Breastfeeding - Weymouth,MA

I know they tell you not to do this, but I supplemented almost from the beginning with pumped bottles and formula. My three year old needs constant attention, so breastfeeding all day is not an option for me. He's almost 7 months now and doing fine...still breastfeeding a good part of the day. Good luck!

My daughter did that too! after about 2 weeks I got fed up and pumped, then fed her my milk from a bottle. It is sooo frustrating when you feel like you always have a baby on the boob! After a couple weeks of that I started alternating putting her to breast and bottle... now she is mostly back on breast, usually taking 5-10 on each side. Be careful though, I got lucky in that my daughter didn't have a problem going back and forth... I know some people will give their baby a bottle, and the baby doesn't want to go back to breast.

The older they get, the more they breastfeed, the more efficient they get at it. Right now, he's a beginner. As he gets older, he'll get faster, but for now, you're doing fine. :)

I am currently breastfeeding my third baby and each one of them nursed for a very long time during each session at first, once they became more efficient the feedings shortened, now she is so quick I wonder sometimes if she gets anything, but I know she does. Don't give up!! The first few months are the hardest, but it is so worth it in the end.

Yep, that is how it is.
I nursed both my kids... that was how it was.
I nursed from both breasts, each session, and my kids drained both breasts, per session.
My kids grew like weeds.. and were big/long babies.

Don't compare yourself/your baby to hers.
You do what your baby needs.

Yes, nursing is arduous and constant, each hour rolling into the other. Normal.
She is a newborn... and they MUST be fed on-demand.
As she gets older, I"m talking older than 6 months old... it will get better.
A baby will also do what is called "cluster feeding" which means they even feed every.single.hour.. and need to, because they are growing so fast.
In an infant, a 'growth-spurt' is about every 3-weeks... and they feed more and more often at these junctures. So it will happen. And is normal.

My Husband, when I had my kids... would tell me "When I leave for work your'e breastfeeding and when I come home you're breastfeeding.. in that same chair. Is that what you do ALL day? " And I said YES. That is how it is... to have/feed a baby.
All the best,
Susan

Congrats on the baby! It really does get easier even though it seems so tiring now. It was EXACTLY the same with me and my daughter! Only she was not gaining weight very quickly so I started pumping and bottle feeding so I could see how much she was eating. I was able to pump WAY faster than nurse and I could pump one breast while feeding her or my husband could feed her while I pumped. It was a chore but worked for me. I was also able to store up milk for later use. As for the other woman, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! It would take me longer than that to get her in the right position and latched correctly!! Either way, GOOD LUCK! Breastfeeding is wonderful for the baby but only if it isn't too stressful for you. Your health is important too!!

I've breastfed two children. Yes, this is normal. It will get easier! As the baby gets older he will get more efficient at emptying the breast. I feel for you because I know how tiring it is in the beginning when you barely have time for anything else! Hang in there, breastfeeding is so good for your baby and it will become less time consuming!

You'll both get better with practice. Your breasts will become more effecient and baby will become a better sucker. Also, each baby is different. You want to be sure to nurse long enough that baby gets that valuable hind milk.

I learned to accomplish a lot while nursing my son. (Reading e-mail, eating my meals, watching movies....) You will, too. Give it time. Stay strong.

Hang in there most likely in a few weeks he will speed up. My little lady was slow 5-30 minute eater in the begining now she takes 15min or less at 11 weeks. As long as it doesn't hurt things are just fine.

Some babies are just pokey eaters. 5 minutes seems REALLy fast. My first was like yours, about 45 minutes. As they get older and a bit lesssleepy, it shortens. My other children were more like 20-30 minute eaters.

Hi-- hang in there....you will get used to it. My son is 13.5 weeks old and it still takes him between 30-45 minutes to feed...sometimes up to an hour..... a friend of mine has two girls and her first ate this way as well and her second only eats for about 10 minutes.... some are just faster/better at it. Good luck. Your baby may get more efficient! I hope so!

I know, it came as a bit of a shock to me to that I spent 8-9 hours a day breastfeeding. Thats a full time job in itself! My daughter took between 40 min and 1 hour 15/feeding. She was a long feeder either because of her ineffective sucking or my low milk supply. Hard so say which. It will defiantly get faster and easier.

just hang in there!, he will get in his meals quicker once he becomes more alert, and he will need them less often.

Just make sure you have everything you need before you sit down, magazine, water, remote, chocolate,,,,whatever

I have a 6 month old. Breastfeeding is really hard in the beginning because it does take 45-60 minutes to feed a newborn but it does get better. This is my 1st child. I was drained and tired because by the time 1 feeding ended I had to feed her again 2 hours later. Not to mention I was sleep deprived. I wanted to give up so many times but I didn't. Now that she is 6 months old she feeds for about 5-10 minutes on each breast. Don't give up. It will get better and you'll love the convenience and ease of breastfeeding. Congrats on the new baby.

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Don't worry, most babies start out with LONG nursing sessions and they get faster as they become more efficient. Just try to enjoy the long breaks from everything else, set up a little nursing corner with water, snacks, a book or the tv remote, and bond while you have the chance. Pretty soon, he'll get interested in everything around him and you'll feel like the only way to get in a good feeding is to sit in a quiet dark closet :P
Keep up the good work!!!

There is a huge variation. There are specialists, helpers, clinics, homeopathic remedies and specialists. If you are ever hurried consider a breast pump. The best ones you can rent from Isis Maternity.

I know you've had lots of responses, but at first my daughter would take between 45-75 minutes to eat! and then of course she would need to start eating an hour later. Not to mention all of the pillows and everything I needed to have just so. She was just a big baby who liked to eat. But gradually feeding times got shorter and further apart, I got more comfortable and confident and before you knew it we had a good groove going and could nurse anywhere. Now all that eating wears a little butterball baby out and I had a great sleeper! We'll see what baby number two is like in a couple of months.

First time breastfeeding sucks (pun intended)!! It takes forever, your nipples are sore, the baby keeps falling asleep, your never quite sure if baby is getting enough at a feeding, you live for the Dr. appointment to check weight gain to know you aren't slowly starving the most precious person in the world. That said, I nursed my first baby for two(!) years, and am now nursing my seven 1/2 month old .... and I would never give up the wonderful closeness, snuggle time, quiet time that I've been able to have with both of our children!! It gets sooooo much easier so quickly! You'll be an old pro in no time and so will your beautiful baby. No soreness, no questions about Baby getting enough at feedings, Dr. appointments just confirm what you already know ... your baby is perfect and happy and growing like a weed!

Good luck and remember you are not alone, we all go through a little uncertainty with this!

You've had a lot of great reassuring responses - here's one more. My little one was exactly like that! I would feed her an hour and then she'd need to eat again an hr later because it was two hrs from the START of the first feeding. It was unbelievable! But totally normal, and it did eventually get better but she always needs to eat every 2-3 hrs even now as a toddler, I think it's a healthy way to be. but i remember entire morning s where i could not get out of the breastfeeding chair.

good luck and congrats

My first baby was like yours... taking so long... it got better over time. Then my second was 5 minutes on each side. It is a commitment to breastfeed but I believe well worth it in the long run. I had allergies in my family... so I knew breastfeeding was my kids best chance to keep them from allergies.

i always just aimed for 15 minutes on each side. An hour each feeding for a newborn is like feeding round the clock. Hang in there.

every baby is different. my son is 5 weeks and nurses for about 20 min, when he was younger though it was much longer but he spent alot of time nodding off! i started moving him a little when he would sleep and he would wake up and eat some more. once the baby gets better at nursing and faster and is able to stay awake longer it should get better! both my girls were the same way to, long and frequent nursing sessions and as they got older nursing sessions became shorter and less frequent! Good luck!

LoL, as a mom who is still bf her 17 month old i can tell you that it does get shorter! My advice is to check your breast to see if you have emptied and then attempt to unlatch your baby if you have things you need to do. More often than not your baby has gotten his or her full nutritionally but hasn't gotten their full emotionally. At that age they love to stay close! But i wish someone had warned you that bf is a full time job, and this is an excuse to let someone else do the work. Enjoy it, it will get better, and good luck :)

Every mother and baby are different. There is no set time to feed a baby. The lactation consultant I saw years ago when breastfeeding my son told me that some babies are done in 5 minutes, while others will eat for an hour. At the support group I attended for breastfeeding, I observed this first hand. Then thing is, the grass always seemed to be greener on the other side. The five minute mothers would wistfully watch the longer eaters wishing for more quiet snuggles, and the long eating mothers would look wistfully at the 5 minute moms and want to be done. My son used to take about 30 minutes total, and then because of supply issues I had to pump for 15 minutes after every daytime feeding. Now THAT'S annoying. :)

Sounds like you're doing a wonderful job. Keep it up!

That sounds completely NORMAL! I was told feedings are supposed to last that long for the first few weeks. It means your baby is getting a full feeding at every "meal" and not just snacking or grazing all day. After a month or two, they'll get shorter.

I just found some great shows on TV to watch while feeding and just enjoyed my newborn. They grow up too fast!

Great job breastfeeding!

Ahhhh, you have a comfort nurser! :)

Mty first son was like that...nursed forever. As he got a little bigger...a few weeks old, I'd put him in a carrier and let him nurse away while I did my thing.

My second son was all business. He nursed quickly and was done and got annoyed if I tried to offer when he wasn't hungry.

Once breastfeeding is established, you can try and get him off your breast and/or introduce a pacifier if you feel that he really is a comfort nurser. , but until then I'd just enjoy the rest and down time if you can.

BTW, I'm not recommending a pacifier...we didn't use them, but I think down the line it is an option, but only when BF is well established. I think they've linked some use of pacifiers to poor weight gain b/c early on its hard to determine hunger cues if they are using a pacifier.

Breastfeeding can seem like a full time job, especially early on. Every child is different. My son nursed almost constantly & my daughter nursed alot, but not quite as much as him. I wore my daughter in a wrap most of the time which made it easy to nurse her while doing other things. It does get easier as they get older, the first few weeks are the hardest. Hang in there & congrats on your new bundle.

Just hang in there. He will get more efficient and slowly the duration during feedings will get less and less. At this stage it's also just such a comfort thing for him. My daughter was the same way, now at almost 10 months she's only there for the milk and 10 minutes is her longest feeding. Looking back it was actually kind of nice to just sit and watch tv or something. Good luck, it will shorter in no time :)