Most babies nurse for about 15 minutes or longer on both breasts every 2-3 hours.
Some babies nurse for 15 minutes on one breast and seem uninterested in the second breast.
Some babies nurse for less than 10 minutes on one or both breasts. Let’s call this baby a “quick nurser.”
Quick nursers may be getting enough milk, especially if you have a fast let down.
Some babies that nurse for less than 10 minutes may need to nurse longer.
If you have a quick nurser, there are some behaviors and habits that you may try to use to encourage the quick nurser to stay a little longer.
Before you nurse, prepare yourself to be sitting with the baby for up to 30 minutes, even if you have a quick nurser. That means you should have everything you might need: water, a snack, your nursing pillow, your phone.
Settle your body. Don’t assume nursing will be quick so you’ll be hopping right back up once baby pops off. Your body should signal to the baby that it’s time to relax and settle in.
Minimize distractions. Consider staying off your phone, turn off the tv, perhaps find a room with the least commotion.
Check the time before you begin nursing. Plan to spend a minimum of 15 minutes with your boob out and available to the baby. When your baby pops off in less than 10 minutes, keep your body calm and still. Don’t automatically pull the baby up to burp or put your boob away. Tell your baby “you can have more if you want it.” Leave your nipple close to your baby’s face. If you sense your baby needs a burp, burp the baby then return them to their original nursing position. Hang out calmly near the breast until you reach a full 15 minutes from when you began.
Offer the second breast, even if your baby doesn’t usually take both breasts. Settle into the second side, keeping the nipple touching the baby’s face so they know it is there. Ask the baby “do you want more?” Keep your body calm and settled and simply wait to see if the baby reaches to latch. Stay there for at least 5 minutes while your baby contemplates eating more.
Experiment with this same strategy in a side lying position. Sometimes when the baby is a little more comfy and snuggled in, they will hang around and nurse for a little longer.
For a quick nurser, the goal is to not anticipate that they will always be quick. You may not realize you are automatically putting your boob away at your baby’s first pop off. You may find that if you give your baby a little more time, they will give you a little more nursing.
