Babies are biologically programmed to fall asleep at the breast. 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.
As babies get more experience breastfeeding, they become more efficient and take less time to eat. Older babies may take five to 10 minutes, or less, on each side. Short nursing sessions are normal – and perfectly fine unless your baby is having trouble gaining weight.
By the time a baby is 3 to 4 months old, they should be breastfeeding well, gaining weight, and growing. 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.
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.
Don't be afraid to move – move your baby around and burp her to keep her alert. If she seems drowsy, remove the bottle or gently unlatch her and change positions to rouse her. You can also gently blow air on her cheeks or forehead (avoid blowing air directly into her face), stroke her bare feet or change her nappy.
Your child may be full if he or she: Closes mouth. Turns head away from breast or bottle. Relaxes hands.
Our studies showed that they can drink as little as 54 ml (1.9 fl oz) or as much as 234 ml (8.2 fl oz) of milk per feed.
Some babies take a full feed in five minutes while others take 40 minutes to get the same amount.
One reason the length of a baby's feeding may shorten significantly is simply that baby is becoming more efficient at the breast - meaning she/he can get more milk out in less time.
Plus, breastfeeding doesn't cost any money. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding up to 2 years or more. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that moms feed their babies only breastmilk for the first six months.
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.
So what is a full feeding? For breastfeeding, we want 30 minutes total feeding time. For bottle feeding, we want 30 minutes to finish an age-appropriate amount of milk.
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.
Even though you may start out having to wake your baby to breastfeed, before long, he will wake on his own and ask to eat. As long as your baby is growing well, you can follow his lead, letting him sleep for as long as he wants, especially at night.
The decision to offer one breast or both breasts at each feeding is a matter of preference. As long as your baby is getting enough breast milk and growing at a healthy, consistent pace, it doesn't matter if you nurse from one breast or both breasts at each feeding.
If you see bright green and frothy poop in your baby's diaper that almost looks like algae, they're probably getting too much foremilk – the low-calorie milk that comes first in a feeding – and not enough hindmilk, the higher-fat, super-nutritious stuff that comes near the end.
Yes, even if it's only been 10 minutes. If baby seems hungry again soon after feeding, don't worry about overfeeding and don't consider it a reflection on your milk production. It's just what newborns do. This is how your baby helps you build a healthy milk supply.
Kissing your baby will change your breast milk
When you kiss your baby, you are sampling the pathogens on her skin, which are then transferred to your lymphatic system where you will produce antibodies to any bugs. These antibodies will then pass through your breast milk to your baby and boost her immune system.
Yes, you should burp your baby even after a dream feed, which is a late-night feeding you wake your little one up for before you head to bed. The reason? Any feeding, including a dream feed, can create gas and/or cause your baby to spit up. So do your best to alleviate that pressure.
Increasing milk supply
By offering the other breast when the first is finished, and repeating breast compressions if needed, your baby will get the correct balance of foremilk and hindmilk automatically. Using both breasts when needed (and sometimes three or four!) will drive up and maintain your supply.
Baby keeps pulling away while breastfeeding
Once the let-down starts, some breastfed babies struggle to keep up with the fast flow of milk. If they're overwhelmed, this can make them pull away. Your baby could also be suffering reflux, which can also cause symptoms such as pain, fussiness, and unsettling behavior.
Perhaps one of the most obvious signs of your baby being underfed is that they are gaining weight very slowly. Having thin arms or limbs is normal for every baby, even healthy babies have them at some point too. However, you might need to be more vigilant if their limbs or legs are still skinny as they grow.
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.