How Long Should I Leave a Breastfeed Baby on My Nipple if Theyre Sleeping

Woman breastfeeding

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The time it takes to breastfeed depends on a few things including your baby's age and your breast milk supply. An average feeding can last 10 to 20 minutes, but a baby can breastfeed anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes at each session.

Here's a guide to help you get an idea of how many minutes babies spend breastfeeding, what changes breastfeeding times, what short and long feedings can mean, and when to call the doctor.

Factors That Affect Breastfeeding Time

Some breastfed babies can take a full feeding in 8 minutes. Others need 30 minutes or more to get the same amount of breast milk. The things that influence a baby's feeding time include:

Age: An older baby can typically get enough breast milk in a shorter period.
Alertness: A sleepy baby may not breastfeed as well or as fast as a baby who is awake and alert.
Flow: If your breast milk flows quickly and you have an active let-down reflex, there is more milk available for your baby right away. However, if your flow is slow and your let-down is difficult or delayed, it can take longer for your baby to get enough milk.
Health: A premature baby or a baby born with a health issue may tire out easily while breastfeeding; frequent breaks can prolong feeding time.
Latch: A good latch helps a baby more effectively remove breast milk and therefore get a full feeding in less time.
Milk supply: If you have a low breast milk supply or your baby is going through a growth spurt, your baby may spend more time breastfeeding to try to get more breast milk.

Breastfeeding Time by Age

Age may have the greatest effect on how long it takes to breastfeed. Newborns need time to practice and learn, while older infants become old pros who can empty a breast in no time. Here's some general information on age and feeding times.

Newborns

A newborn should be put to the breast at least every 2 to 3 hours and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. An average of 20 to 30 minutes per feeding helps to ensure that the baby is getting enough breast milk. It also allows enough time to stimulate your body to build up your milk supply.

The following are signs that your newborn is breastfeeding long enough at each feeding:

Your baby has at least six wet diapers a day after the fifth day of life.
Your baby is gaining weight well.
Your breasts feel softer and less full after each feeding.
Your child appears satisfied after each feeding and sleeps well between feedings.

3 to 4 Months

During the first few months, feeding times gradually get shorter and the time between feedings gets a little longer. By the time a baby is 3 to 4 months old, they are breastfeeding, gaining weight, and growing well. It may only take your baby about 5 to 10 minutes to empty the breast and get all the milk they need.

6 to 9 months

With the start of solid foods and drinking from a cup at approximately 6 months along with the ability to move around more freely, older infants may only take quick feedings at the breast then head off to play. But, they may spend more time breastfeeding to sleep at night.

Toddlers

While breastfeeding continues to be beneficial for older children, it should not be the central part of a toddler's diet. Toddlers should be eating and drinking a variety of foods.

Your toddler may only breastfeed occasionally and quickly. However, they may spend more time at the breast if they are looking for security or comfort especially during an illness or after an injury.

Adjustments to Your Routine

Experts recommend following your baby's lead when it comes to breastfeeding time and not worrying about the clock. When latched on properly and actively sucking, your baby should be left to nurse for as long as they want.

Once the baby stops sucking or falls asleep, you can break the suction of the latch, remove the baby from your breast, burp them or change their diaper, and offer them the other breast.

During certain times, you may experience variations in the time it takes your baby to breastfeed. You may need to adjust your routine to accommodate the changes to your baby's needs.

Growth Spurts

Babies need more breast milk during and after a growth spurt. So, during times of rapid growth, a child may breastfeed more often and spend more time than normal nursing at each feeding.

The increase in breastfeeding time is to try to get more nutrition and energy to support their growing bodies. And, by breastfeeding for a few minutes longer, it sends a signal to your body to make more breast milk.

Growth spurts can happen at any age, but they are common around 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months of age.

Growth spurts only last a few days, and then the baby usually settles back into a more normal breastfeeding routine.

Very Short Feedings

It can take a few minutes for your milk to let-down and begin flowing well. If your baby falls asleep or stops nursing before the let-down, they won't get enough milk. Plus, the content your breast milk changes from foremilk to hindmilk as your baby breastfeeds.

It's important for your baby to nurse long enough at each breast to get to the hindmilk, which is higher in fat and calories. This milk helps your baby gain weight and remain satisfied between feedings.

Ending a nursing session before let-down also leaves your breasts full of milk. It can put you at risk for painful breast engorgement, plugged milk ducts, a decreased milk supply, and some of the other common problems of breastfeeding.

Try to keep your baby awake and actively sucking at your breast for as long as possible. If your baby is only nursing for a short time (less than 5 minutes) at most feedings, contact the pediatrician. Poor nursing could indicate a health issue, and you will want to have your baby examined right away.

Very Long Feedings

During the first few days of breastfeeding, it's not uncommon for a baby to nurse for a more extended period, or to nurse very frequently. However, by the fifth day, your milk supply should increase, and your child should be able to get all the breast milk they need within 45 minutes.

If your baby is actively sucking at your breast for over 45 minutes at each feeding, it could mean that they are not getting enough milk. Call your doctor, your baby's pediatrician, or a lactation professional to evaluate the problem and help to resolve it as soon as possible

Breast vs. Bottle Feeding Time

Babies suck differently on the bottle compared to at the breast. Now, some babies have a difficult time with the bottle and feedings can take long, too. But, since the flow of infant formula or breast milk from a bottle nipple is steady, a bottle-fed baby with a regular, consistent suck can generally finish a bottle in about 10 minutes.

The flow of milk from the breast is not steady like a bottle. Breast milk may start out slow then flow faster once the milk lets down. The flow slows down again as the milk empties the breast.

Breastfed babies adjust their suck speed to the flow of breast milk. They suck approximately once per second or slower when the milk is flowing quickly, and speed up the sucking when the milk flow slows down. So, the time it takes to breastfeed depends on the amount and flow of breast milk and the baby's suck.

Breastfeeding Challenges

If you are worried about how long your baby's feedings are or if you have any questions about breastfeeding your baby, you should talk to the baby's doctor. You should also call the doctor if your baby shows certain signs.

When to Call the Doctor

Reach out to your healthcare provider if your baby:

Has very long or very short feedings
Has less than six wet diapers daily after day five
Is irritable, crying, and does seem satisfied after most feedings
Is not breastfeeding well
Is too sleepy for most feedings

A Word From Verywell

Every baby is different, and so is every mom. Your baby may latch on and breastfeed well from the first feeding or take a while to catch on. You may have no trouble at all with your let-down reflex and building up a healthy breast milk supply, or you may have a difficult let-down and a delay in your milk production. There are so many things that can affect how long a feeding will take.

In the beginning, patience is the key. You and your baby need time to learn together. It can definitely be tough and exhausting if you're breastfeeding for forty minutes every two hours. But, don't give up.

Before you know it, you'll have a healthy breast milk supply, your baby will get the hang of breastfeeding, and feeding times will be quicker and easier. Of course, if you're worried about feeding times that are too long or too short or if you have any questions, your doctor or your baby's doctor is the best source of information.

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Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. FAQ: Breastfeeding Your Baby.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Your Guide to Breastfeeding.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Settling In: The First Few Weeks of Breastfeeding.

Additional Reading

American Academy of Pediatrics. New Mother's Guide To Breastfeeding. Bantam Books. New York.
Lawrence, Ruth A., MD, Lawrence, Robert M., MD. Breastfeeding A Guide For The Medical Profession Eighth Edition. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Protocol AB. ABM clinical protocol# 7: model breastfeeding policy (revision 2010). Breastfeeding Medicine. 2010;5(4).
Riordan, J., and Wambach, K. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Fourth Edition. Jones and Bartlett Learning.

How Long Should I Leave a Breastfeed Baby on My Nipple if Theyre Sleeping

Source: https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-long-should-a-baby-nurse-at-each-feeding-431633

Antonieff Thonflused