You are here:
- Home
- Parenting/Family
- Pregnancy/Birth
- Breastfeeding
- Number of breastfeeds per day
Breastfeeding/Number of breastfeeds per day
Advertisement
Question
I would like to know how many times I should breastfeed in one day. My son is 10 weeks old and is sleeping through, ie. feeding at 10.30pm and then 7am. I would like to keep this routine but am worried my milk supply will decrease. The first time he slept through my breast were very firm, tight and sore. The next two times they have been less firm, but when I feed him at the 7am feed he is taking one full breast and most of the other. At the moment I am feeding him 5 times a day - 7am, 11am, 2.30pm, 6.15pm and 10.30pm approx. He seems totally happy and gaining weight, I just don't want to jeapordise my supply. The Australian Breastfeeding Association advised a minimum of 6 feeds per day, however they also don't like routine... please help....
Dear Katrina,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!
Many moms would envy your being able to get a full night's sleep, since your son sleeps through the night! So enjoy your sleep and enjoy your baby -- your schedule of five to seven feedings a day sounds fine. You should be able to maintain your good supply of milk at this level for a while.
Just remember that babies change. As your son grows older, he will probably want to nurse less often. Also, though, at some point he may go through a growth spurt, when he will want to nurse more frequently, and that will be okay too. A good rule of thumb is to let the baby determine the schedule, when that works out for you. I give more details about the timing of feedings and other breastfeeding issues in my book (see below).
Good luck!
Sally
Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Sally Wendkos Olds
Expertise
What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience
I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.