How often should you breastfeed and for how long?

Breastfeeding a small baby is an all-day job in the beginning – but often a rather enjoyable one once you get the right technique. It’s wise not to schedule too much into your diary at first because a newborn baby eats almost all the time. Suddenly, the whole day has gone by and it can feel like you’ve barely gotten off the sofa once, let alone out of your pyjamas.

How long should you breastfeed for each time?

There is no real answer as to how long babies want to stay on the breast as it is very individual. Some eat quickly, others want to stay on the breast longer and perhaps sleep for a while in the middle of their meal. This means that breastfeeding can take anywhere from a few minutes to over half an hour, and in the early days of breastfeeding it often takes longer than that. Now is the time to abandon the idea of timing to the minute, instead try to let breastfeeding take its time and let your baby set the pace. Stopping breastfeeding abruptly and before the baby is ready also increases the risk of engorgement.

How often should you breastfeed?

During the first two months, many newborns want to eat around 12 times a day – sometimes much more and sometimes less. How long they go between meals can also vary throughout the day, and from baby to baby of course. However, for many, the intervals between meals may be a little longer in the morning and early afternoon. Towards the end of the afternoon and evening, many babies want to eat constantly – and even get hungry several times during the night. Breast milk is easily digestible and it is common for babies who are breastfed to want to eat more often than those on formula. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to how often a baby wants to eat is to offer constant access to the breast on hot summer days as small babies have small reserves and can become dehydrated very quickly.

As a parent, you may wonder whether your baby is getting enough food, but rest assured that your baby’s own weight curve will be closely monitored by a healthcare professional. If the weight curve progresses as it should, you can assume that your baby is getting all the food it needs. Between visits, you can also check your child’s food intake by checking that they are peeing regularly. As a rule, you should change about six wet nappies per day, and if the nappy has a wetness indicator, you can easily see if it has changed colour and is ready to be changed. During the first week, you can also keep track of your baby’s nutrient intake by watching the poo change in colour and character, from sticky dark poo to a golden colour.

If your baby has developed a runny nose, it’s good to know that babies with a cold may find it harder to breastfeed, so you need to make sure you clean their nose properly before feeding. Doing so usually results in a more comfortable mealtime.

When your baby wants to breastfeed all the time

After a while, you often feel like you’ve got a handle on your baby’s routine and how often they want to eat. You should know that this can suddenly change and your baby might want to breastfeed all the time – and be nowhere else than at the breast. It may be that your baby is entering a growth spurt and therefore needs more food. The beauty of breast milk is that production is stimulated by the baby feeding, so the more the baby feeds, the more there is. It’s good to let your baby breastfeed until they let go of the breast on their own because the highest fat milk, which gives the best feeling of fullness, is the milk that comes after a period of breastfeeding.
Most babies wake up during the night and want to feed, especially during periods when their little bodies are growing. Each baby’s preferences are very different; some think it’s important to eat at night for a long time, while others are fine with skipping food at night.

Difficulty focusing on food

As your baby grows and develops, there may be times when the calm, cosy breastfeeding time becomes a struggle to keep your baby focused on the breast. Suddenly everything else going on in the room is more exciting than eating and the baby drops the breast every time someone talks or a light is switched on. One suggestion is to try to keep eye contact with the baby and talk in a calm voice about what is happening, the little one will probably still drop the breast to double check – but it’s worth a try.

One or both breasts?

Once you get the hang of breastfeeding, one breast per meal is often enough. If your baby doesn’t seem satisfied and it feels like the breast is empty, you can of course continue on to the next breast, giving as much as your baby wants to eat. It's also good to remember which breast you finished on so you can start with the next one – though you don’t have to worry about your potentially foggy breastfeeding brain remembering right or left – it’s usually not that hard to figure out, as breasts full of milk rarely go unnoticed.

How long should you breastfeed for?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends full breastfeeding until the baby is six months old, except for the occasional taste of food, which can be given from the age of four months. But it is also good to know that these are global recommendations, as in some countries where there is a lack of clean water and food, for example, breastfeeding can be a matter of life or death. So how long you want to and can breastfeed your baby is an individual decision, and no one should be questioned about their choice of breastfeeding, whether it is for a long period, a short period or not at all.

When your baby reaches around six months old, breastfeeding can no longer provide all the necessary nutrients to your baby and the baby needs to supplement breast milk with other foods. Many people continue to breastfeed for a while after that, and as long as mum and baby are happy, you can continue to breastfeed for as long as you feel comfortable. It’s then quite common for breastfeeding to gradually decrease until eventually both mother and baby are ready to stop. But sometimes one of you may want to stop more than the other, and for those of you who are struggling, we’ve put together some tips to make stopping breastfeeding easier.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.