World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Decode How Often Mothers Should Breastfeed Their Babies

Mother's breast milk is a great source of essential nutrients, antibodies, and enzymes crucial for the optimal growth, development, and protection against infections for infants in their early stages of life. It offers just the right balance of nutrients tailored to a baby's needs, promoting overall health and a strong immune system. But how many times should a mother breastfeed their babies to keep them satiated and healthy? Speaking with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Seema Jain, Director-Obstetrics And Gynaecology, Robotic Surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, shares the answer. 

Benefits Of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the only source of nutrition for babies up to 6 months of age, says the World Health Organization (WHO), suggesting that only about 44% of infants 0–6 months old are exclusively breastfed. It is an important source of energy and nutrients during illness, and reduces mortality among children who are malnourished.

Also Read: World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Know If Leaking Breasts Are Normal; What You Can Do About Them

Globally, undernutrition is linked to 45% of child deaths. The WHO data notes that more than 8.2 lakh children's lives could be saved every year given that all children 0–23 months were optimally breastfed.  

How Often Should Mothers Breastfeed babies

“Ideally, a 'Demand and Feeding Schedule' is recommended for breastfeeding,” says Dr Jain, adding, “There are no strict rules for breastfeeding, but on average, most exclusively breastfed babies tend to feed every 2-4 hours.”

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a baby may want to be fed as often as every 1 to 3 hours, suggesting that it can help increase milk supply and give babies practice at sucking and swallowing.

Dr Jain says, “For newborns, it's essential to breastfeed 8-12 times per day during the first month. As newborns grow older, their nursing frequency will decrease. It is not advisable for newborns to go without feeding for more than approximately 4 hours, even during the night,” further highlighting that during feeding sessions, newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or even longer on one or both breasts.”

The CDC says how often your baby feeds might change depending on the time of day. 

"Some feeding sessions may be long, and others short. That is okay. Babies will generally take what they need at each feeding and stop eating when they are full. They should seem content and drowsy after feeding when they have had enough milk," the US Health Body adds. 

Also Read: World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Expert Lists Tips To Ensure Personal Hygiene During Breastfeeding

Signs Of Overfeeding

Here are the signs that tell you you’re overfeeding your baby:

• Continuous spitting up or vomiting after feeding
• A bloated or distended abdomen
• Excessive crying due to colic or abdominal cramps
• Being fussy, irritated, or crying constantly after eating
• Choking during feeds
• Difficulty burping after feeding
• Sleep problems and restlessness
• Frequent passing of loose stools or diarrhoea

It is likely to misread cues or misinterpret a crying or waking as hunger in infants. However, take into account the last time you breastfeed your child and go with your instincts. 

Conclusion

Breastfeeding is an important part of parenting and mothers should ensure their newborns are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Post-six months, they can continue to breastfeed, but can also introduce other soft foods and drinks.