Breastfeeding - how long is long enough for a 9 week old?

[julia.north]

Hi everyone,

as my 9 week old has this new habit of starting to cry after about 10-12 min on the breast, I am now wondering if this could also mean that he's had enough (he doesn't seem too gassy when I try to burp him, and when I put him down on his playmat he also looks content and stops crying - it is only when I try to put him back on the breast that he's fussy again! Arches his back, pushes with his feet etc...)

Are 10-12min enough for him to be on the breast or should I keep trying to feed him, as he is ending the feed crying instead of letting go in a "satisfied" way?

He manages to go 2 - 2,5 hours between feeds

Any input appreciated!

[clazzat]

There's no set time for them to feed - some eat quickly, some slowly. By 9 weeks I think that all of mine were done after about 10 minutes, so that's not unusual. If he is happy and contented and settled for a decent time between feeds and you are getting plenty of wet and dirty nappies then don't worry about the length of time he is feeding.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yes, I'd say similar. DS1 very suddenly went down to a 10min feed, and it was a bit of a shock! But completely normal. If you are offering again and he's saying no then he's likely to be full!

[*Ali*]

I totally agree. All 3 of mine were on short feeds by this point. 

[julia.north]

Thank you for your input!

The thing that still has me concerned though is the crying...
he's having difficulties to latch on (cries for about 4-5 min furiously before he manages to do it) and when he's done, he also cries again... this behavior started quite suddenly from one day to the other.

I keep reading about these babies that are "confused" because of the mix of bottle, pacifier and breast... but this confusion wouldn't start all of a sudden would it? He's been having one bottle a day for 5 weeks now and the pacifier as well, never seemed to be an issue, but now I am worried...

[weaver]

ITA with PPs but I would also try going to a local bfing support group, or finding a lactation consultant and talking to them about it.  Once he's latched does he feed happily? not bobbing on and off?  He was happily feeding before this started?

My LO1 was a paci baby, had it from about 3 days old! He was very sucky and really needed it to relax.  He only ever had the paci at sleep time, and the bottle of EBM he had from 6 weeks was at dreamfeed time. He didn't have these issues.  You could test to see if it's 'nipple confusion' by laying off the bottle and reducing paci use and see if that helps. I would agree with trying to feed when relaxed and lots of physical contact if you can. Here's an interesting read from Dr Sears about that issue.   Jack Newman (canadian bfing expert) suggests that babies who have difficulty latching might be prone to confusion, or more what he sees as developing a bottle preference, as bfing is a different technique and slightly harder work! If you feel he's frustrated with the slower flow of bfing, then you could try breast compressions to speed things up a bit for him.
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/breastfeeding/common-problems/nipple-confusion

[*Ali*]

Are your breasts engorged at all?

[julia.north]

Yes they are prior to feeding...

He just fed for 17 min on one side without a big fuss.
Maybe it was / is just a phase...
 
I'm just so worried every time things go out of plan. Maybe I just need to relax a bit.
Did any of you experience a growth spurt like this - with fussying on the breast / prior to breastfeeding?

[michaeljacknnugg]

They all go through different patches, I think. DS2 has just started taking little breaks in a feed and then going back on.

As long as you are getting plenty of nappies and his weight gain is ok, I wouldn't worry.

[*Ali*]

Sometimes if they are engorged they can be difficult to latch onto. You could just wait for your supply to settle down or try expressing just enough to soften them so baby can get a mouthful more easily.  Be careful not to express too much though as it will stimulate supply further.

[julia.north]

Thanks everyone!

It seemed to get a bit better after he's pooped a gigantic load this morning.
Maybe his tummy was just bothering him.

Also I found that, if I burp him every 5 minutes, he will drink with more ease.
And walking around while breastfeeding also helped!

Crazy, what these little ones get us to do...