Some babies are just efficient. Has she gained her birth weight back? Does she enough wet nappies?

If so, I wouldn't worry.

Personally, I like to feed them every 2 hrs during the day for the first 8 weeks and at least every 4hrs at night- to ensure food supply.

My DD wouldn't even feed for five minutes - honestly couldn't get her to stay on at all as she had a missed tongue and lip tie. But regardless she gained weight from day 1 and went to 20th - 90th centile in a few weeks. I used to just offer one breast to make sure she got hind milk.

She gained as much as DS despite spending much less time on breast.

[Onsera3]

*good supply!

[tiktok]

God example of different babies needing different things, Onsera.

"I used to just offer one breast to make sure she got hind milk" - not necessary, btw. One sided feeding does suit many babies, as they get what they need, but it should not be a point of principle. There is not really any such separate thing as 'the' hind milk, and babies really REALLY don't need to stay on one breast in order to get it :)

[tiktok]

God = good :)

[UptownFunk00]

Glad to hear it - just shows you how every baby is different.

She gained her birth weight back yesterday plus half an ounce by day 8 so the MWs aren't worried.

I try to feed every 2 hours but sometimes she plan refuses it - usually when she needs to poo, then after she pops she'll have a big feed.

[UptownFunk00]

Poops even.

[tiktok]

Uptown - I'm curious about where you heard babies were supposed to feed for half an hour?

[ingenvillvetavardukoptdintroja]

Mine was exactly the same. Frustrating as we were in special care and the staff refused to believe he'd taken enough milk from me so would spend 40 mins trying to cram a bottle in after every feed. He never lost his birth weight and is still the same now, I just found he fed more frequently than others.

[SweetAdeline]

Dd was like this. Some of her feeds were less than 5mins and she would happily go 2.5-3hrs between feeds and piled weight on too.

Ds had much longer feeds and wanted to feed again after five fucking minutes.

Interestingly they were both tongue tied. I think dd compensated by having a (pretty painful) hoover latch whereas ds was pain free but much less efficient.

[feetheart]

DD was a half hour girl, DS was 10 mins max with a let-down that made me wince and he fed like a vacuum :)

[imwithspud]

Both of mine were like this, we had the odd long feed but it was mostly 10minutes for both sides. I worried with my first, and even the midwife told me to 'try' and extend her feeds to 20 minutes per side, how you'd do that I have no idea. But she was absolutely fine. Some babies are just efficient feeders.

[Tfoot75]

My DD was about 5 minutes from the start. Interestingly she also had a mild tongue tie and let down was very painful for a few weeks. Fed from one side at first until she wanted the other as well, perhaps after a couple of months. No problems gaining weight.

Not sure of the wisdom of enforcing feeds, I always just fed on demand.