How long should each feed last?

[SpaceHopperHayls]

Hi.

I'm after a bit og general advice/experience on how long people's babies spend at their breasts?

Ffion is 17 days old, and rarely stays for less than 40 mins. Obviously I'm thrilled that she has taken to it so well, and enjoy the time spent feeding, but when it is nearly half five and she has been at it for an hour, I can't help but think that it might be easier if she were a twenty-minuter.

Any thoughts?

It's not uncommon at this age. She'll get more proficient soon. Probably at the next growth spurt (around 6 weeks if I remember correctly?) where she'll suck more often (about every 1:30 to 2 hours and for a bit less time (closer to 20 mn each breast).

Just relax and go with the flow for now. Stay tuned to her and follow her cues. It's the best way to establish your supply.

Now I don't remember how you have to proceed in respect of emptying a breast before moving on to next.
The UK ladies will wake up soon, so just sit tight and wait for the professional advice.

I agree with slim22 - this is quite normal at this age (IME anyway). My DS1 often took about an hour and a half to finish feeding! DS2 was a bit quicker but I think it was still a couple of months before he was efficient enough to feed for 20 mins.

This is pretty normal, however sometimes feeding for a long time can indicate that the baby might not be quite latched on properly so may not be getting enough (imagine drinking through a flattened straw). Is she gaining weight? Plenty of wet/dirty nappies? Is bfing painful for you?

If any of those are a problem it might be worth seeking further advice but as I'm sure they are not I wouldn't worry. Just remember snuggled up at your breast is probably her favourite place in the world (it still is for my 8 mo dd) so she'll probably want to take her time there!

As the rest of the world becomes more interesting to her, and she becomes more experienced you might find that she becomes quicker, but it's not a problem if she doesn't.