Is it possible to breastfeed too often

Baby is content. But when baby shows hunger cues after only 40 minutes instead of the hoped for 1 hr 30 minutes, their heart sinks and they feel a sense something is fundamentally wrong. Doubts creep in. As adults, we grab a cup of tea, a glass of water, a sweet, a snack. Many go to bed with a glass of water or sip from a bottle throughout the day. But yet we expect teeny growing babies to be governed by this artificial notion of time. Where do these ideas come from? They seem to come from a fundamental misunderstanding of the science of breastfeeding and breastmilk production.

Often they come from midth century ideas based around the norms of formula-feeding and pseudo-science. So what is normal?

Well, how long have you got? A newborn should feed a minimum of times in 24 hours. That means some might be going every 3 hours and others will be feeding more frequently than 2 hourly.

Some babies may feed every 10 minutes every hour. Some may feed for 10 minutes every 2 hours. Some may feed for 40 minutes every 2 hours. For periods in the day, a younger baby will often cluster feed and not be happy away from the breast for any longer than a few minutes at a time. This natural cluster feeding may dominate an evening. The only thing that seems to settle him is the breast. And soon their patterns will change again.

Some babies will start to longer intervals in the day as the months go by. But not all will. One of the most popular babycare books which I better not name gives a strong direction that while frequent feeding might be occasionally acceptable during growth spurts, this holy cow of the interval between feeds matters greatly.

This same writer believes a woman can measure her milk supply by doing a yield test and using a pump to extract milk which apparently will be the equivalent amount to what her baby extracts during a feed using an entirely different process. And I know from having spent time on the message boards associated with this writer, many mothers will end up supplementing with formula to try and reach these magic numbers of minutes. Babies are no longer being exclusively breastfed and parents are not following Department of Health recommendations because of incorrect information in a baby care book.

There are parents who choose to use formula for a whole host of complex reasons. Some do so happily and some do so miserably. But to do so, merely because you have read a lie in a book, seems tragic to me. Our knowledge about breasts has been transformed over the last 20 years.

We used to think most women had a pretty similar number of milk ducts but the ultrasound research revealed there were less than previously thought and the range was big. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5—10 minutes on each side.

Alternate breasts and try to give each one the same amount of nursing time throughout the day. This helps to keep up your milk supply in both breasts and prevents painful engorgement when your breasts overfill with milk. You may switch breasts in the middle of each feeding and then alternate which breast you offer first for each feeding.

Can't remember where your baby last nursed? It can help to attach a reminder — like a safety pin or small ribbon — to your bra strap so you'll know which breast your baby last nursed on. Then, start with that breast at the next feeding. Or, keep a notebook handy or use a breastfeeding app to keep track of how your baby feeds. Your baby may like switching breasts at each feeding or prefer to nurse just on one side. If so, then offer the other breast at the next feeding. Do whatever works best and is the most comfortable for you and your baby.

After your baby finishes on one side, try burping before switching breasts. Sometimes, the movement alone can be enough to cause a baby to burp. If your baby spits up a lot, try burping more often. While it's normal for infants to "spit up" a small amount after eating or during burping, a baby should not vomit after feeding.

If your baby throws up all or most of a feeding, there could be a problem that needs medical care. If you're worried that your baby is spitting up too much, call your doctor. Is it possible to be breastfeeding too frequently?

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