DS feeding for an 1 to 2 hours!

[blondnc]

My DS is taking over an hour to 2 hours at EACH FEED! Is it meant to take so long? From what I gather it's meant to take half that time.

She is just over six weeks old and is on 6 feeds a day (8am, 1130am, 330pm, 730pm, 1130pm and roughly 330am)

She is breast fed for all but the 1130pm where she has a formula Daddy feed.

She has gradually taking longer and longer at the breast and it makes feedings merge. If I try and settle her beforehand she crys like she s hungry.

Has anyone else had this problem and how did they solve it?

Plus does anyone have any advice as to checking when she is properly feeding and when she has fully emptied the breast?

Thanks in advance!

Haha - just realised I put DS wheen it should be DD!

How is her weight?

Is she naturally feeding at those times, or are you making her wait between feeds? She's quite young to be on a schedule. (And I know I often don't go four hours without anything to eat or drink, and I'm a lot older than 6 weeks.)

The breast isn't a bottle; it isn't ever fully empty. It just keeps making more milk.

It's possible her latch could be improved. What does your nipple look like when she's done? If it looks at all crushed, or like a tube of lipstick, then her latch is not ideal. What town are you in? I can find a list of BF drop ins where you can chat with a BFC in person ...

She is being weighed by the HV in the middle of Feb. At her last weigh in she was 9lbs 5 when she was just under 4 weeks (16th jan). She was born (20th dec) 8lbs 1.5 and was at her birthweight again at the 5 day checkup.

She isn't on a strict schedule, it's rough timings so they can be plus or minus half an hour depending on her sleeping etc and are also dependant on how she was through the night. I will genrally wake her though is she is sleeping much past her next feed.

Yeah the nipple looks like its been crushed/lipstick after most of her feeds. I know I need to try and have the nipple at the soft part of her mouth but I struggle to get her to open her mouth wide enough. She also sometimes shakes her head when im trying to get her latched. No idea why. Normally takes a couple of goes.

I live in Melton Mowbray in LEICS btw.

Thanks for your help.

my guess is she is feeding for a few mins then having a doze/cuddle then feeding again. Its kind of what they like to do best at this age (too old for just sleeping and eating and too young for playing). If you are happy with this then just ride with it.

Hmm, I can't see that much near you, but here is a list of what there is in Leics.

I know those may be far for you to make, but they may well be able to help you work out how to get the nipple further in, so she feeds more effectively, and hence hopefully for shorter times.

Glad to hear the schedule is coming from her, not you. If she starts having shorter feeds, she may want to feed more often.

Her gain sounds fine.

It can be helpful, if she's stopped feeding much, to switch breasts. You can switch and switch again and again. Or maybe try breast compression? (Look at Jack Newman's page for details) That's normally for sleepy babies, but it might help her feed more effectively.