Posted by
crj
20 yrs ago
Strange question.
Baby has always been either a small, fast or efficient eater - not sure which, but basically he does not eat for a long time.
I know that it reduces as baby gets older and milk production gets more efficient.
We are at 6 months now.
Most feeds are 10 minutes. either 10 on one side or 6 L / 4 R, etc...
Some are less than 10 minutes.
Midwife suggested to increase feed times to feed laying down. This has worked great - both for him and for my neck (I used to be sore all the time from looking down while he fed!)
The only way I get long feeds is the first feed at 6:30 am, I take him into bed and we have a long lazy slow feed -he does 10 minutes fast, then up to 30-45 minutes slow and sleepy. He often has a 10 minute doze at the end - but that's fine as it is nice for me too!
If I am lucky, I can get a long feed either at 7pm or 10:30 pm this way too -but sometimes not.
How old is your baby?
How long are your AVERAGE, DAYTIME feeds?
Thanks
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Well, now that she is 13 months, it actually can be difficult to knw if she nurses to eat or for comfort...
Like your baby, the morning intake is the longest, she can nurse for 15-20 minutes both side (I don't really know in fact as I'm also half dozing and not looking at the clock).
After that, during the day, it rarely goes over 5 minutes now, as a toddler, she gets easily distracted.
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baby is 5months.
average daytime feeds-10mins or less.not sure if she really getting any,but she has put on wt.so i must be doing somethng right here..
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crj
20 yrs ago
So far, this is making me feel better - I am not starving baby!
Hope more people reply...
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crj
20 yrs ago
Hi STB -
How old is your baby now?
What other tips are there for making baby feed longer? The one that seems to work for us is the laying down in bed tip - we love it!
We do bf on schedule - it works great for us. But the first 2-3 weeks was all about demand and letting baby set the pace. The only thing I tried (and mostly failed) to do was to have him eat 'full' feeds... Then we went onto a schedule based on his natural rythym, and have progressed from there. Saying that, it is never perfect!
Our baby was ALWAYS a fast/short eater. At first I was really worried because every book and midwife said feeds are about 20 minutes, but then he was gaining fine so there was not an issue. But he is also very very active and burns a lot of calories. So he had steadily been on the 10th percentile, but he dropped a month ago to 3rd percentile, so that is when we started high calorie solids. Since then he has gained more and we are going to the doctor tomorrow and looking forward to what the scale says!
I guess what I wondered is he still a 'super fast eater' or is now, 10 minutes normal for a 6 month old? Sometimes the feeds are less than 10.
The funny thing is, he has always done about 10 minutes - just that now he and I are both more efficient, so he must be getting more. I can go from a very full to a very empty breast in that 10 minutes. Then on the morning feeds (this morning he did 40 on one side!) I know he is getting some serious rich 'dessert' after he did the initial fast 10 minutes - those next 30 minutes might be slow slow sucks, but anything he gets must be super rich so I think it is good for him - just kind of wish he did that more during the day too.
IF you are worried, it is all about - wet nappies, poo and weight gain - if you have all of those three happening, baby is getting enough.
If you are concerned, keep an eye on the breast fed baby growth chart curve to be sure baby is keeping up with her own curve and not dropping off like our baby did.
We use the new WHO breast fed baby chart, and the software programme to track it - I posted the link on another thread.
So anyone else?
How old is your baby?
How many minutes per daytime feed?
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hiya, my 2 cents ...
my baby is 4 months old
feeds can be anywhere between 20-45 mins (both breasts) depending how sleepy she is. active sucking is probably only 20 mins total even after switching sides.
crj: starting posts like these are a great source of info for new mothers. thinking back i had so many problems with b/f in the beginning because i was listening to so many sources of conflicting "professional" advice (midwives etc). i was told never to let a baby nurse for more than 40 mins., if she wanted more than she was treating me as a comforter (which ia a no-no)and that she should be able to last 3 hrs between feeds otherwise i'm was not producing enough milk.
if i had those first few weeks back again, i would definetely let my baby nurse as often as she wanted and as long as she wanted and be more confident of my own instincts instead of blindly following what other people told me. of course, that's all easy to say now .....
for me, establishing breastfeeding was the hardest part of being a new mother. i was really shocked at how many potential problems there were. now that i've settled into a workable routine, it's great and i know i'll be really reluctant to give it up when the time comes.
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Hello,
here is my experience
with #1:
every breast around 10 min, so total 20 min with a short break eventually between the 2....
regular breastfed generally speaking..
with#2:
breasftfed on demand from day 1..
and breastfeeding quite longer on average (maybe 30 min?)
when I went back to work and was away for long hours, as soon as I would get back, lo would breastfeed for at least 30 min...
there is no doubt today that she's breastfeeding for more than feeding.. but no gain problem.. also she doesn't have any pacifier so I was wondering if that makes her breastfeed more??
so today, at 20 months, she would breastfeed around 30 min in early morning
then in early evening or after dinner around 30 min..
again just before sleeping, this one might be short if she falls asleep fast !!
and eventually during time night again :(
that's is for me!
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crj
20 yrs ago
DizyDog - I totally agree, breastfeeding is not easy, not intuitive and not something that you do by default - you need to be dedicated to get through those first weeks and months!
Isn't it amazing how much it changes?
Mamouna - WOW, your baby sounds like a pro! 20 months and still going with long morning and evening feeds, that is inspiring! But your mddle of the night feed isn't so much fun I bet... poor you for that one.
We don't use a pacifier either, but baby just isn't a 'sucker'...
STB - our baby was very jaundiced, and super sleepy - we had to do those things to to keep him awake. The good news is, it DOES get better!
We tried to not let him snack by doing things like - focusing on feeding for 45 minutes. for him that meant, 2 minutes, 5, 3, 1, 7, etc... but within 45 minutes, maybe he totalled 20. Slowly he got better at doing more in a row, and taking less time to get to the 20 minutes. Not sure if that makes sense?
Check out the other thread I started on schedule - my experience - I talk about what we did, not saying it is the best, just that it is our experience.
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crj
My baby is also in the low percentile. On a good day she will feed for 10 mins active sucking - other days its difficult to get her to take 5 mins. I have an overactive letdown reflex which means she chokes and gags on the milk and gets very upset. She can be in a lot of pain at times and suffers with her digestion. We saw the doc yesterday about her slow weight gain and her reluctance to feed. He recommended no dairy for me and then if that doesnt work a combination of an infant antacid and the introduction of baby rice.
I was wondering ...whats the high calorie solids you are using? I am really worried about my little ones weight gain. My midwife told me to ignore the scales and look at the baby - ie bright,alert and happy - all of the above she is.
I also find lying down helps too. Another idea is to catch them when they are a bit sleepy and more relaxed Thats why the morning and night time feeds for me are always better.
If youre reading this...Im a lazy soul - do you have that website address handy = the one for b/f charting?
Thanks so much for starting this thread. Support /hearing others experiences makes such a difference.
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crj
20 yrs ago
Asking - how old is your baby?
Totally agree that baby feeds better when a bit sleepy - less to distract him!
When our baby was younger, he had trouble with the strong let down in the morning too. As a result, I started to do two things the first 2 months which helped:
1. feed, then pump some out, then feed when the 'spray' was more managable for him!
2. Feeding sitting up - the first few months, the best position for our baby was feeding with BABY sitting up - ie, sitting on my leg. This reduced his gaging loads. (the same position adults drink - upright)
Weight
I was told that as long as baby stayed on the 10th percentile, I was okay. But when he dripped to the 3rd percentile is when we had problems.
Be sure to use the breast fed baby growth charts from the WHO, not the old ones. And we were advised to use the length/weight chart, not the ones by age.
Here is is:
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/forums/momsdads/threads/85721.asp
Here is a list of baby food calories:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/babyfoodcalories.html
The absolute best is Avocado!
This thread has a lot of information on starting solids:
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/forums/momsdads/threads/85714.asp
Breast feed chart - I made my own, but you can get one in excel here, and modify it for your needs:
http://doulaworld.com/doula/cfml/main/download.cfm
Also saw this on KellyMom - might be good if you are avoiding dairy:
http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/hidden-dairy01.pdf
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Not a strange question Cri. I ask myself the same thing everyday. Fortunately my bubs weight gain is great, at 4 weeks he was at the 90% percentile, but he finishes so soon, I often wonder if he's had enough. Now at 6 weeks he takes 10-15 minutes MAX to finish one breast and then squirms and wriggles so I sit him up supported while he does an explosive poo, then burps, and only then he's ready for the next session. I was reassured when I started giving him breastmilk in a bottle for his 10:30pm feed, cause he can down more than 2+ oz in 7 minutes from a very difficult Nuk nipple, before we need to do all the shenanigans necessary for him to finish the bottle!
Mostly I feed him lying down, cause, like you, it was causing me neck strain to do it sitting up, even with the mybrestfriend thingy. Lying down is great for both of us, I'm so much more relaxed which is what you want to be while bf, and can cuddle him to me, its great.
He also had bad gas, squirming around in his sleep and finding it difficult to settle. So now I give him a bit of Infacol before every feed, the doc said that was OK, and its really helped with the gas and his sleep. Sometimes he projectile vomits if he's handled too much after a feed (once or twice even when I changed him and lifted his legs too high - a lesson in that). I asked the doc about reflux but she said if he did have reflux he'd be crying all the time. Well, he barely cries, maybe 5 minutes max in a day (and only if I try to delay his feed!!), so I guess I'll just have to burp him well each time. The first few times he used to gag with the strong let down and cough and sputter. Now he pulls his head away and gets sprayed all over which has resulted in a milk rash. I now have to wipe his face with a damp tissue after every meal! Can't win!
His little abdominal muscles haven't joined yet (a common thing apparently) and though he doesnt have an umbilical hernia, everytime he pants his little stomach protudes out the gap at his diaphragm area which used to frighten the hell out of everyone, till I did a bit of research on the internet and the doc backed it up by saying it was nothing to worry about.
He sucks best if he's awake and alert. If he's sleepy he goes off to sleep midway, or REFUSES to open his mouth, even with a silicon nipple, and when I finally get it in, he refuses to suck and all the milk dribbles out the side. So I have to wake him and make him really alert for his night feed.
Tracy Hogg (The baby whisperer) says that as long as he goes for 2 1/2 to 3 hours before the next feed its ok, and most times thats the pattern, but somedays he's hungrier than others and wants more after two hours. Anyway, there you have it, if the bubs sucks for 20 minutes on both breasts together, I'm really happy!!
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Thanks soooo much crj.
My bub is 4 months tomorrow.
Ill need to spend some time to digest (excuse the pun!) all the great information you have provided.
I am going to give the dairy free diet a go and then see how she is at 5 months I think before I start any solids. We have allergies on both sides of the family so I am a bit reluctant to start early However if her weight starts dropping off the curve Ill defo have a rethink. She is in the 10% but is such a happy little soul even though she is in so much pain at times.
I just want to do whats best for her. Its really upsetting when a. she refuses to feed and b. cries and cries in pain. Id do anything to change it.
Thanks again.
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crj
20 yrs ago
We are still all over the place with feeds.
We had about 5 days with nice long morning and evening feeds varying from 20-50 minutes (of course, he only sucks hard the first 10 minutes then the rest is lazy sleepy sucking). The daytime feeds were still under 10 minutes.
Then we had about 5 days of even just 10 minute feeds in morning and evening.
And yesterday, he decided long lazy feeds are nice again, and he did them yesterday morning, yesterday night and this morning was a record braking 54 minutes!
So I guess he has his cycles of needing the comfort of sucking and drinking more, and not.
It is still totally disconcerting when he eats 4-6 minutes and refuses more... but then he is perfectly happy until the next feed, and if I put him near my breast he is soooo not interested.
Strange creatures our children are!
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Gogis, congratulations for still breastfeeding :-) That's very good of you to continue despite what other people thinks. A breastfeeding relationship should never stop because of others, only when you and your bubs are ready.
I have always found that it is very rude of people to tell us what to do. I don't tell them what to eat or look disgusted by it, don't know how they can do that in front of us and think nothing of it...
"He says that this is my weapon to keep her attached to me and manipulate her. He believes that the reason why she rathers to be with me is because of b/f."
Is he jealous? I don't think it has anything to do with manipulation. I think it is quite natural that a baby should want to be with mummy, the reverse wouldn't be so. With bf, you have a easy way to satisfy her, I don't know what people keep insisting that we should complicate our life.
Anyway, it is OUR life, so we should do as we are please and shouldn't care about what other people think.
Once again, a big bravo to you, Gogis.
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Errr I'm sorry but I think that when your little one is able to speak,you really shouldn't be breastfeeding them anymore.
I know that some women continue to b/f their kids until they are 3 or 4 yrs old but I really wonder if this is more for their comfort rather than the child's. I have heard of a few cases where the mother has used this as a means of weight maintainance.
Perhaps there is a reason why your friends and family find it odd that you are still b/f at 21 months.
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crj
20 yrs ago
I just started a new thread on how long women should breast feed - I am sure it would be an interesting thread :)
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bw
20 yrs ago
Vulvic, Breastfeeding is not an effective method of weight maintainence. Initially you shed some weight but after that you always remain on the heavier side as long as you breastfeed because you need the calories for lactation. And breastfeeding more for their comfort than the child's - you need to read up on breastfeeding ! ever heard of comfort sucking ? I don't make comments on formula and bottle feeding because I don't know enough about it so I'd suggest you do the same.
Perhaps there is a reason why friends and family find breastfeeding at 21 months odd ? - yes the reason is they don't know any better. The problem is the breasts have solely become sexual objects.
I on the other hand find it sad that people find it acceptable for a 3/4 year old to be bottle fed but "disgusted" (a very strong reaction mind you) at what nature intended.
Just because some cultures are different where prolonged breastfeeding is the norm doesn't mean it is disgusting or wrong. Just different. I don't berate women for choosing to bottle feed/ formula feed their babies and I expect the same respect for my choice to breastfeed my child for as long as I want.
crj I'm glad you are not affected by your husband's and other peoples' comments regarding extended breastfeeding.
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personally, I find the sight of a 3 year old or even older still sucking on a bottle really disturbing. Even when they can use a cup, or even a sippy cup to drink, they still want to suckle on the bottle - leads to lots of teeth rot and whatnot. (it's REALLY common in Korea, so I'm regularly disturbed.) People here think it's WEIRD that my daughter hasn't had a bottle since she was one (although she was breastfed until she was almost 14 moths old.)
if I child at 3 years old can ask for a bottle, why is it wrong for him or her to ask for the breast? It really is a personal choice - and up to the individual mother for sure.
breastfeeding for weight control? I wish...if it were true, don't you think MORE women would do it? Most b-feeding moms I know finish losing their final pregnancy weight after they stop breastfeeding as the body sheds the last final layer of fat it holds on to to help with the breastfeeding.
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bw
20 yrs ago
no one ever said it on this thread but it is very very common. The point is people accept it more than they accept breastfeeding, which I think is not right. Yes, It is a personal choice.
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If you're looking for some informations on extended breastfeeding, you have some very well done articles here : http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/index.html
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I find it shocking that people are saying that a 21-month old is too old to still be being breastfed (whilst the WHO clearly states that they recommend it for at least 2 years...).
I'm curious - do these same people find it acceptable for mothers to formula feed their babies becasue they can't be bothered to breastfeed (and yes, I know, all these mothers have the same excuse - I didn't have enough milk...yeah, right - sorry, but breastfeeding is bloody hard at the start and most people here cannot be bothered. I gave birth at QMH and was woken constantly by the 4-hoursly milk round - NO ONE else was even making the slightest effort to breastfeed) - to me this is the really shocking thing...
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bw
20 yrs ago
A breastfeeding toddler is not exclusively breastfeeding. It is very different from nursing a baby or even a 1 year old. He/She too is interested and eating all kinds of food and breastfeeding too but efficient enough to take what he wants in a few mins. If a child has stopped nursing at 6 moonths he's obviously not going to ask for the boob at 20 months.
I mentioned it earlier it is a cultural thing and so it's not right to make comments such as "this is more for their comfort rather than the child's" or "there is a reason why your friends and family find it odd that you are still b/f at 21 months." Implying there is somethig wrong with breastfeeding.
Everyone goes out of their way to reassure formula feeding mothers, all I'm saying is treat the other side with respect not disdain.
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Actually, we all have our opinions on this subject and personally I think it odd to b/f past the age of 2. That's my opinion. This doesn't mean I condone bottle feeding after this point, by the age of one most children will have been weaned and accepting solids. I also find it odd that children of 3 & 4 are still be fed by bottle especially as one poster pointed out, they are capable of using sippy cups.
So, I'm sorry if this offends some of you but that is my opinion.
Bitty anyone?
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LOL! Vulvic, I see you've been watching little britain...
hic
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Sorry, I couldn't resist!
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crj
20 yrs ago
Pulling up an older thread.
Baby is now 10 (almost 11) months.
Still breastfeeding and eating solids - no bottles.
Breastfeed times:
6:30 am - 20-30 minutes
8:30 am - 1-5 minutes, rarely more than 5.
11:00 am - 1-3 minutes, rarely more than 5.
2:30 pm- 1-3 minutes, rarely more than 5.
5:30 pm - 1-3 minutes, rarely more than 5.
6:30 pm - 10 - 20 minutes
We miss the 11am breast feed 5x week when I am at work, so I put defrosted breast milk into his 11am food so he still gets the benefits.
He eats 4 x solid meals a day, about 300ml each.
We are trying to teach him how to drink water from a cup and a sippy cup at meal times. He only drinks a few sips.
I am planning to start to stop breast feeding the daytime feeds when he turns one, then the night feed, then at 13 months the morning feed.
QUESTION:
During his daytime breastfeeds he only eats 1-3 minutes, it is very fast, and he barely drinks from the cup or sippy cup.
He does eat a lot though, and poos and wees a lot.
I am planning to stop the daytime breast feeds, and replace with milk when he turns one.
Do I need to be sure he drinks a certain amount first? Or can I just drop one daytime feed a week?
Thanks
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