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Question: Is my baby nursing enough?

(Posted by: Mama Mo on 2009-02-07 15:30:47)

My daughter was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and now weights 6 lbs 2 oz. She pees about 5 times a day and has little poops almost every time I change her diaper. My reason for asking this question is because she doesn't drink from my breast very long. Sometimes total feeding time is only like 10 minutes if that. She eats every few hours most often and sometimes she has to be woke up to eat because I don't let her go longer than 5 hours without eating.

Posted by: Jillian on 2009-02-07, 15:35:24

She's growing sounds fine- my son was the same it wasn't even 10 minutes he was on but he ate often babies shouldd pee 6-8 times a day- however a sopping wet diaper usually means they peed more than once kellymom.com/ newman/ 04enough_milk.html

Posted by: Deliciously N on 2009-02-07, 15:36:15

How old is she? A 6lb baby/ less than one month old shouldn't be going 5 hours without eating. She should be eating every 2-3. There should be at least 6-8 wets a day. I'd take her to the pedi.

Posted by: Trust me, I'm a scientist. on 2009-02-07, 15:37:59

My baby does the same thing. I got her weight checked and she seems to be gaining weight like she is supposed to -- both the lactation consultant and pediatrician said her weight was fine. If you are concerned, buy a really sensitive scale and weigh her before and after feedings. Remember, a baby should be taking in 2 - 2.7 oz per pound at feeding time (I guess it depends on how voracious an appetite your baby has). My lactation consultant did this and found that within 15 minutes, my baby was definitely getting the amount that she should be getting. In regard to letting her sleep 5 hours, this is okay. According to my lactation consultant, babies are "allowed " to sleep for one 4-5 hour period of time. Just make sure you are still feeding the baby 8-12 times a day.

Posted by: Jessica R on 2009-02-07, 15:51:17

As long as she's gaining weight the way she should be then everything is fine. babies will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. if she is wetting enough diapers then you know she is getting enough. you might just have a fast letdown and therefore she gets more in 10 minutes than another baby might get from it's mother who has a slower letdown.

Posted by: Sarah H on 2009-02-07, 16:23:50

She sounds like she is growing just fine, and peeing and pooping normally, Only nursing for 10 min could be that you have a quick let down, and that your milk flows easily. My kids only nursed for about 10 minutes at a time, and now that my daughter is older she nurses maybe 5 min and then comes back more frequently. The important thing is that she is gaining and maintaining weight. Every woman is different and so is there milk, my midwife told me that I had high calorie milk which is why my kids nursed less and slept longer. And as far as diapers go, between 4-6 is considered normal and so long as it is clear yellow and does not have an odor baby should be getting enough fluids. Also keep in mind that if she is having heavy wet diapers, she may pee more at one time and go longer in between. You can tell if a diaper is sufficiently wet by taking a clean diaper and pouring 3 tbls of water on it. that is what a wet diaper should feel like, if it weighs significantly more you can expect her to pee less frequently, and still have normal output. Also keep in mind that it is normal for breastfed babies to lose some weight in the first couple days, and can take up to 2 weeks to regain it. Hope this helps, good luck, it sounds like you are doing fine.

Posted by: 1stTimeMama on 2009-02-07, 17:58:14

She's great! My son was also eating about 4-7 mins (10 at most) and then often fell asleep while nursing. And I was always worried as well. I was nursing him on demand, sometimes it was half hr after last feeding. Now at 4 months I feed him every 3 hrs...