Follow the cues your baby gives you. When baby comes off on his or her own accord you can assume that baby has emptied that breast. It won't feel as full, and will be more 'floppy' and soft feeling. (and if you try hand expressing it will be difficult to get any milk out).
Your breast drains better if baby is well-attached. At the start of a feed, gently lean or lie back in a relaxed position with your back well supported. This will help to slow down your milk flow. Express a little bit of milk if your breasts feel uncomfortable.
It may only take your baby about 5 to 10 minutes to empty each breast and get all the milk they need; however, this is different for everyone.
The more frequently and thoroughly the breasts are emptied (though breasts are never truly 'emptied'), the faster they try to refill. Oxytocin – which promotes milk 'let-down' or the flow of the milk to the baby.
To put a number on it, it usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes after feeding to generate enough milk for your baby, and about 60 minutes to replenish fully. The more often your baby feeds, and the more they empty your breasts, the more milk your body will produce.
If your baby's swallowing has slowed, they have started to fall asleep, and/or they seem frustrated at the breast, it's time to switch sides. Sometimes switching breasts multiple times per feeding can be useful, especially in cases of sleepy babies or low milk supply.
The infant is often able to remove larger volumes of the milk from the breast compared to an electric breast pump [3, 6] and fares better at maintaining milk production in the long term.
How Long Does Nursing Take? Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
If your baby seems satisfied after breastfeeding, they're likely getting enough milk. But if they always want to nurse, it may be a sign that baby is still hungry after breastfeeding – especially if they appear sluggish or they're losing weight.
If your baby is not satisfied with the first breast, offer the second breast. Try nursing on only one breast at each feeding, if possible. Over time, you may notice your milk supply and "let-down reflex" (the milk ejection reflex) get easier to handle.
In pregnancy, the breasts may start to produce milk weeks or months before you are due to have your baby. If your nipples are leaking, the substance is usually colostrum, which is the first milk your breasts make in preparation for feeding your baby. Leaking is normal and nothing to worry about.
Sometimes a baby may still be hungry because he wasn't attached properly to your breast, so he didn't get a full feed. In that case, your nipples will probably hurt a lot too and may look squashed. If you have any worries about feeding your baby, please don't struggle alone.
Engorgement can happen if you are not breastfeeding or expressing milk often, or produce a lot of milk. Your baby may have a hard time latching on (attaching) to your breast to feed. Without treatment, engorgement can lead to plugged milk ducts or a breast infection called mastitis.
If your baby is healthy, gaining weight, and seems content after most breastfeeds, they're getting what they need. Babies who are feeding well can take anywhere between five minutes and 40 minutes at each feed.
How long should a baby nurse to get hindmilk? After about 10 to 15 minutes of breastfeeding, the milk flow slows and transitions to the sweet and creamy hindmilk, which contains vitamins A and E, and has more fat and calories than foremilk.
Some babies take a full feed in five minutes while others take 40 minutes to get the same amount.
“In most cases the baby 'talks' to the breasts by nursing as much as needed, and tells the breasts how much milk to make,” Wall said. “Pumping increases milk production if a mother is pumping in addition to nursing her baby. But if she is pumping and then skipping breast feedings, pumping may decrease milk supply.”
Ultimately, if your baby has reached its birth weight and you're pumping enough milk during the day, it's okay to sleep eight hours without pumping at night. Keep in mind there is an adjustment period for your body as it begins to acclimate to the decrease in overnight milk removal.
Falling asleep at the breast is a normal behaviour and is mostly due to a hormone called cholecystokinin or CCK. CCK makes your baby feel full and sleepy and it is released in your babies gut as soon as they start sucking.
If a mother only offers one breast per feed in the early weeks, it could hinder her ability to establish a good milk supply. The baby will potentially be getting half as much milk as they could be getting, and the mother's milk supply will potentially be getting half as much stimulation.
Some women feel the let-down reflex as a tingling sensation in the breasts or a feeling of fullness, although others don't feel anything in the breast. Most women notice a change in their baby's sucking pattern as the milk begins to flow, from small, shallow sucks to stronger, slower sucks.
If your baby wants to breastfeed right after breast pumping, let them! Some babies are patient and will just feed longer to get the milk they need.