Question About How Long to Nurse

My daughter was the same. It gives you permission to sit down and relax with her. :) Take advantage of this time, it will pass quickly!

Hi! when my daughter was born I timed her feedings (sounds odd I know but worked for us!) I did this bc If I let her feed for as long as she wanted to we would both have been sitting all day long! I nursed her for about 10-15 minutes on each side...so I really think that It depends on how strong her suck is as well...If shes really latching on and going to town then that amt of time should be fine but If shes a slow eater then If you cut down on the amt of time make sure you do it slowly! as long as she continues to gain weight though! Good Luck with the nursing! thats wonderful! If you have any more questions feel free to shoot me a msg! my daughter is 19 months old, weined herself around a year and I still miss it...that was the best time ever! good luck!

It can be normal...but are you sure she is still eating? Nursing babies will eat sometimes and then adjust their suck so they are just sucking, not eating. That is why you can't overfeed a breastfed baby.

Watch her throat and see if she is swallowing (you should be able to see the gulps). You can always take her off (make sure you break the suction with your finger first) and see if she complains if you think she is done.

My first son was quick from day 1. 5 minutes, 1 side.
My second son had a very slow start, then went through a snacker stage, now takes about 10 minutes total (he is almost 10 months).

I've always given my 4 month old son (and my other two) 10 minutes each side since birth as I don't have the time to be nursing forever. He eats every 3.5-4 hours. They all gained weight and are healthy. My 4 month old is a cute little heifer at 15 lbs. She may just be using you as a pacifier. Try nursing for 10-15 mins each side and if after that she is still hungry you can feed her some more but chances are she won't be.

If she is sucking effectively, she should be able to empty each side in about 10 mins. After that she is just sucking for comfort and getting very little milk. The only way to really tell if she is eating enough is by weight gain. She is still so little so I would probably give her a little longer at this point just to be sure (she might not be sucking perfect yet). Also, like someone else said, if you are able, just enjoy the time. It goes so fast and pretty soon she will be so busy and won't want to just lay and be cuddled. If you are worried that she is not getting enough milk many pediatric offices will allow you to go in and have her weighed, then feed her there, then weigh her again. You could stop her after 10 min. and see how much she got. If she is not gaining weight you should talk to a lactation consultant...they are so helpful! Good luck and enjoy your little cuddle bug!

My friend's son was doing this, and he wasn't getting milk for the most part. He has a palate that's just not shaped correctly. Is she gaining weight as she should? If not, you'll need a person to help you with it, can't remember what they're called. If so, she's probably just pacifying herself. Make sure her weight is increasing and she's swallowing.

the baby will get better at nursing and more efficient.. Dont worry the baby will not nurse for an hour forever. My son is 9 months old and he can nurse and be totally done in 5 minutes.

Let her nurse as long as she wants. as long as she is not throwing up after a feeding she is not eating too much.

as the babies get older they get more interested in their world adn less interested in the nursing..

Yes, unfortunately it is normal. My son used to take an hour or so. As the baby grows and gets stronger it usually shortens up a bit (didn't for me though...).

Some babies are just slow eaters! My son used to take that long! I hope she is your first! If so, just enjoy the down time!