how long do newborns breastfeed for?

[TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied]

I was told 45 minutes each boob- that's an hour and a half per feed!!! And they don't go as long between as bottlefed babies? I think people are telling me fibs to get me to bottlefeed.

So you ladies are the experts, please give me the low-down.

Also, I don't understand how I will know when the baby has had enough on one and to put her on the other one or how I will know if she's totally full IYSWIM?

Or is it one boob per feed?

Will I know if she's getting enough milk?

BF did not go well with DS as had no support so i want to get it right this time.

It's impossible to say, it depends on the baby. All of my babies were fast and regular feeders- sometimes every hour, sometimes every two hours but only for ten or 15 minutes.

I know of babies who feed for far longer, but not as regularly. The baby comes off the breast themselves when they are finished.

I always offered both breasts per feed, otherwise I'd feel lopsided.

You'll know if the baby is getting enough milk (or rather the midwife will) by the number of dirty nappies and wet nappies and weight gain.

The trick is, settle yourself in the sofa with a drink and the remote control. Also bf in bed - that can be very comfortable and relaxing.

As for people trying to put you off bfing, I could tell you plenty of things to put you off bottle feeding!

and throw out the clock when bfing, and don't count the number of feeds! It's not like bottlefeeding; newborn babies do not bf to a schedule, they bf according to what their little tummies are telling them.

Yes good advice on not clock watching - with DS1 the mw asked me how often and for how lond he fed when he lost some weight - which I now know was just the typical post birth dip - and for about 3 months I was obsessed and kept a notebook with me to write down everything .

Don't do this!

Only 1 of my 3 has been an efficient feeder ( and at 5 still troughs like a pig) but all 3 have generally stopped when they've had enough on 1 side (or fell asleep) and after winding offer the other side.

DD1 fed for at least 1 hour each time, even when she was much older, while DD2 only fed for 15 minutes right from the start - either she was a more efficient feeder or my letdown / supply were better - I'm not sure. Her weight gain's been even faster than DD1's.

In terms of how to know when they'd had enough, I think the usual advice is that they will come off on their own when they've had enough, then you offer the other side until they do the same again. However DD2 seems to never unlatch! So I take her off when I can tell she's not really feeding activelt anymore. She's gone from just below the 2nd centile to the 9th centile (nearly 6 months now) so it seems to be working

My Ds was an every 3 hour on the dot feeder after 4 weeks once the supply was established. I could literally time everything I did by his feeds.

Right up until I gave up BF he fed for 45 mins on the first breast and after winding could have anything between 5-20 mins on the second breast

He must have been a good feeder because he didn't lose any of his birthweight at all.

All babies are different. DS was a long feeder - he'd be firmly attached for an hour at times, but some of that time he was sleep-sucking. I was green and nervous of waking him so I never took him off. Never mind, lots of books got read!

Some babies will feed very promptly and come off of their own accord when they've had enough. I've since been told by a BFC that babies 'shouldn't' fall asleep on the boob - but mine did, thrived and put on weight and is still happily feeding at 22 months! If your baby does come off before falling asleep, try offering the other breast, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about giving both breasts per feed.

Go with whatever your baby suggests to you, and never listen to anyone who starts a sentence with 'babies should...'

Absolutely right, all babies are different, go with what yours tells you. No book, friend, relative or HV knows when her tummy is full, only her.

Mine fed every 2 hours and took well over an hour to feed, so whenever she started crying I couldn't believe it because she'd only just come off! After maybe 8 weeks or so I just accepted it and boy, did that make things easier.

It can be ages! Ds was an extremely slow feeder - I actually got a sore bum from sitting for so long feeding him!

Becasue he was slow to gain weight, I would alwas offer my other boob. I also took the view that if I could "pull" him off without having to forcible break the seal, then he had finoshed with that one.

I was told by the midwife that I shoud feed my newborn baby at least every 3 hours as he is small, but she did not say how long for. She just said do it until he has had enough.

I was also told at my nct breastfeeding class to use one breast per feed as the milk changes type as you feed. At the start of the feed the breast produces runny milk and as he feeds it gets thicker. Babay needs to reach the thick milk in order to put on enough weight. If you use both breasts each feed he gets too much runny milk and not enough thick.

I do find that the unused breast gets jealous and leaks, though!

same as others, no clock watching, feed until baby is full and wants no more, they will be clearly satisfied, and feed whenever they are hungry. With DS, who is now 11wks, he was feeding probably half hour or so each boob, fed until there was absolutely nothing left. I only fed one boob at a time, except in the evening when cluster feeding but he fed every 2hours to start, and sometimes hourly. I personally was concerned if i swapped boobs he would not get all the hindmilk, so i guess it was not so hard to do one boob at a time. Often though, esp when he was cluster feeding, i did give both boobs, but with say a 10 min break in, and he would feed all morning like that!!!

Now, at 11 weeks, he feeds from one boob at a time, around every 3 hours or so, and goes for around 6 hours at night. He feeds for about 15-20mins at a time, evening/late feeds tend to be longer, but i think that is partly due to comfort! And his last feed at night he will have both boobs til there is nothing left, and then suckles for ages!

DD was the fastest feeder in the West, she could go from latch to empty boob in under 5 minutes. I worried at first but the midwife sat and watched me feed (at my request) and agreed that she was getting plenty. The hardest thing about BF is that you can't tell how much they have had unless they bring it back up.

DS fed for about ten minutes, every three hours. He only fed from one side each feed.

He obviously got plenty - his weight gain was always fine and he was exclusively breastfed until he was weaned (and continued breastfeeding until he was 15 months).

DS is nearly 8 weeks, feeds constantly some days but on others will go for up to 3 hours between feeds in the day and up to 4 hours at night. Each feed lasts around 45min. I always offer both breasts as I find that if I just let him feed from one then don't offer the second he tends to want to feed again very quickly.

Whilst to some extent I'd agree with the idea of just putting your feet up and going with the flow I'd also advise you to prepare yourself to feed anywhere and to feed whilst on the move otherwise ime you will feel like you never get anything done/never leave the house.
I put my make-up on whilst bf the other day and today bf in the pub whilst eating lunch, in the jewellers whilst looking at necklaces and whilst walking on the high street. More fun than watching tv imo though I do like the odd day of vegging and bf .

Ds fed constantly. Taht's why I gave up - it was my pre-mn days and I had no idea that that was normal for a lot of them and that it would end. I thought I must have had no milk at all. ANd I was knackered.
Must say that he wasn't much different on a bottle.

I am also hoping to make a better go of it this time, when dc2 arrives. At least I know now that it is fine to let him/her suckle for hours if necessary and it won't go on like that forever.
GOod luck panini. I don't know about you, but I would just be so chuffed if I could make a go of it this time.