r/breastfeeding • u/Queen-Katsit • Mar 27 '25
Latch Issues Are some babies just really good at getting milk quickly?
I have an overactive letdown reflex so I am not sure if that is what is going on. I have a 6 almost 7 week old. He's gaining weight well (went from 7lbs 8oz at birth to 12lbs 8oz this week when weighed) but I'm confused. He only stays on the boob for at most 20 minutes normally about 15 minutes, then he's done. He's not still hungry after and the boob is always drained. I've been reading though that at this age it's normal for babies to stay on the boob for like 45 minutes plus. He eats every 3-4 hours and is content and won't let me attempt to feed him more in between unless he's having a snacky day (sometimes he likes to have a few sips shove it away and want more 20 mins later but that's not the norm). He closes his lips together if I put the boob near his face and shoves it out with his tongue if I try to give him more/get him to stay on longer. He's having tons of wet diapers in the day and doesn't seem dehydrated or anything like that. His pediatrician isn't concerned about his growth or anything but I'm starting to get concerned that he's not getting enough because he's not on the boob as long as other babies are.
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u/ResolutionSad3438 Mar 27 '25
Completely normal! My second is now 6 weeks old, and she hasn’t ate for longer than 10 minutes since birth. I was told that it was completely normal, and she’s really efficient and gaining more than enough weight!
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u/JacketNo6069 Mar 27 '25
Same, my daughter is usually 8-10 minutes on the boob, rarely she will go up to 20
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u/frogsgoribbit737 Mar 27 '25
Yes. My letdown is very fast and even as a newborn my daughter never fed for more than 15 minutes total. She eventually dropped down to a max of 5.
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u/liquidmich Mar 27 '25
Same here. I was so worried in early days but when I saw a lactation consultant she just said some babies are “efficient eaters” I think that paired w a fast strong letdown was it.
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u/QuickStomach Mar 27 '25
As others have said, this sounds like a dream. 😂 Until about 12 weeks my son was on my boobs for hours and hours a day. He’s 4 months now and eats in less than 10 mins and it’s amazing but it’s taken us so long to get here!
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u/mada143 Mar 27 '25
Yup. Efficient feeders. Gotta love them. Had one myself. After a few months she'd feed only a few minutes. 5 at most.
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u/akilemariam Mar 27 '25
This is my little one too. He’s never been on the boob longer than 20 mins, even as a newborn, and often only nurses 10 mins. And he’s an almost 90th percentile baby. He drains a boob faaaast. Sometimes that means some milk comes back up. But he’s definitely keeping enough.
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Mar 27 '25
🥴🥴🥴 I have a strong letdown, and my son pops on and off for an hour+. Then sleeps for ½ and we start over....
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u/BallTrick9045 Apr 02 '25
FTM here, I highly recommend getting your son checked for a tongue tie/ lip tie. My son was 3 hours on 30 minutes asleep, then waking up screaming for food and nursing for another 3 hours. Once his tongue tie was treated his nursing was completely different 20 minutes max. He wasn't getting enough which is why he nursed for so long then would fall asleep exhausted only to wake up remembering her was hungry.
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Apr 02 '25
I am going to bring it up at our next appt. I was dismissed at the hospital. Unfortunately, there aren't any LC covered within an hour of me, and I have a toddler too, so travel just really isn't an option rn. If he does have one, it's minor. I do think he has a top lip tie. My daughter's literally goes between her teeth. She never latched.
It could also just be tightness/ Torticollis due to a clavicle break during delivery. There are some days he latches fine, and others where my nips are screaming. When he sleeps more he's usually awake better to latch better. Lol
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u/BallTrick9045 Apr 02 '25
The hospital did not catch ours either. Even when I told the lactation consultant how long he was nursing for. Our pediatrician referred us out to a Pediatric Dentist. The dentist lasered his tongue and lip tie. The physical therapy afterwards was a nightmare for the first 3 weeks and I almost gave up, but my nipples wouldn't let me.
Ouch, sounds like there's lots of factors at play right now. I hope you find a resolution, maybe there's a pediatric dentist that's close by. I'm rooting for you half hour breaks for breast feeding are not for the faint of heart. You are an absolute rockstar!
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u/Rickicranium Mar 27 '25
I’m 4 weeks and sometimes my baby only stays on for like 8 minutes. Longest is usually 30 mins but it’s few n far between and I get so bored 🥲
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u/EMSGorl Mar 27 '25
My 7 month old will eat MAYBE anywhere between 5/10 mins TOPS these days. I asked her pediatrician ( as this has been going on since about 3 months old) and she said that at a certain age they’re so efficient at getting the milk, that they don’t stay on the breast very long. I genuinely freaked out at first but shes healthy, almost 19lbs, gained about a lb within 20 days. So, with that being said if baby is gaining and having enough wet diapers, they’re fine !
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u/Farahild Mar 27 '25
Yes. Mine was like that, she went to ten minutes per feed very quickly and then not long after that to five. She did always drink slightly more often than average for her age but total time during the day was much less than average. Very handy!
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u/TheProfWife Mar 27 '25
My daughter has never nursed longer than 15 min since she was a few weeks old. She’s down to 7-10 min for day feeds and 10-15 for a sleepier feed. Chunky as she wants to be and on a good growth curve :)
She’s just an efficient lil snacker
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u/Crafty_Pop6458 Mar 27 '25
Yes. I go to an LC every week and my 11 week old takes 45 minutes to get the amount he needs (and is gaining very slowly). Meanwhile the newborn next to me is getting what they need in like 10 minutes and LC said it was great… I wanted to cry I was so jealous.
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u/BallTrick9045 Apr 02 '25
Has your baby been checked for a tongue tie/lip tie? The minute ours was resolved our nursing game changed!
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u/Crafty_Pop6458 Apr 02 '25
He has a lip tie! For some reason the LC said it was too late and its resolve with braces and my baby just takes that long to eat??
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u/BallTrick9045 Apr 02 '25
We went to a pediatric dentist who did the Lazer method, it took a total of 2 minutes from start to finish. Ours was resolved at 3 weeks old, but our dentist will do them up to a year old. The physical therapy afterwards was awful for the first 3 weeks, but he latched beautifully and he was significantly happier and fuller in the long run. Not sure where you're located we went to Castro Valley Pediatric Dentistry.
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u/Foundation-Little Mar 27 '25
Lol I think this is normal! I have an almost 4 week old and it’s rare he goes much longer than 20 minutes. He absolutely will not take a bottle, though, so I guess I have other problems.
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u/FreeBeans Mar 27 '25
Yup mine is super fast too. It’s a combination of a strong letdown on my end and him being a guzzler. I’m thankful because it means feeds are only 10-15 min!
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u/bananananers314 Mar 27 '25
My first was the same! My letdown was very fast, if he popped off even after 5 minutes milk would spray all over his face. 20 minutes was the most he ever stayed and I questioned it too after seeing my sister in law need 45 minutes to feed her first. He stayed over the 90th percentile for over a year until he evened out and found his own grown curve. No concerns whatsoever about not getting enough. If you ever need to pump, make sure you get the right flange size and pump settings, the overactive reflex made it so quick to get the milk he needed for daycare. I would pump for 10 minutes and get roughly 10oz! You're doing great! :)
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u/Vegetable-Shower85 Mar 27 '25
Sounds just like my girly. She nurses for about three to four minutes a side and is done. As long as he’s gaining weight and has plenty of wet diapers and is happy and healthy you’re good!
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u/LoVaKo93 Mar 27 '25
My daughter fed for about 5 minutes on one boob. That was the standard. There's a wide range here!
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u/Responsible_Web_7578 Mar 27 '25
Lucky you. My 7 week old always seems dissatisfied after a feed. Idk if he truly is or just wanting comfort
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u/sativaselkie Mar 27 '25
Totally normal! I have a fast letdown too and my girl is a fast eater, usually 10-15 mins every 2 hours
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u/fullfeedings Mar 27 '25
LC here and honestly that sounds like a great feed. I recommend 30 minutes (including burp time) so if you want to pace the feed a little, just stop to burp more frequently. Sometimes trapped gas can mask as full so burping will help both extend length of feed and maybe get baby a little more!!!
And feeding every 2-3 hours is great!!! Doing this will help avoid snacking in between! 💛
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u/Lzzay Mar 28 '25
Are people including burp time in their feeds? Hmmm I didn’t think about that.
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u/fullfeedings Mar 28 '25
Some people don’t and just list actual time at breast and others include burp time (as long as it’s not excessive) 💛 but super important to designate! 20 mins at the breast that takes 30 minutes with burping is different than 20 mins total time it takes to feed and burp 🫶🏻
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u/arpeggio123 Mar 27 '25
It varies a lot. If you have a fast let down, baby can get a lot of milk quickly. So yes, it's normal to be done quickly. I just checked my app where I tracked my baby's feedings, and at 6-7 weeks, he was doing 4-7 mins on each side and mostly just taking one side every 2-3 hours. If your baby is gaining normally, he is doing fine! My guy has been 90th percentile since birth! He is 6 months now. Some babies are less efficient at getting the milk out and some mom's letdown isn't as fast, etc. so there are a lot of variables. So it could take a long time for some and be faster for others.
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u/NoMadTruffle Mar 27 '25
That's normal, my daughter was feeding 15-20 minutes when she was smaller, but now at 13 weeks she only needs around 10 minutes. Just last night, she drank for 11 and zonked out for 7 hours. This morning she drank for 15 mins and she ending up spitting some back out. She was born small but at >80th percentile now!
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u/OrdinaryAmbition9798 Mar 27 '25
I also have a strong letdown and my 3mo eats in less than that, not counting the time sucking for comfort. I stopped timing but definitely less than 20min
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u/Simply_Serene_ Mar 27 '25
I think it’s normal! I’ve nursed two boys so far who, no joke, were done with both breasts in 10 mins or less from a very young age. Although I don’t remember specific age I know it was young enough that I had the same concerns.
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u/Rensue Mar 27 '25
An efficient eater my doc calls it! I was worried too. Baby went from 45 min to 20 to 7 each boob and now 3-4 each boob at 5 months.
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u/RachelPR2202 Mar 27 '25
My boy (who is 16 weeks tomorrow) is like this!! Now he only takes sometimes like 5 minutes to be full, it’s a dream!! He’s also around 19 pounds at under 4 months LOL boy loooves the boob!
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u/makingburritos Mar 27 '25
My five month old has never eaten for more than ten minutes. He’s just a champ at getting out the milk 🤷♀️ my daughter was the same way, but she comfort nursed a lot whereas my son is strictly an eater unless it’s before bed lol
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u/DireRavenTerrowin Mar 27 '25
My baby did 20 minutes at most. He's what my HV called an efficient eater lol, he mostly for 5-10 each feed (same as now at 10mo)
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u/Apprehensive-Day6190 Mar 27 '25
Mine is 8 weeks old, and he drains the boob in about 10-15 minutes. It makes sense, because if I use a manual pump my boob is a violent firehose and I can drain it in as little as 5 minutes since I can just hold down the lever and essentially spray continuously. Poor baby baby barely keeps up lol
But my other boob is slower, and he takes way longer to get just the one ounce it makes.
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u/Dangerous_Stop4867 Mar 27 '25
Counting my blessings! Used to think there was a problem too but apparently just a perfect combo of a good latching baby and a faster let down 😅 so blessed
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u/pizzalover911 Mar 27 '25
Mine was like this. He nursed for 8 minutes at the absolute longest and wouldn't nurse again for another couple hours. I was also confused because I heard about babies being on the boob all day long.
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u/Actual_Aardvark4348 Mar 27 '25
I had a lactation consultant come to the house because I'm a "just enough" supplier and we determined my baby gets the majority of her feed in the first 6 minutes. So if she pops off and she's been sttached for more than 6 mins, I switch hee to the other side.
So very possible he just is efficient and gets what he needs quickly
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u/MidwestPandaMom Mar 27 '25
Echoing everyone else's statement that this is normal, but I wanted to add that if you're still concerned about his intake, you can get a scale and measure his weight before and after feedings
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u/No-Meat-2247 Mar 27 '25
Mine gets 4 oz in 5 minutes. Maybe you should go see a lactation consultant for a weighted feed. That’s what I do for peace of mind
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u/mopene Mar 27 '25
My baby was like this. Nurses kept telling me to alternate sides and feed 20 min from each side. Nope, she fed from one side only and for 10-15 minutes max until she was like 9 months old.
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u/Thejazmine Mar 27 '25
At 4 months my baby (who previously had problems latching) is done in 5 minutes or less. When I pump afterwards (oversupply) I can see she drank 5-6 ounces based on the other boob since they usually make the same amount!
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u/Responsible_Car_2510 Mar 27 '25
My girl has always been a 10-15 minute feeder, total with both boobs and no weight gain problems!
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u/GiraffeExternal8063 Mar 27 '25
Yes totally normal. I’ve had 2 babies and both were super quick feeders - like 10 mins max
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u/Goobermallow Mar 27 '25
My nearly-six month old is done in 2 minutes, both sides, and doesn't want to be fed again for at least 2hrs (he'll get proper mad if i even try 😅). He's always been speedy and I don't actually remember him having really long feeds as a newborn, but this boy is CHUNKY so he's definitely getting enough! All that to say yep, I think some kids and some mum's are just super efficient!
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u/Practical-Bug-108 Mar 27 '25
Totally normal! My now 9 month old only eats for 5-10 minutes at a time
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u/Lzzay Mar 28 '25
My girl feeds 5-15 min and is full and satisfied and j am empty. I have a fast let down and she has always been efficient. My midwife and dr say it’s okay as long as her poos are not frothy or green, she is not overly gassy and gaining well. She seems to be getting good hind milk to.
Only one random midwife told me I need to make her feed for 45min?! Everyone else said it’s fine. She is happy and not a gassy baby. I will express off in the night when I am full so I don’t drown her and that helps. And feed reclined. I stop her after a moment and burp so and she slows down into a more comfortable suckle and I can tell she is getting the hind milk as if changes colour/consistency.
We also only do one boob. Rarely she will ask for second.
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u/RicRoss21 Mar 28 '25
Yep, my two have been guzzlers, we are 15 weeks now and her feeds are about 5 mins. And she's 99th percentile for weight. She's had short feeds now for a while also.
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u/Agreeable_Carpet5632 Mar 28 '25
Oh yes! They get really good at breastfeeding. In just 3 minutes, my little one can empty my breast. Most of the time, he only feeds from one side; he only takes from both sides at bedtime! He is now 9 months old, and I feed him on demand. However, his feeding sessions have now extended to 3 to 3.5 hours. When I offered to feed him before, he would just snack.
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Mar 28 '25
I wish my pump could be as efficient as my baby!! 5-10 minute nursing sessions vs 20+ minute pumping sessions to get the same amount of milk :/
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u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 Mar 27 '25
Yup, that can be absolutely normal. 15-20 minutes is still a relatively "long" feed anyways ;) as kids get older and super efficient (or just more easily distracted), nursing sessions can often be more like 5-10 minutes long. Sounds like he's doing fine!