Syracuse Parent and CNY Family

Dr. Monica Jones is a pediatrician with Syracuse Pediatrics. Reach her at www.syracusepediatrics.com. To send a health-related question to the doctor, write to editor@syracuseparent.net

Breastfeeding schedule varies with growth
Posted on Fri, July 11th, 2008
Written by: Monica Jones, MD, Pediatrician/Syracuse Pediatrics
email: editor@syracuseparent.net

Dr. Jones, My 6 week old suddenly doesn’t seem to nurse very well. She does wake up more often during the night to eat but then hardly eats anything (so it seems). She eats for five or ten minutes at the most then acts done. She isn’t unusually fussy or anything but I’m pretty worried about it. Does this sound normal, or is there something I should do?
From the moment you tell people you are pregnant, everyone asks you if you are going to breastfeed. You hear it from your family. You hear it from your obstetrician. You hear it from your baby’s doctor. Without a doubt breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for your baby. It does have its challenges. Many women see images on television of baby’s being born and instantly starting to nurse. The reality is that learning how to breastfeed a baby takes time. Both Mom and baby need to learn what to do. It usually takes about 2 weeks to settle into a routine and then it truly becomes as easy as the images seen in the media.
Sometimes there are bumps in the road when babies don’t seem to want to nurse as much or change the way they’ve been feeding. One of our Moms recently asked about her 6 week old infant who is waking up more often to eat but then only nurses for 5-10 minutes. Lots of things can cause this kind of behavior. At 6 weeks, most babies are going through a growth spurt, which can change the pattern of their feedings. They may suddenly nurse more often than usual. This allows Mom’s body to increase the amount of milk she makes to feed the baby. This increase in feeding shouldn’t last for more than 1-2 days.
As I mentioned above, breastfeeding is something that both Mom and baby have to learn how to do. Often as babies get older, they become more efficient at nursing and can get the same amount of milk in a shorter amount of time. So what may have taken them 10-15 minutes to do before, suddenly only takes 5-10 minutes. As long as your baby is peeing, pooping and gaining weight – don’t worry. If you are still worried, of course, call your pediatrician.

Dr. Monica Jones is a pediatrician with Syracuse Pediatrics. Reach her at www.syracusepediatrics.com. To send a health-related question to the doctor, write to editor@syracuseparent.net