how long does yours feed?

[babybob1]

Hello im a first time mum so i dont know what to expect im am bf she has a bottle at night (expressed) which dh givs her so i can get some sleep what i am unsure of is that she likes to stay on me for about an hour to an hour and a half at each feed do you think shes sucking for comfort for some of it or is she getting milk i didnt think that it took this long she cries and cries if she comes of during this time and if she is sucking for comfort how can i stop it? its the only thing im finding hard everything else is fine i have tried a dummy and it only works sometimes and i dont really want to use a dummy if i dont have to. Oh and shes five weeks

that does sound a little long bb, i remember my dd would feed for that long but not a 5 wks old. she will definitely be doing some comfort feeding, its their favourite thing! does she fall asleep and then you move her away? when she stops sucking dont move her away immediately, sit for a while til shes fast asleep. my dd would suck her thumb after a feed, if you dont want her to have a dummy maybe you could encourage her to do that. i am sorry im not much help, there are lots of people here who be of more use probably. try and get a hold of mears, she is bf expert i think. good luck!

also, do you offer her both sides? maybe she is getting more hungry at 5 wks

My DS1 used to do this. I think he was sucking for comfort at least some of that time. Now, with DS2, I can tell if he's getting something, because I can hear him swallowing, and hear the milk running down his throat. The sucks tend to be slower when they're getting something, too, from what I know.

I don't know what you do about comfort sucking. I used to feed DS1 in a sling, so I could still get out of the house. But then, DS1 was a skinny baby, so I didn't want to deprive him of any boob-time.

Oh, and to answer the how-long question. DS1 used to feed for an hour at a time, pretty often. DS2 rarely feeds for more than 10 minutes - after that, it's generally comfort sucking, on the way to sleep. I let him do it, as I can generally sneak off afterwards. With DS1, I used to just sit and feed for ages - I would play video games, or watch telly, for ages, with him attached like a limpet.

Everyone in this life needs comfort and enjoyment, and the chance to relax doing something they enjoy - without someone else timing them

Why stop the comfort sucking, bb? She is a baby for such a short time, and she will develop other ways of taking comfort and pleasure....even now, there will be times when you can make the feeds a little shorter if and when you have to.

If she is thriving then she is getting what she needs....and feeds of an hour to an hour and a half are not unusual at a few weeks old.

I know it can seem like a long time, but there is nothing wrong with it

Hello everyone yes i offer her both sides at all feeds to make sure she is getting the amount she wants when she is on me she doesnt really stop sucking until she is out of it but if you move her shes cries. I dont want to stop her all together comfort sucking just make it a bit shorter i was sitting with her for five hours the other day with her on off on off couldnt even go to the loo!!!

What happens when she's done sucking? Does she fall asleep? Does she seem to be trying to fall asleep while sucking? I wonder if she's tired. DS2 will suck for ages if he's tired but can't get to sleep. Babies at this age generally don't need to be awake for more than an hour or hour and a half at a time.

They do get faster at feeding over time, generally, and better at falling asleep and staying asleep.

Oh, and yeah, moving them does tend to wake them up. I nurse DS2 to sleep by lying down with him in our bed and then sneaking off. It's easier because at least I don't have to move him at all. I never got the knack of moving a child who was asleep without waking them up.

It might be worth a try if she's actually awake. They tend to suck really faintly then, and can sometimes be detached.

My little one used to suck for comfort. We did give her the dummy! We thought about it,and the long term habit, but at the end of the day, she will develop her own personality, and it will always be something. A dummy isn't really such a bad thing! When she was 5 weeks, she had an uncomfy tummy from colic, so yes, anything to suck is comforting.A dummy can be a good thing. People try to scare you about a lot. Some kids get tired of the dummy and stop on their own.