As an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), I get a lot of feeding questions. “How long should my baby nurse?” is the most common question I hear. And I understand why. Babies feed for very varied lengths of time over the lactation journey and it can be hard to know what’s normal.
First, let's talk about what active or nutritive feeding looks like. This means suckling that is moving or transferring milk. We can observe a baby’s suckling pattern and learn a lot. If you see your baby’s jaw dropping down with each suck so that the skin in front of their ear wiggles just a little, this is most likely an active suck burst. You will also usually hear swallows. On the other hand, sometimes babies will suck with just their lips. Their jaws are not moving or moving very little. They don’t remove much milk with this type of suckling. Babies will do this for all kinds of reasons. They do this at the end of a feeding when they are full. They will do this when they are soothing at the breast but not hungry. Sometimes, if babies are experiencing a challenge with suckling effectively they will use just their lips especially if they are fatigued.
So I want you to watch your baby for the Active suckling pattern and when they slow down from this, they may be near the end of the feeding. Try for 30 seconds or so to stimulate your baby to return to active suckling before detaching them. Using breast compressions is a great way to do this. If your baby is full and finished, they won't respond to stimulation (touching, breast compressions, etc). If they are still hungry you may be able to get them to nurse for a few more minutes. Once they seem finished, you can hold your baby skin to skin upright between your breasts. They may burp. (they do not have to) Then you can offer the second breast and follow the same cue-based feeding on that breast. Don't watch the clock. Watch your baby.
*allow your baby to fully finish on the first breast before moving them to the second breast.
Let's go over some norms and reasons to reach out for support from an IBCLC. In the first two weeks of life, feedings at the breast can be long. They range from 10 minutes to 60 minutes with an average of 30 -40 minutes per feeding in the first week of life. The second week may be similar or you may find the feedings are closer to 30 minutes. Into the 3rd week of life, it is common for babies to start nursing more efficiently. Feedings often last between 15-20 minutes. That is not to say that your baby won't have another 30 or 40-minute feeding here or there. But overall, the feedings are usually less than 30 minutes after the second week of life. If you and your baby are struggling with long feedings, you should schedule a consultation with an IBCLC for support.
Cluster feeding happens during the growth spurts. Babies will usually nurse one to three extra feedings every 24 hours for several days or up to a week during growth spurts. So this will feel like a lot more feeding all of a sudden and is normal. Your milk supply will bump up in volume to meet their demand during this time with free access to the breast. There are usually growth spurts around the following ages: 7–10 days, 2–3 weeks, 3–6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months.
A note about schedules or lack of schedules with infant feeding. Babies usually don't nurse or even bottle feed at regular intervals. If you think about your own habits, you might realize that you eat at different times on different days and some days you are more hungry. No one would tell you that you can’t have a snack or a drink just because it hasn't been 3 hours since your last meal. Babies are the same and if we follow their lead, usually we won't have as much stress about trying to schedule them. Overall your baby should eat 8-12 times every 24 hours.
I hope this took some of the mystery out of “feeding times” for everyone. And remember, everyone deserves knowledgeable support with infant feeding. You can schedule a consultation with me at www.cathywalkeribclc.com.
~Cathy Walker, MA, RN, IBCLC
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