When do they stop nursing like there's no tomorrow?

[smallestangel]

Hi

Jacob is now one month old and nurses about every 2 1/2 hours and each nursing session lasts at least 20 minutes. (Although he just went through what must have been quite a growth spurt, because he spent the past two days nursing EVERY hour on the hour, whew!).

Relatively speaking, when do they slow down and start going longer in between feedings? How about the length of each feeding, when does that begin to change?


Thanks

Amanda and Jacob :)

[pritchettzoo]

They'll get more efficient at nursing (around 3 mos or so?), but the time between feedings will just depend on your baby. DD's almost 7 months and she still nurses every 2-2.5 hours during the day.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[HallsofVA]

My son nursed every hour during the day (and just slightly longer at night) from about 2 1/2 weeks until 5 weeks. At 5 weeks, both my ped. and LC said I really needed to stretch him to at least every 1 1/2 hours, and 2 would be better. At six weeks, they said to try stretching him to every 2 - 3 hours (once he got past the 6 week growth spurt). It took awhile, but now at three months, he's been pretty regular at every 2 1/2 - 3 hours during the day, and 6-9 hours at night.

It does get better! When he was eating every hour, I also had an injured nipple and had to nurse from just one side (and pump on the other.) All his nursing made them both sore! (And his mother dread nursing for a while)

[lizajane]

in my experience (for myself and for the 11 nursing moms in my playgroup) at around 3 months, the babes starting nursing every 3-4 hours, with each session lasting less than 10 minutes. i don't actually personally know anyone whose baby ate more often than every 3 hours after 3 or 4 months old. and most of my friends nursed no more than once or twice at night (between 10pm and 5am) after 3 or 4 months. most of us nursed one time or fewer between those hours.