How long does a newborn baby feed on breast milk? Is it normal for a newborn baby to feed on breast milk for ten minutes at a time?

How long should a newborn baby feed on breast milk at a time? Mothers are always worried that their babies are not full and that their milk is not rich enough. Is this really the case? Let me tell you if it is normal for a newborn baby to feed on breast milk for ten minutes at a time, and how long is the appropriate feeding time?

Is it normal for a newborn to breastfeed for ten minutes at a time?

There is no need to watch the time when breastfeeding. Observe the newborn carefully. Generally, the baby will cry or hum when it is hungry. At this time, it is either hungry or has urinated. Feed the baby if he is hungry. Do not measure by time.

Feed the baby when he is hungry. When he is full, he will spit out the nipple. Feed the baby alternately with both breasts. If the baby is fussy, could it be because he is not in the right position when sucking milk or he is not holding the nipple firmly in his mouth?

The baby knows when he is hungry or full! He will stop eating when he is full! As long as the baby is in good spirits and develops normally, there is no need to worry too much!

How long does a newborn baby eat breast milk?

The stomach capacity of a newborn baby is very small. Generally, the stomach capacity of a newborn baby is 30-35ml, about 100ml at 3 months, 200ml at 6 months, and 300-500ml at 1 year old. At the same time, the amount of gastric juice secretion is small. The emptying time of the stomach varies with the type and nature of the food. For breastfeeding, the emptying time of the stomach is 2-3 hours, for milk feeding it is 3-4 hours, and for water it is 1-2 hours. For breastfeeding, babies under 3 months old can be breastfed every three hours, and reduced once at midnight, that is, 7 times a day. After three months, it will gradually be extended to once every 3.5-4 hours, 5-6 times a day. Each breastfeeding time is preferably 15-20 minutes. The amount of milk varies for each baby, and breastfeeding on demand is also possible. As long as the bowel movement is good, the stomach does not swell, there is no frequent vomiting of milk, and the spirit is good, it will be fine.

Feeding on demand is the principle of feeding a baby for one month. Feed as much as the baby can eat. Trust the baby's body instincts. A baby who is full of milk will be satisfied and quiet between two feedings. He will usually sleep for 3-4 hours. If he is not full, he will cry. As long as the baby's mouth shakes left and right to find milk, it is time to eat. The amount of milk each baby feeds is different. As long as the baby is quiet after feeding and his little face is rosy, it means that one feeding is complete. Don't deliberately do it according to what is said in books or on the Internet. Children are all different.

Some mothers use the time the baby takes to breastfeed to measure how much milk the baby eats. Many doctors and nurses also teach this. However, sometimes the baby sucks dryly when breastfeeding and does not swallow the milk. These dry sucking times are useless for judging how much milk the baby eats. What is really useful is to look at the time the baby swallows the milk. For example, the baby sucks for two minutes at the beginning, let him lie down a little, and the baby starts to swallow the milk, one mouthful at a time. After two minutes, he swallows two mouthfuls at a time. After another minute, he swallows three or four mouthfuls at a time. Then, let the baby continue to suck for three minutes, let him lie down again, and let the baby swallow for another two minutes. In this way, the baby sucks in the mother's arms for a total of more than ten minutes, and the actual swallowing of milk is only five or six minutes. When a new mother starts breastfeeding, the baby sucks longer, and the actual swallowing of milk is generally shorter. Therefore, don't mistakenly think that the baby is full just because the baby holds the nipple for a long time. If the baby spends more than ten minutes swallowing milk each time (and you let him lie down three or four times to swallow milk), he is generally eating well. If he still looks hungry, you should let him continue to eat. If the baby spits out the nipple while swallowing big mouthfuls, it may be that the baby is tired and needs to be allowed to take a breath before continuing to eat. If the baby sucks dry and spits out after swallowing very little, it generally means that the baby is either full or needs to be burped. At this time, if the breast feels soft, it means that the baby has finished eating.

Generally speaking, a well-fed baby's diaper will be wet 6 or more times in 24 hours, and his stool will be soft, golden yellow, and mushy, 2-4 times a day.

How to feed breast milk to newborns

Whether feeding directly with breast milk or bottle feeding, the baby may be slow to drink milk. Parents don't know the reason, and they worry that their children are not getting enough milk or have hidden diseases. They are very troubled every time they feed their babies. Under normal circumstances, whether it is putting formula milk or breast milk into a bottle or feeding breast milk directly, it is recommended to use half an hour as the benchmark. If it exceeds this time, but the baby's total milk intake in a day meets the standard and the weight increases smoothly, then there is no need to worry too much; on the contrary, if it exceeds half an hour and the weight falls outside the standard curve, it means that there may be some factors that cause the child to take longer to eat, and medical examination is needed as soon as possible. If the baby takes too long to feed, it generally means that the breast milk is insufficient. There are several ways to check whether the breast milk is enough for the baby.

1. Listen: the baby makes gurgling sounds when eating milk.

2. Look: The baby looks very contented and quiet while feeding.

3. Check: The baby urinates at least six times a day or more, and the diaper is heavy.

4. Weigh: The baby should gain at least two kilograms per month.

These can clearly tell you that your breast milk is enough for your baby and you don't need to add milk powder. However, if your baby does not meet these requirements, it means that your breast milk secretion is insufficient and you need to add milk powder to provide adequate nutrition.