I have been fascinated by the discussion on what is *normal* when it comes
to frequency of breastfeeding. Diane Wiesinger pointed out that her babies
would have starved if she had adhered to a 2 hourly schedule, and that is
considered on the low end of the bell-curve in most Western societies.
Here is another thought to consider: do babies REALLY nurse for 10 (or 15 or
20) minutes on each side every 2 (or 3) hours?
Looking back to my own babies (now 18, 22, and 24, and yes they have
weaned!), it seems to me that they actually NURSED for short bursts of time,
with frequent pauses, several times an hour. I think that this could most
acurately be described as mini-cluster feedings. However, in my own mind,
perhaps because of cultural expectations, I would tell people that they
nursed *every couple of hours.* This was both true and untrue. Yes, there
was usually at least on longish gap between the end of one particular
feeding and the next, but it never lasted anywhere near as long as even one
hour. (Yes, I know we time feedings from the beginning of one to the
beginning of another.)
I have rarely seen a baby nurse CONTINUOUSLY for more than 5 or 10 minutes
at most, and I have been helping mothers breastfeed for 23 years. I am not
saying it doesn't ever happen. Only last week I saw the mother of an 8 month
old baby girl who would only nurse for a maximum of 10 minutes straight
every 4-5 hours during the day, and not at all for a 12 hour stretch at
night. The baby was healthy, happy, bouncing, but the mother was struggling
with plugged ducts, mastitis and oversupply. This nursing duo was one of the
few exceptions that I have seen.
Next time you observe a mother nurse her baby, see if you can *clock* how
many times the baby *comes up for air* during the feeding. You may be
surprised!
Norma Ritter, IBCLC
in private practice in Big Flats NY, where the daffodils, forsythia and
dandelions are all blooming.
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