New Mom Breastfeeding

You should put her to both each time. Newborns wear out easily, so switch after 5-10 minutes, and keep her on until she is done getting milk out. She will gradually work up to 10-15 minutes each side.

Hi D.,

I would go to the LeLeche League's website for more tips because that site is great! Anyhow, I always let my daughter stay on until she stopped or fell asleep. Then I learned from LLL that you can learn to watch how they are swallowing to see if they are still eating or not...This way they are EATING the whole time on the breast and not using you as a pacifier. Good luck!

you should nurse 15 mins on one side and then finish on the other... nursing as long as baby wants and then start on the finishing side the next feeding (a saftey pin pinned inside your bra will help be a reminder as to which side. Once your milk comes in or your nipples start getting sore (cracked or bleeding) then you can switch and nurse from one breast this feeding and the other the next. The nursing organizations advocate nursing from each breast each feeding but... i found i wanted to scream after a few days and i was DREADING the idea so that kind of defeats the whole bonding/closness thing!

Hi :) I am a new mom myself and I too breastfeed. I would breastfeed my little girl for 10 minutes on one side then switch to the other side and let her feed until she was satisfied (or fell alseep! Which happens a lot in those younger days). The next time you breastfeed start with the opposite side, like if she took the left breast first at one feeding, have her take the right side first the next time she eats. This just helps to keep things evened out and a steady supply of milk in both breasts. Hope I have helped! Good luck :0)
About me: 22 years old, stay-at-home-mom / nursing student, married 3 years, first time mom to a lovely little girl named Kayla Joe born July 14 2008!

I let my kids nurse as long an they wanted on one breast and they drained it completely, then switched to the other and let them go as long at they wanted to go. My daughter was a pro and was on me for at least a half hour if not more with each session. My son, however, didn't take to nursing like his sister and he ended up on formula exclusevily by two months. Each kid is different and they usually will eat their fill.

Hi D.:)

Honestly, go with your gut instinct. Let Briella nurse on the side of your choice first, and let her go until either she starts to seem less interested, or sucking less fervently, etc. Then switch her to the other side and go the same! The next time she nurses, start on the opposite side. I liked to do both sides just because then I got stimulation on both breasts and I knew I'd keep making milk. Hang in there! She'll seem like she wants to nurse constantly and even may act like she's not getting enough...relax! She's just cluster feeding and it will pass eventually. The cluster feeding will ensure that you make enough milk:) Just curl up with some good books, some snacks, and some water, and let her nurse in bed with you so you can relax and still give her what she needs!! Congrats!!

All newborns will nurse for different amounts of time. My baby would sometimes nurse for 30 to 40 minutes a side! That was in the begining and as they get better at it it gets less and less time. At the hospital and in a book I've read they suggest always offering both breast at each feeding. As long as you can hear them swallowing then I would let her keep going. A GREAT book to get is the Babywise book, it helped me out tremendously. Good Luck and Congratulations!!

D.,
At the hospital, all the nurses and everyone kept telling me I should be feeding my daughter 20 minutes every 3 hours. When I got her home, she would nurse 5-10 minutes if I was lucky and then fall asleep and she surely didn't care to wake up every 2-3 hours either. I would try waking her up, switching sides, etc., but she just wanted to sleep. I stressed myself about it until I took her for her doctor's appointment. The doctor said her weight gain was right where they would expect it to be. At that point, I stopped stressing and just starting following her cues. I guess what I'm saying is as long as she's gaining weight, let Briella be your guide. Feed her for as long as she needs as often as she needs, at least at the beginning. After a while you can try to get her on more of a schedule if you'd like.
Also, I don't know if you'll have to rely on pumped milk very often (while you work or whatever), but I have a suggestion for keeping your milk supply up. I always pumped for a couple minutes after my kids were finished nursing to make sure the breast was completely empty. I would then be sure to start nursing on the other side for the next feeding. However you choose to do it, your body will adjust to what the baby needs.
Good luck and congratulations on your little girl! Enjoy her!
A.

Congratulations on your new baby and choosing to breastfeed! Check out www.kellymom.com for tons of great information!

Watch your baby, not the clock. Watch her for signs of hunger and let her nurse for as long as she wants, when she is done, offer the other side, she may or may not take it, but always offer. Also don't worry if she seems to be nursing frequently, that's what newborns do, sometimes they will just nurse a little bit at a time, but more frequently. Other babies may nurse longer, with more time between each feed. What ever your baby does, expect it to change as she gets more effecient, goes through growth spurts, and becomes increasingly aware of the world around her. The baby will tell you what she needs, sit back and enjoy! It goes so fast.

Congrats on your newborn daughter. La Leche League is great if you are on the same track as them, but if you differ, they can make you feel very guilty. My husband and I chose to take a trip when my daughter was 6 mos. old. They made me feel very guilty about leaving her instead of offering support. So know who you are asking. As for the breastfeeding, if you are worried about her getting enough, look at how many wet diapers she is having. She should have at least 6-8 a day. Every baby differs on how quickly they take in their milk, as well as moms differ on how fast their let-down occurs. Babies taking a bottle differ on how long it takes them to eat. Breastfeeding is no different.
Follow your instincts. Current thinking is nurse to empty one breast at a time, then switch. I switched with my kids once they lost interest, and mine grew great! Follow your instincts.
R.

All babies are different. When I breastfed my son, the whole process would take about 45 min. He would normally eat about 20 min each side. Some babies eat faster though. You may have to undress the baby to make sure they are awake enough to eat, especially when they are that young. I had to do that with my son for at least a month. Hope this helps.

Generally, I was told that around 15 minutes was good (unless your newborn likes to drink, and fall asleep. Then it might take longer). Also, the best milk is the hindmilk (the milk that comes out after the more watery milk), so it's best that the baby empties one side before moving on to the next. You can always pump the other side and save the milk for later.

Hi D....Good job choosing breastfeeding! It is the best thing you can do for your baby. My newborn nursed every hour for about 10 minutes. I would switch sides at the next feeding. Every baby is different. Mine was a "grazer"...instead of one big meal every few hours she wanted a little meal every hour. I say feed on demand. If your baby is acting hungry then feed her. She needs to eat a lot. Breast milk is so easily digested that breast babies need to eat more often.

Good luck new mama!

At this stage, it is probably best to try to nurse on both sides at a feeding. (This is for your benefit, so that you do not get too full and uncomfortable on one side, and so that your supply will be consistent.)
My recommendation on time is to nurse maybe 10 minutes on one side,burp, and then as long as she wants on the other side.
Also, you want to begin the feeding on the breast that was last the time before.
These are things that I learned from La Leche League during the years that I nursed my 6 children.
Happy nursing!

45 minutes? lol...they don't starve themselves and they don't over-eat. So, nurse on demand as long as baby wants as often as baby wants and don't worry about waking baby to nurse unless it's been 4 or 5 hours.
No, you don't need to give both breasts. It's kind of a weird thing that was started here in the US a while back and LC's are starting to tell moms it's not necessary. It's actually better not to because they get too much watery foremilk and not enough fatty hindmilk. If you feel empty and s/he wants to keep nursing, THEN switch, but don't worry about getting to both breasts unless s/he's done on one side and still wanting more.

Check sites like www.mothering.com, www.Kellymom.com, and www.askdrsears.com for up-to-date nursing information.

I fed on demand with my daughter, that turned out to be every 2 hours, both breasts. I would feed her until she fell asleep then I would changer her to wake her up and feed her on the other breast until she fell asleep again. i would tak her to her room after that and it would be time to repeat in another 2 hours. The first couple of months I was on "auto". Get up/feed/change/feed/back to sleep. It worked for us because I chose to stay home with her so I could sleep when she did.

First of all congratulations!!! Well, it is a bit different with every baby, but around fifteen minutes! You want them to nurse longer than 10 so she gets the hind milk, the milk that is higher in fat content. As far as feeding on both sides, I've heard varying opinions from different moms, nurses, etc. I believe that it is up to you and what you feel comfortable with and it just depends too on the infant and your milk supply. If you have plenty of milk, then one side should be fine for a while, that way she'll empty your breast and get all the fatty milk. My son would never be satisfied with one side, so I fed him on both right from the start. If you do have a pump at home at your daughter does well with just eating on one side, it might be a good idea to pump the other breast to get a good supply established. If not, no worries, just rotate feedings and let her totally empty the breast at each feed.

Hi D.,
My advice would be to let her nurse as long as she wants. You'll eventually get a "feel" for when your breast is empty and you'll know when she's full, which for my son meant passing out cold. Alternating breasts is probably the best way to go. That way your daughter has a full supply on one side once she's ready to eat and will prevent engorgement. Once "supply and demand" really kicks in your breasts will probably know when your daughter's hungry before she does (lol!) And kudos to you for breastfeeding!

According to the nurses when I had my child, you're suppose to breastfeed about 20 min. on each breast per feeding; however, my son didn't nurse much at all and a nurse from another country said that was OK, if he's hungry he'll eat when he has to, specially as a newborn.
You may also want to log on to La Leche League website, they have a lot of info. on breastfeeding.
Good luck!

I always nursed both sides during the same feeding. I was told he would only want one side and it woul hurt if you didn't do both. Also I was told one breast would blow up and the other would look much smaller if he feed from one and not the other. I nursed as long as he wanted If he fell asleep I would wake hi up and switch to the other breast and make sure I started next time with the one he ended on.

I think Kristie and Sara were right on. Definitley let her empty one breast at a time, and alternate between feedings. Pump out extra if you get engorged because she does not empty the other side enough. Breast milk digests very quickly, and a baby may seem like she is eating constantly. My lactation consultant said that they tell you that newborns/babies will nurse every 2-3 hours, but they don't tell you that they are latched the whole time, with maybe a 30 minute break in between. It really helped me to know that and not get frustrated to be sitting and nursing all day long.

You might want to check with the lactation consultants at the hospital. I know the ones at Miami Valley were really helpful--you can go there and they can show you the ropes. Good luck!

Every baby is so different here as it depends on what kind of nurser they are. Some babies nurse very efficiently and quickly and others take their time. My advice would be to not watch the clock. Allow her to nurse until she pulls away. If she is asleep and not nursing of course you can break the latch and lay her down. It's also becoming more and more well thought of to nurse on only one side during a nursing session. This helps to ensure that your child is getting the fattier and more filling hind milk as well as the more fluid fore milk. Of course you would nurse on the other breast at the next feeding. Some Moms who watch the clock and think, "It's been 15 minutes, time to burp and switch sides." end up having babies who get a gassier tummy and aren't fully satisfied. This is because the baby isn't getting all the richer nutrients of the hind milk. It'd be like us filling up on a bunch of water and not wanting to eat dinner. In a shorter period of time we'd be hungry again. I hope this helps. It seems best just to watch and make sure your baby is satisfied rather than worry about a time limit or making certain to offer both breasts at every feeding.

About 20 minutes per breast for every feeding, aprox. every 2 hours from when you have the last feeding. I recommend that if you hit any walls with breastfeeding (it doesn't come naturally like everybody thinks) immediately contact the hospital's breastfeeding consultant, La Leche League or a local breastfeeding support group. I heard wonderful things from La Leche League. My friends said that when she was ready to quit, the group came to her house for a whole day and with their help she was successful in breastfeeding her kids until they were 18 months old. I didn't have any help on the other hand and I was only able to breastfeed up to 3 months. I hope you are successful in this and congratulations on your new baby!

My daughter will be 5 months on Friday and when I had her I was told to nurse her on one breast for 20 min then offer her the other. Then the next time, start on the breast you ended with last. I nurse her like this during the day but at night she only eats from one breast at a time. At the beginning I offered the other but she never took it at night. Good Luck! I LOVE breastfeeding!! I did not breastfeed my son (he is almost 8) but I am so glad I did with my daughter.

Congrats!! You are doing a great thing for your baby by nursing!!! My daughter would nurse about 20 minutes (10 on each side). Yes, you should try to use each side each time. Good luck!!!

Nurse on one side until the baby falls off to sleep. If the baby nursed only a short amount of time (5-10 minutes), the baby will likely want to nurse again in a shorter amount of time (maybe 20 min-1 hour). If the baby nurses longer (10-45 min), the baby may then sleep 2-4 hours before waking up and being hungry again. When the baby wakes up, nurse on the other side. I like this method better than switching breasts in the middle of a feeding because it ensures that the baby gets plenty of hind milk (the fattier part of the milk that separates to the back).

I once heard at a La Leche League meeting that a study of newborn babies in Africa who were carried in a sling and allowed to breastfeed on demand, nursed about 5 minutes every 20 minutes. In our country, newborns are encouraged to nurse at least 20 minutes every 2-3 hours. Although few babies nurse this way consistently.

In the first couple months, newborns are almost always eating or sleeping. There is very little awake and alert time. Newborns sleep 16-20 hours in 24 hours if that gives you any idea. Newborns also have a stomach the size of a walnut. Also, in the first couple months, babies can double their weight. So the baby needs to eat a lot.

Slowly, there will be more awake alert time when the baby is not nursing, but you can usually tell as soon as your baby gets hungry. The baby will pull in his/her fists and may begin mouthing them, the baby will make mouth movements and lick his/her lips. Rooting is often a sign too. Crying is a last resort attempt to get fed, so try to get it going before then. Babies usually start to fall into a predictable routine on their own without forcing one. But also be aware that those routines can change quickly since the baby will be changing and growing quickly that first year.

A good resource is La Leche League meetings or the website www.lalecheleague.org . Also, join parenting groups such as Attachment Parenting International where most of the mothers breastfeed.

All kids are different when it comes to nursing. I went to a breastfeeding class before my 2.5 year old daughter was born, and the lactation consultant told us then to nurse all on one side for one feeding, then all on the other side for the next, and to roate it that way. She described it as "meat and potatoes". The first part of breast milk is thinner and like the salad course, and the meat and potatoes of the breast milk comes later during the nursing. Things may have changed since then, but that's what I did for both of mine. My daughter nursed for 30 minutes. She was a slow eater. My son would be done in about 10 minutes. Both kids let me know when they were done. I hope this helps. Good luck with everything, and CONGRATULATIONS!

Newborns should be fed "on demand", for as long as they need. Sometimes they may only nurse on one side and then fall asleep. As long as the weight gain is good, this is fine. If she comes off the 1st nipple and is still awake, you can offer her the other side. I don't remember exactly how long mine nursed as a newborn, but she breastfed every hour and a half. The Elizabeth Blackwell Center in Columbus is a great resourse to call with any breastfeeding concerns. ###-###-####. Lactation consultants will call you within 24 hours.
They also have a breastfeeding support group there, which I highly recommend joining. If you're not in Columbus, try to find a local La Leche League meeting to attend. Congratulations on your baby and on doing the best thing in the world for her--breastfeeding!

Don't stick to a specific time. Breastfeed her on demand and let her tell you when she's done. Call a La Leche League representative. They can answer all of your questions. You can also try to call the hospital where you delivered. They should have contacts for you.

Congratulations on your baby and your decision to breastfeed!

when i was breastfeeding my daughter i was told to feed 10 min on one side, then the other 10 on the other breast. the next time you breastfeed start with the breast that you ended with. that way the breasts are emptying evenly. hope this helps

Kudos on the nursing, btw! It's so hard, but it's so worth it. I hated it toward the end, but missed it once it was over if that makes any sense! Anywho, your baby will nurse for as long as she's hungry. Try to keep her awake though. My son like to fall asleep when he nursed so I had to keep poking him to keep him on task. Once she gets a routine then you can try to time it. After a few weeks I had my son on each breast for 10 minutes. And yeah, definitely have her nurse on each one at every feeding or else you'll find yourself seriously lopsided! Not permanently, of course. But you'll want your milk to come in evenly in each, so definitely try to get her to nurse on both every time. Good luck! They grow up fast so cherish every goofy little thing she does!!

Congratulations D. on your new arrival. I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. The advice I received at the hospital changed from my first child to my second child. When I had my first child, the lactation consultant sold me my child should nurse for a minimum of 20 minutes on one breast and then switch to the other breast. I liked this method because it kept my breasts even. Then when I had my daughter, I was told that it is best to let the child dictate how much they want and to continue on one breast until it is completely empty. Then if the child wants me, switch them to the other breasat. The next feeding start with the breast that didn't get emptied during the prior feeding. There are many benefits to this method. #1 is that the child is getting more of the hind milk which is what is produced after the pre-milk. Granted I am probably not using the correct technical terms. The nurse explained it to me this way. The pre-milk is like the appetizer of a meal and the hindmilk is the actual meal itself. So you want your child eating as much of the real meal as possible and that is why they should continue nursing on one breast until it is empty. #2 benefit is that it helps reduce the potential for having a milk duct plugged. I can't remember what that is called right now. Anyways, I hope this helps. One draw back to the second method is that I always felt like my boobs were uneven because my second child usually only nursed from one side. On a side note, I nursed my first child for 1 year and my second child is currently 14 months and I am still nursing her.