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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Surely she's not draining a breast in 10 mins?

21 replies

naturelover · 19/09/2007 20:35

I suspect I have a fast letdown but surely my 2.5 week old is not draining a breast in 10 mins? Yet she seems to fall off the breast and go to sleep after 10 mins quite often. After a while (sometimes up to 20-30 mins) she wakes and refuses that breast, but will feed from the other for a few minutes. Then fall asleep again. All the midwives and books seem to say feeding should take much longer than this.

Nappies show she is feeding well and she's also putting on weight.

Anyone else experienced this?

OP posts:
DaisyMOO · 19/09/2007 20:37

Mine used to do this. She sounds like she knows what she's doing so go with it!

LIZS · 19/09/2007 20:41

Her tummy is the size of her fist . She isn't draining you just gettign full and "drunk" then fancying pudding for a change. Sounds like she has it well sussed, lucky you.

NotQuiteCockney · 19/09/2007 20:45

She's fine! My DS1 would feed for ... 40 minutes? Forever, really, he never seemed to stop. DS2 never fed for more than 10 minutes. (Ok, now he's nearly three, he'll happily snack for ages. )

liath · 19/09/2007 22:16

ds has rarely fed for more than 10 minutes at a time, even when he was very wee. I have a fast let-down too.

moondog · 19/09/2007 22:17

My first fed for hours and my second fed for minutes.
Both thrived (and thrive!)

yelnats · 19/09/2007 22:20

My dd2 has always been a very quick feeder - never feeding for anymore that 10/15 mins at a time and she is thriving.

yelnats · 19/09/2007 22:20

Ohh and I have a quick let down too.

feetheart · 19/09/2007 22:26

DD could feed for AGES but with DS it was all over in less than 10 mins most times. He was a pretty big baby (8lb 4oz) but seemed to have the ability to vacuum the milk out - with DD my let-down tingled, with him it made me wince

Sounds like you are both doing really well, enjoy it, babies don't read the books

3andnomore · 19/09/2007 22:40

maybe your little one is thirsty rather then hungry..
also, how is the weighgain and behaviour genreally?

Miaou · 19/09/2007 22:45

Yes, my ds2 does this (and did from about the same age). He is now 8 weeks and growing like you wouldn't believe - but rarely feeds for more than 10 minutes at a time (and his one night feed generally lasts about 5 mins!). Unlike my previous three who would feed for bloody hours .

I think it's unusual enough for books/midwives to not suggest this is expected - but nonetheless it is normal! And as you point out, weight gain and wet/dirty nappies are fine.

Our babies suck big time

halogen · 20/09/2007 22:33

My daughter has never fed for longer than ten or fifteen minutes, not even as a newborn. From what I've heard you and I (and others with fast-feeding babies) should be grateful! It's just that she's good at feeding - good girl!

amidaiwish · 20/09/2007 22:37

my DD1 fed for at most 10 minutes at a go, then went 3 hours between feeds, gained weight well and had wet nappies.

i was really worried but after a while realised how lucky i was!!

DD2 was more of a 30-40 minute girl - much harder! Thank your lucky stars, if she's going between feeds, wet nappies and putting on weight then you obviously have either a very good feeder, fantastic milk or a combo of the two.

Original poster
naturelover · 21/09/2007 14:25

Thanks for the reassurance everyone! I'm obviously not alone. She was 4 oz over her birthweight after 7 days which should have reassured me enough.

OP posts:
gillhowe · 22/09/2007 17:48

Just another one...

DS only had two feeds longer than 5 minutes in 8 months. I had a hell of a time getting discharged from hospital when I had him as they wanted to see him feed for 15 mins!!

bilblio · 22/09/2007 18:37

My DD's feeds are usually about 15 minutes long, she's 9 weeks old and also thriving. I have a fast let down too, glad someone else mentioned it can hurt, I was going to ask the HV about it as it can be really painful.

I only realised my let down was fast a couple of weeks again when I expressed for the first time. The instructions said to express for 10 minutes the first time and work up to longer periods. It advised I'd get about 1-2ozs in 10 minutes...
I got 5.5 ozs in 10 minutes

Piffle · 22/09/2007 18:46

nature lover in the first few weeks my ds2 would only feed for 5-6 mins a time and was fully stated, he would go 2-3 hrs between feeds from the off.
i have/had oversupply and over active letdown
now at 6mths old he feeds under 10 mins every time still and now goes 9-10 hrs at night, effiency do not knock it, some women have babies that take hours to feed, we are very lucky!
PS ds2 has had excellent weight gain too and is a strapping wel built lad!

determination · 22/09/2007 19:34

i would sssoooo love for myy dd2 to feed for longer but she is finished in less than 5 minutes too. I feel like she has just latched when she is finished.

Problems with this are...

  • not enough cuddling.feeding time
  • LOADS of wind.
  • still at 6 months she sometimes chokes on the force of the letdown

suppose, if it were the other way i would also be complaining though

yellowfrin · 24/09/2007 10:33

my dd does this. Efficiency and very good at getting the milk out. Initially its worrying though because all the books state they feed for ages.

FioFio · 24/09/2007 10:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

jenjins · 24/09/2007 10:42

my dd who has just turned 1 only ever fed for 10 mins too. 15 if you were lucky but very very rarely. she used to feed every 2 hours i presume because of this but she was putting weight on so fast i had no concerns and my hv and midwife said 10 mins was fine. fortunately she would not feed every two hours at night though, it was just how it turned out.

ghosty · 24/09/2007 10:43

My DD was like this. A very efficient feeder. She never ever fed for longer than 10 minutes at a time from day 1.

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