How often do you nurse your baby?

[Caitilin]

Except during growth spurts, I would say about every 2 hours give or take 20-30 minutes. There were definitely days when it was WAY more than that, LOL! But while those days were a pain-in-the-rear when they occurred, they were fortunately the exception rather the norm.

:iagree:this was my experience too. Usually about 2 hours, but varying by the day. I never scheduled and only my twins ever received formula. Also mine were not long nursers--about 15 mins on one side each time. Again, give or take. :D

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

My first nursed for 30-40 minutes every 2 hours until 5 months. My 2nd two children both nursed only 5-10 minutes every 4-5 hours from birth. All of my children were over 95 % for weight. I never supplemented. My 1st and 3rd children took pacis, my 2nd didn't use anything.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Good point, neither of mine used pacifiers.

 

Neither did mine and my children went longer between feedings. You can't generalize "for" or "against" feedings at a certain interval whether it is a shorter interval or a longer one.

[GVD22]

Neither did mine and my children went longer between feedings. You can't generalize "for" or "against" feedings at a certain interval whether it is a shorter interval or a longer one.

:iagree: My first used the pacifier, the next two didn't, and the last did for about 9 weeks. Pacifier use didn't play a role in my kids going longer between feedings.

[ktgrok]

Neither did mine and my children went longer between feedings. You can't generalize "for" or "against" feedings at a certain interval whether it is a shorter interval or a longer one.

 

Just wanted to clarify I'm not for or against a certain amount of time between feedings. I'm just "for' feeding the baby as often as it needs, however long that is. If they only need feeding every 2-3 hours then rock on!!! I just have lately seen moms feel they couldn't breastfeed if they baby was hungry more often than that. In other words, rather than feed more often, which was 'wrong" according to the information they were given, they supplemented with formula or what have you. I was curious how many women did nurse more often then the normally advised "2-3 hours".

 

And I do wonder if heat and thirst have a part in that....maybe babies in hotter climates want to nurse more often just because they are hot and thirsty.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

My 7 week old nurses about every 3 hours. If she is having a fussy day, she tends to nurse more often, but on many days she'll nap for 3 hours or longer.:001_wub: I think it evens out to about 3 hours. (She often cluster feeds in the evenings and then goes 5 or 6 hours.) My boys may have nursed a little more often, but not every hour. And all of my kids have been fast eaters.

 

ETA: All of my kids have gained weight quickly as newborns and are large but trim boys now. Only my first took a pacifier.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Heidi @ Mt Hope

[mo2]

A friend and I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the biggest lies in parenting is that babies only need to nurse ever 2-3 hours. I find my newborns nurse almost constantly, and even now at 9 months she usually nurses for a few minutes every hour or so at least. So....how often did you nurse your baby in the first month or so, and did you need to supplement with formula?

 

Edited to clarify...this is during the day, not at night. hopefully we all got at least a bit of a longer break at night.

 

 

Mine were pretty much attached to the breast all...day...long.

[Nakia]

I pretty much just nursed them whenever. I have even been known to go potty (at home) with a baby on my boob, lol. My oldest kinda just scheduled herself after a couple of months to about every 2 hours. That was when she started sleeping 6 straight hours at night! That was a dream. Some people thought I was nuts to still be nursing a 10 month old every 2 hours, but I didn't care. She was so happy and sleeping all night. My 2nd baby was a lot needier, and she nursed every second of every day for 17 months, or at least it seemed that way. It was okay because it forced me to slow down and enjoy that time. My 3rd nursed really often at the beginning, lengthened the time between feedings after a while, and then right before she weaned at 2ish, she spent about two months nursing every hour or so for a few minutes each time. All three of mine were quick eaters. They could finish off both breasts in 15 or 20 minutes, no problem. Sometimes quicker.

 

I sure do miss having a wee one to cuddle and nurse. :001_wub:

 

ETA: We co-slept, and numbers 2 & 3 took a pacifier.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Nakia

[LisaKinVA]

None of my babies have been like one another when it came to eating.

 

My oldest ate fast, would drain both breasts within 15 min. Would take his last feeding at 9pm and not wake up for *anything* until about 5am. During the day, he'd nurse every 1.5-2 hours until one of his two naps. He did use a pacifier. I did wind up having to supplement, because despite pumping and nursing, I did not have enough milk. (This did not begin immediately, it was around 9weeks). He wasn't having enough wet diapers, and nothing I did or took increased my volume, until I took Reglan (I only had to take a pill every other day or so, in order to produce enough milk).

 

My 2nd -- she was more "typical" -- ate every 2-3 hours. I broke down and co-slept with her, because getting up every couple of hours was killing me. I started having milk issues with her around 6 week (return of menses). I got the Reglan right away, and she never had formula until I got pregnant with #3, and she didn't want to nurse. No paci.

 

My 3rd -- he nurse all the time. Not always to eat, usually for "comfort" -- would not use a paci. He's still very snuggly. Had milk issues when he was about 6 weeks old. I weaned him when I cried at the thought of nursing, because he bit (I had scabs on my breasts from his biting, and had tried *everything*). He was 9mos. old when I traded BM for formula.

 

My 4th -- had no schedule. She could eat for an hour solid. No issues with her... for the first time, I didn't have to medicate to produce enough milk! She didn't wean until a bit after she was 1.

 

My 5th -- also ate all. the. time. No milk issues. Mostly for comfort. Still wants to snuggle with mommy, and nursed until she was fairly well past her first birthday. We weaned sometime in the early summer with her. Once she was solidly taking food (she spat everything out for a long, long time.

[Dawn in OH]

I didn't vote in the poll. I didn't know which option to pick.

 

First baby nursed every hour and a half. He would nurse for a good 40 minutes at a time. I never supplemented with formula.

 

Baby number 2 didn't nurse as often. She was a sleeper. I let her sleep. I nursed her when she woke. Never supplemented with formula. I would estimate she nursed, during the day, every 3ish hours.

 

Baby number 3 seemed to nurse constantly. I wasn't allowed to put him down until he was around 6 months old. He slept with my nipple in his mouth and frequently dozed and nursed. Let's just say he nursed ALL THE TIME. I never supplemented with formula.

 

Baby number 4 slept a lot as a newborn. He would sleep 8 hours straight over night. I didn't wake him to feed him. During the day he nursed about every 3 hours or so. He never nursed or more than 20 minutes.

[duckens]

For dd1, we nursed on demand...and still do, even though she will be 4yo next month.

 

When dd1 first came home from the hospital, she would eat and sleep throughout the day. What I remember most is that she would clusterfeed in the evenings, and (starting the second night home) she would sleep all night long. :confused::confused::confused:

 

We didn't plan that OR let her cry it out; she just did. Loverboy soon calculated that she was gaining 1.2oz/day, so we quit worrying out the lack of nursing at night.

 

Dd2 is coming TOMORROW (Monday) MORNING in a planned C-section at 7:30am!!!!! (I'm so tired of throwing up!)

 

I may have more to post at the end of the week......:D

 

ETA: One of the local La Leche League leaders tells about one of her babes nursing CONTINUOUSLY!!! Then, at age 15, this same child was diagnosed as "hypoglycemic," and instructed to eat "many small meals every day." Hmmmmmm.........could there be a connection????

Edited November 22, 2010 by duckens

[danybug]

I have always nursed on demand and never tried to maintain a schedule. My middle one seemed to always be nursing even when she was older. My new babe still nurses every hour or so. The only long stretches happen at night.

 

I agree it is a myth :glare:

[CourtneyChn]

All three of my kids were different. The first nursed almost constantly when she was a newborn but by the time she was six months old every four hours or so. The second probably every hour when she was a newborn and then every three hours til she was a year old. After that, only at bedtime until she was two. My 7 month-old nurses every two to three hours but constantly when he was a newborn.

[MrsBasil]

My DS nursed for an hour every 15-45 minutes on a continuous 24 hour cycle for 4 months straight.

 

He got upset easily, would only let me hold him for hours at a time, could barely sleep and I was zombie tired and feeling a little insane. We tried supplementing with formula and he was like a different baby after those feedings. Calmer, could sleep for more than 15 minutes, and would let DH hold him so we weaned by 5 months.

 

I'm undecided about nursing the next one.

[ktgrok]

My DS nursed for an hour every 15-45 minutes on a continuous 24 hour cycle for 4 months straight.

 

He got upset easily, would only let me hold him for hours at a time, could barely sleep and I was zombie tired and feeling a little insane. We tried supplementing with formula and he was like a different baby after those feedings. Calmer, could sleep for more than 15 minutes, and would let DH hold him so we weaned by 5 months.

 

I'm undecided about nursing the next one.

 

Oh wow, :grouphug: That sounds miserable. Did you have his latch and sucking evaluated by a board certified lactation consultant (IBLC)? that much sucking without getting enough milk sounds like something just wasn't right. Hugs to you for sticking with it as long as you did.

[Snowfall]

My first nursed about every 45 minutes for the first 6 or 8 months. She really did. If we left the house, I had to nurse her before we left, once we got where we were going, frequently while we were out, once we got back in the car to head home, again when we got home...etc. She also nursed several times a night until she was over a year old. My second nurses much less often, thankfully!!! She nurses probably every 90 minutes to 2 hours. However, she slept through the night from about week 5 to about 3 months. Now she nurses maybe once or twice a night, but only for a few minutes.

 

I think we set women up for failure, frustration, and hungry babies when we tell them they only need to nurse every 3 hours or 8 times a day. Most babies nurse more than that. I know that some only nurse that often, but they really are not the norm, in my educated opinion (lol). I'm basing it off research done by a nurse-midwife friend of mine for her doctoral thesis, and on my experience with assisting mothers through LLL and a local breastfeeding organization. I could be wrong, of course, but all the evidence I've ever seen suggests that average infants nurse more than 8 times a day - at least until maybe 4 months of age or so.

[LaissezFaire]

Who ever said babies need to nurse every 2-3 hours? I am not nursing now but spent most of the last 12 years nursing and I can attest that babies nurse every 15 minutes - 3 hours. LOL. It pretty much depends on their mood or need at the time.

 

There was no 'other' option which is what I would have chosen because I nursed on demand and not by the clock.

[classicHSmom]

Mine have varied, but pretty much every 1 1/2 - 3 hours once they reached about a month. They all started sleeping around 7-8 hours a night anywhere from 2 to 4 months old. So far, I have made it to at least a year with all of them without the need to supplement.

Edited November 22, 2010 by classicHSmom

[MrsBasil]

Oh wow, :grouphug: That sounds miserable. Did you have his latch and sucking evaluated by a board certified lactation consultant (IBLC)? that much sucking without getting enough milk sounds like something just wasn't right. Hugs to you for sticking with it as long as you did.

 

Thank you for the hugs. Yes, I went to a nursing clinic and saw an IBLC several times. She couldn't find any problems and we tried several things. I keep thinking it was a supply issue, but it couldn't be fixed with her suggestions.

 

He's a healthy, but very skinny, 21 month old today. Loves to eat and eats a lot, but it never sticks. :tongue_smilie:

 

PS: I don't consider myself a homeschooler, I'm mostly here to learn.

[ktgrok]

Well, if it is encouraging at all i have a friend that couldn't make enough milk for her first son, but has plenty for her second. She never figured out what the problem was with the first one, but it was not an issue with the next baby at all.

[Carrie12345]

Who ever said babies need to nurse every 2-3 hours? I am not nursing now but spent most of the last 12 years nursing and I can attest that babies nurse every 15 minutes - 3 hours. LOL. It pretty much depends on their mood or need at the time.

 

There was no 'other' option which is what I would have chosen because I nursed on demand and not by the clock.

 

Oh, it's definitely in lots of books!

While I'm sure plenty (most?) babies will naturally follow those "guidelines", I do think that expectation probably played a big part in my issues with my dds.

Really, I should have just ignored the books and paid attention to my babies' signals, but something about being told they should be fine for 2-3 hours made me resent the idea of needing to nurse more often. In my hormonal state, I think I felt the babies were the ones who should be doing what they were "supposed to". :001_huh:

 

Fortunately, I don't pay attention to mainstream pregnancy/baby books anymore. ;)