Newborn feeding for 5 minutes

[Browniee]

Hi I wondered if anyone could help or reassure me. My baby is almost 2 weeks old and feeding is going quite well (I think). She had her tongue tie sorted fairly quickly and that’s made a huge difference to the latch but previously she was on the breast about 20 mins maximum then needing a top up of my expressed milk (a feeding plan the CM put us on until tongue tie was sorted). Now we’re feeding on demand every 2-4 hours, cluster feeding some nights, and she only spends 5 minutes, a maximum 10 sometimes, before falling asleep. My breast feels a lot lighter afterwards and she looks very satisfied. We’re still getting a lot of wet and dirty nappies too. Is this normal or should I be making more effort to wake her and get her to feed for longer?

I think that's fine. Not all babies are the same. My midwives were saying that my dc should be feeding at least 10 minutes per side and both sides each feed at that age. The oldest certainly probably would have (and she had weight gain issues). But my youngest fed 5 minutes only one side per feed and was done. He was 80th centile, big, putting on weight and happy. He was just a really efficient feeder. Some of them are. As long as they are happy with her weight gain, I wouldn't worry about it.

People also told me it would effect my supply to not feed both sides each feed. He did eventually sometimes have both sides, but often only one. He's 15 months now. My supply has always been great. I don't feed him often anymore as I'm slowing down to stop soon, so I only feed him once every 2-4 days in the morning (he has cow's milk in a cup all the other times) and even still my supply is plentiful.

My DD was like this only fed for about 7 minutes one side only from birth. If you are happy with her weight gain, she seems calm and relaxed and full up just go with it. Once I got used to it and she started putting on loads of weight it was brilliant!

Some are genuinely fast feeders. Check her weight. If it’s increasing appropriately then be glad of your efficient feeder. I had two of those among my kids.

Thanks for the replies - She’s been weighed again by the Health Visitor and she’s put on loads of weight so happy all round. And still lots of wet and dirty nappies. So I’m trying to see it as a positive that she feeds efficiently and I think that’s helping me stave off sore breast for now!! I’m still trying to encourage feeding from both sides but when she’s done she’s really done 😴

Mine was like this. My friends used to talk about hours of cluster feeding and I had no experience of it at all. He is the same now he is 8 months.

As long as weight gain is good I would be v happy!

Mine was like this! I uses to worry endlessly, time all her feeds, and panic if she hadn't stayed on there for at least five minutes. But she chunked up nicely, and I gradually stopped worrying! She only fed one side at a time too. I used to offer second, and sometimes she would take it - but she unfailingly projectile vomited every time she did so I stopped offering. Five-eight minutes on one boob was what she needed. She cruised up from dinky, slightly premature birth weight to 70th centile - where she remains at 2.5, over a year after we quit breastfeeding. Some of them just don't need very long. Nappies and weight gain are the best guide, not time.

Some babies are just efficient. If she's peeing, pooing, and gaining weight, she is just fine and there's nothing to worry about.