Breastfeeding - Campbell, CA

hi S.,
I have breastfed since birth and I always let the baby lead in terms of how much, except I would touch her cheek and rub her head a few times so she woud keep feeding and if she fell asleep still I would put her down to bed. Hope that helps.

My daughter is 3 months and it seems like yeasterday that I was going through this same thing.

First off don't stress you're doing everything right. Feed him when he's hungry and let him sleep when he's tired. 20 min is a good length for a feeding for a newborn. As long as he's making lots of wet and dirty diapers you know he's getting what he needs and everything is working well.

breastfeeding was a tricky skill that I had learn. I have 2 daughters and both have breastfed. Babies in general, they will get hungry very 1-3 hours...it just depends. when i breastfed, both babies took the breast for about 10 mins or so. however, by the time, it was time to switch, she falls asleep. so, I just improvised. instead of breastfeeing for 20 mins in one breast, try to do it for 10 mins in one breast and switch to other breast. you will know if your baby is getting enough milk because baby will eat and start to suck your nipple and when baby is not so hungry, baby will let go of the nipple. good luck.

S., what I learned from breastfeeding my two girls is that the most amazing thing about breastfeeding is it is self-regulating. Nature has it all figured out and we don't need to measure amount or time. The baby is incredibly good at getting the milk out and filling up his tummy. As you continue to breastfeed you will get a feeling for what is the right amount for him. You will just know.
There is no need to worry about how many ounces or minutes. That is just causing you stress you don't need. My 2nd baby drained my milk really quickly so it took no time at all to breastfeed her - maybe 10 minutes. I know other babies that can nurse for 45 minutes before they are satisfied. As long as your little guy can usually go 2 to 3 hours in between feedings, is gaining weight, and he his peeing and pooing enough, you have nothing to worry about. It is really that simple. Also, one thing that worked for me was to let the baby nurse on one side until it is basicaly empty. All the good healthy fat is at the bottom of your milk. That fat is good for them and keeps them feeling full for longer. So I never switched sides unless they finsihed the first side. At the next feeding I would use the other side. You'll be alittl elop-sided at first, but then your body adjusts and fills up accordingly. That worked really well for me, so maybe it will help you.
The only exception to what I just said is when he hits a growth spurt. I beleive their first one occurs around 6 weeks, but I'm sure you could research that on the internet. During a growth spurt everything can be thrown off for a week or so. Your little guy will want to eat a lot more often than what you are used to. Don't worry about it, just give in and let him eat. It is a bit demanding on you, but it passes soon enough. By nursing more often he will increase your milk supply to what will work for him at his new bigger size. So try not to worry yourself and think he must not be getting enough milk. He is doing whathe is supposed to do to get your body to follow along. If you supplement with extra formula then your milk supply will not increase like it is supposed to. Then you will both be miserable. Once his growth spurt passes all will settle back into normal for a bit, and then another growth spurt will come. It will be easier the 2nd time around. Soon enough he won't be growing so fast and everything will seem really easy.
I'm sorry to go on for so long. I remember it was hard for me when I first breastfed, so I wanted to give you as much help as I could think of. Good luck to you and I hope you are proud of what you are doing for your baby boy's health.

the best way to know if he is nursing enough is diaper count and weight gain. i never measured the time with nursing my baby. i was really relaxed as far as that went and also i did not ever use formula. you can't really measure the clock because some babies have a strong "sucking power" so they may get more in a shorter period of time. Other babies will take a long time to nurse because they are slow or like to take their time with mom. So that's why the best measure is by diaper counts and weight checks. it sounds like nursing every 2-3 hours is pretty typical so he's probably doing just fine!

best of luck to you and also i thought i'd share with you my favorite online breastfeeding site... kellymom.com is such a great place for bf'ing info. hope you find it helpful too.

I have three children and it has been my experience that the baby will know when to stop feeding. If he is still hungry then he will nurse longer, although babies do tend to fall a sleep easier while nursing because they are close to there mother. I think it is great that you give him a bottle every night! Many Mothers make the mistake of not intorducing a bottle and then they are stuck and can never go anywhere or leave the baby because he won't take anything except the breast. I know being a first time Mom can be scary, but trust your instincts they are usually right.
Good luck and best wishes,
A.

From day one, my daughter nursed for no more than 10 minutes each time, and only on one side! I was so paranoid she wasn't getting enough! When she was 3 weeks old, I went to Sutter's lactation center and they did a weigh-feed-weigh. They weighed her, I fed her right there in front of the lactation nurse, who made sure my daughter was latched on properly, and then when she stopped nursing (after only 8 minutes), the lactation nurse weighed her again. Turns out my daughter was sucking down 5 ounces in 8 minutes, more than enough for a single feeding. So, like the other mom said, follow your son's lead; maybe he's just a very efficient eater. If you want some extra confidence, try making an appt with Sutter's lactation center. I could never pump very well, so I couldn't rely on that as an indicator.

He should be nursing every 2 hours. Three at the most. If he is falling asleep and you don't think he's had enough undress him and put him against your bare skin. You'll raise your tempurature a little to keep him warm enough. You want him to be just cool enough to not doze. Then pump his arms and legs up and down, tickle his feet, poke at him, etc. Annoy him to keep him awake. 20 minutes is usually good enough though. When he has a growth spurt he'll be insatiable. You'll feel like he is constantly nursing, usually because he is! Good luck and keep up the great work.

I remember that feeling so clearly! And my very health son, whose habits were the same is now 10 and a half. Stop worrying. 20 minutes is plenty of time to get the nutrition he needs from your body. Just be sure to switch sides at 10 minutes (before he falls asleep), so you don't get lopsides (like I did)...email me if you like this style advice. Otherwise I will stop here.
Hug your treasure.

Glad to hear that you are breastfeeding your baby, it is the best thing for them. I'am/have successfully (well with some complications here and there)nursed my now 4yr old daughter and my now 10 month old boy. Both of them never nursed from both sides, they only would feed from one side per feeding. As far as how much is he getting when he is on your breast vs. bottle, they suck much harder when they are on the breast instead of the bottle so he might be getting the same amount in a shorter time period. If he is falling asleep it maybe he is getting enough otherwise he would cry if he were still hungry. A good rule of thumb, if he is going through 60-80 diapers a week, he is eating enough and you should not worry, he will be fine.

Try pumping for that amount of time and see how much you get. Most babies will stop when they are full. I would trust him and follow his lead.

Hello S.,

For starters, I notice you mentioned your age. I was 45 when I had my 3rd child, a boy. I was retiring after working 27 years. Question: Is there a reason why you are breastfeeding and supplementing with formula? D.

He is breast feeding fine. Two things... He will fall asleep when satisfied and full from breastfeeding and the second is that breast milk digests quicker than formula because it much more easy absorbed by the baby. You will always find that a breast fed baby seems to need more feedings. Nursing every 2 to 3 hours is ok. Keep up the good work, breastfeeding is very demanding and takes dedication in a busy world. I know I breastfed 2 until 2 and still breastfeding my 13 mo old.

Hi S.,

Breastmilk is digested easily and quickly compared to formula. Also 5 week old babies have very tiny tummies. so it is normal for them to want to nurse freqeuently. It is also healthy for them to do so. How long and often to nurse is somewhat individual because every baby and mom is different. There are several factors involved. If you nurse your baby whenever he wants it then he is most likely to get what he needs.

La Leche League is a great resource for info about things like this. They have a good website too. If you are in Folsom, Maternal Expressions is a wonderful resource and will answer many questions over the phone. Karen Evon is a superb LC if you need one at some point.

Best Wishes,

J.

I'm a mother of twin girls now 7 mos old & we are still breastfeeding. we bought into the formula before bed to get more rest but found that it wasn't any different than a good nurse. When they are little just keeping them awake was a challenge especially since they both had jaundice. We changed their diapers before a feeding to wake them, stroked their arms, face if they fell asleep, at times we even had to use a wet washcloth on their heads! 20-30 min nurse is common at a young age & as they get older the time will get shorter. we rented an infant scale from Parenting & Breastfeeding services at Good Sam & weighed before & after feedings to track what they took in to ensure that they were being efficient with their suck. Feeding every 2-3 hrs is common. I was told 10-15 min a side was enough to get to the hind milk (fatty milk).

The best advice I got on the subject (assuming your son is thriving and not lethargic) is that our breasts do not come with measuring marks for a reason. Babies eat what they need to and are very good at self regulation. When my daughter was tiny she fell asleep nursing everytime. You are lucky enough to not be working, so he will tell you when he is hungry again! My daughter nursed a lot until she had any solids, and would often fall asleep, I love Tivo for that reason! Enjoy your newborn.

Hi S.. I am also a 35 year old mother, and my son was my first. He is now 5 months old. When I was nursing, and he was 2-3 weeks old, I noticed that he was really fussy soon after nursing. (I was doing the same amout of time that you are doing) so I started giving him 2 ounces or so of formula after nursing and he seemed to last longer and was not as fussy. It is so hard. It is all trial an error as every child if different. When I pumped, I only got out like 1-2 ounces per side, so I was convinced he wasn't getting enough from me just nursing him. Things will change as the weeks go on...just go with it and try different things.

Hi S.! I have a 3 month old son and he only breastfeeds for about 20 minutes (10 minutes on each side). I have him on a 3-4 hour schedule. For example, his first feeding is at about 630 a.m. then I keep him up until about 8 a.m. and then he goes down for a nap and then wakes up again at about 930 a.m. and the process repeats itself. This has been really helpful so he doesn't fall asleep on the breast. You can also tickle his feet or undress him to keep him awake. I talk to my son when he starts to dose and tickle him and it typically keeps him awake. He probably gets annoyed with me (and at such a young age but what are Moms for?)!

You may want to check out the book BabyWise (you can get it at Wal-Mart), it teaches you how to get your baby on a feeding, wake, and sleep schedule and it really does work! I have used it with both of my sons and my 3 month old has been sleeping through the night since he was 4 weeks.

But as the other Moms have said as long as your son has enough soiled and poopy diapers per day then you can gage that he is getting enough to eat.

Good luck!
T.

S.,

I've nursed two kids who are now 7 and 10. For the first year of their life, nothing but breast mild passed their lips. The human body is an incredible thing. If you are healthy, your body will produce exactly the amount of milk your baby requires. Your baby can get ALOT of nutrition from a 20 minute feeding, so I wouldn't worry that they're not getting enough. As long as they're gaining weight, I wouldn't worry.

If he is nursing every 2-3 hours you can be assured that he is receiving enough milk. I know from my experience with both of my kids, they only nursed on one side at each feeding. My first one would be finished within 10 minutes and the second one usually took 15 minutes. If you are worried about how much milk your child is getting, one way to tell is to pump. This would give you an approximate of how much your boy is eating at a sitting.