I am breastfeeding my 5 week old daughter and she usually eats for about 8-11 minutes on each breast every 3 hours during the day. The past couple of days she is only eating for about 5 minutes on each side if that. She is content when she is finished eating and has no problem holding out until her next feeding. Her weight gain is normal. Her birth weight was 8.9 and she now weighs 11.4. Is it normal for her eating habits to change like this? I thought if anything she would be eating more at this point. Is this messing with my milk supply?
Totally normal. With breastfed babies feeding on demand, anything is normal as long as they are growing and gaining weight and peeing and pooping. Sounds like she is getting more efficient at getting milk out. :)
Also, sometime in the next couple of months she may only poop like once a week. Don't worry about that, either. It's normal, she'll be using all the milk she takes in.
Hi S.,
This is totally normal. She just went through a growth spurt so her eating habits will fluctuate at this time. As long a she is gaining weight, sleping and happy you will be finr. Believe me if your baby is unhappy she will let you know. If you are worried about your milk supply pump after she has the short feeds; it will help keep your milk up. Your milk doesn't stabalize until around 3 months so it should be okay. Good Luck!
Your baby's eating seems normal to me. As your milk regulates and your baby becomes an experienced nurser, they become more efficient.
Beware of growth spurts though. She will want to nurse much more often and longer. This usually happens at 3weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 mos.
A great book to have as a reference as a nursing mom is "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding". I keep it next to my bed to refer to and with my 3 breastfed babies, have used it many times.
Good luck and Congrats on your precious girl!
This is completely normal. Babies suckle get stronger as they get older. By the time my child was 3 mos, she could drain both breasts in under 3 minutes flat and was fine. She is probably eating more and is just a more efficient eater. If you want to be really sure, you could pump and feed her milk from a bottle to be sure that she is getting enough ounces at a feed.
Note, pumping alone and seeing how many ounces you pump is not a good indicator as many women cannot pump as much as a baby eats.
As you both get the hang of it, she will become more efficient and will require less time. I was all stressed out because my daughter would only eat for 8 minutes total, on one breast, but I had such an oversupply of milk, that was all she needed. As long as she seems healthy and happy, don't worry about it!
All my kids did that. People couldn't believe how fast they would eat.
Another thing to check is the diapers, if she's still filling them pretty often, no worries.
My baby (now 11 weeks) was the same way. Our ped said that babies can get really efficient and fast. If her poo is still really yellow/orange she is getting enough hindmilk. If it is greenish, she needs to feed longer on each side. I let me baby feed on one side (usually less than 10 minutes) and then pump the other side. I have been able to freeze and store a ton of milk. Sometimes he will takes both sides, but rarely. He has already gain 6 lbs since birth and poos at least 3-4 times a day.. if not more.
Lucky you.. some babies take up to an hour to eat!
As long as she is gaining weight and she has a normal amount of wet diapers she's fine. Babies find their own groove, if she is satisfied then that's great. Your milk supply will grow and shrink according to her needs.
I agree with the others that she's probably just getting more efficient. Good for you for A) breastfeeding, B) being concerned, and C) seeking advice. What a good mommy! :O)
Hello S. H:
CONGRATULATIONS !!
Yes you do deserve congratulations for the first happy baby and second for being an outstanding mother.
There is no reason for you to worry but finding a solution to your concern is the best way to handle what you are not sure about.
When it comes to "specialists" of this fields, like pediatrician or child psychologists, they also make their decision from previous conclusion of the same instances and some basic facts.
If your baby is happy healthy. not crying more than before is cared just the same, no new person taking care of her, seeing everything normal, there is no reason to be concerned about her taking the breast milk for five minutes from 8-11. May be your baby has developed a way to complete her requirement of the same amount of milk as before in these five minutes, by sucking faster. Or may be baby is taking one more breast feeding than before ( you will know that)
It also depends on your body if it is producing more than before and is able to supply the baby more in a smaller time frame than before.
At this point I have a feeling you are going to the doctor for well baby check up every month. Check the weight of your baby. In the early months 95% of the babies will gain some weight every month. If your baby's doctor is satisfied with the weight gain and her growth, then you have to be satisfied with her feeding.
Remember, a child's brain and nerves develop after birth up to five years. A child forms life time of habits to these early years. Eating habits for life are created very easily at this age and so give your baby a life time of vegetable and natural balanced diet habits.
This will be a great achievement for you as a mom.
F. A
Jul.24,2009
In my opinion as long as she's happy and having enough wet diapers she's probably fine. Since babies change their feeding needs frequently, she's probably been through a couple of other stages already since you wrote this. :-) But here are some other resources that I hope might be helpful for you...
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t022600.asp
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/enough.html
Best wishes,
J.
of course! she is going to get more and more efficient at the breast as she gets older. You are lucky she is and not one of those who nurse for hours in the beginning. Mine was like this too but she neede to nurse every 2. One thought though...they need the hindmilk more than the foremilk so if she is only nursing for 5 each side you should do "block feeding" thats where she nurses on one side at a time and sometimes for multiple feedings. that will ensure she is getting the nutrient rich hindmilk! GOOD JOB MAMA!!!
Hi S. your daughter seems to be satisfied but if you're in doubt call her pediatrican.
Don't forget your MILK is changing too. The first weeks your milk changes to become richer and richer (remember when it first started and it was more watery?).
As long as the weight gain is normal, you guys are good to go.
It's possible (if not probable) that she's eatinig just as much, just more efficiently. As kids get older, they nurse for less time but get more out of it (literally!) more quickly. If she seems satisfied, don't fight it and enjoy the fact that you're not having to sit and nurse ALL day anymore!!
