Duration of feeds

Don’t worry about timing your baby’s feeds. Like adults, babies may take different amounts of food at different times of the day. The volume of milk is higher in the early morning feeds and lower at night. The emptier the breast the higher the fat content. This is the rationale for baby’s feeding frequently later in the day to satisfy them for longer at night. 

• allow your baby to suckle until satisfied at the first breast. When your baby starts playing at the breast you can offer the other breast 
• if your baby does not want any more milk do not persist. Always start with the other breast at the next feed 
• if baby falls asleep in the middle of a feed, changing their nappy, taking off a layer of their clothing or stroking them may wake them enough to finish the feed 
• it is normal and very common for two-day-old babies to be very hungry and wakeful and feed constantly in short bursts 
• when the weather is hot you may find your baby wants to feed more often, your milk is all they need to keep them hydrated and quench their thirst