Breastfeeding Your Baby

How Often and How Long?

How often and how long should I feed my baby?

• In the first three to four days after birth, your baby may lose some weight. This is normal, as long as your baby still has wet and soiled diapers (to learn the signs of good feeding, click here). Healthy babies, when fed according to their feeding cues, will take what they need. Let your baby be your guide.
• Keep in mind that your baby’s stomach at birth is very small, which means that your baby will want to be fed often. Scroll down to see a chart of baby’s stomach size.
• In the early days, breastfeed from both breasts to help make your milk supply. Later your baby may still feed from both breasts, or may be satisfied after one.
• Feed on the first breast until the baby falls away from your breast. This usually tells you that your baby has had enough milk. Don’t rush though – your baby may be just resting and not yet finished.
• After burping, offer the other breast.
• If still hungry, your baby will latch on, suck, and swallow.
• Begin the next feeding on the breast you didn’t use at the last feeding, or the one you finished last.
• There is no set amount of time for how long your baby should feed at your breast. In the early days it may seem as though it takes a very long time to feed your baby.
• Some babies feed very often at first – as much as every one to two hours, from the start of one feed to the start of the next – and then go for longer periods between feedings. This cluster feeding is normal.
• It is normal to feed eight or more times in 24 hours. This will usually decrease once breastfeeding is well established. When babies go through a growth spurt, they may want to nurse more often for a couple of days to increase the milk supply.
• For the first 24 hours, your breasts will feel soft. After 2‑3 days, they may feel soft or full. After 2‑5 days, your breast will feel full at the start of a feeding and soft after a feeding. After several weeks, it is normal to have soft breasts all the time of feeding and still have lots of milk.
• Ask for help if you are having difficulty or feedings take longer than an hour. Call your public health office, midwife, or community or hospital breastfeeding clinic.
• After your milk supply is well established, the feedings will be shorter.

If you are worried that your baby isn’t getting enough milk, remember that the size of your baby’s stomach is very small.

Baby’s Stomach Size up to Day 10