The amount of time it takes to empty both breasts can vary but is generally approximately 10 to 15 minutes after "let-down" (see 'Let-down' below).
There's no test or way to know for sure. In general, though, if you gently shake your breasts and they feel mostly soft and you don't feel the heaviness of milk sitting in them, you're probably fine. One thing that does NOT mean your breasts are empty: the milk stops spraying when you pump.
Older babies may take five to 10 minutes or less on each side, but again – it varies. Be sure to alternate breasts so that they get roughly the same amount of nursing time. This helps keep milk production steady on both sides. Tip: Start on the opposite breast each time to make sure each breast gets fully drained.
Breasts can never be empty until after the baby is fully weaned off breastfeeding. Fact: Babies don't take all of the available milk during nursing. Using ultrasound, science has determined that babies take about 65% of the available milk in the breast during a feeding session.
But if you take steps to treat the engorgement, usually it will be gone within maybe 24 to 48 hours, at least the worst part of it. So what does treating engorgement mean? It's a couple of very simple steps. The first one is really to try to empty the breasts completely.
Mild engorgement doesn't need more than the comfort measures above. But if milk builds up in your breasts too much for too long, milk production can shut down partially or completely for this baby. Too-much-too-long engorgement can also lead to a breast infection.
Breast engorgement is when your breasts are hard, painful and swollen because they're overly full of breast milk. It's most common after you give birth, but it can occur as long as you produce breast milk. There are things you can do to relieve the pain. If left untreated, your breasts can become infected.
Try not to go longer than about six hours without pumping if baby is eating during that time. That means, don't skip more than one breastfeeding without pumping. Note: If baby is sleeping longer stretches at night, you should be sleeping those stretches, too.
There are two main reasons that pumping can take a long time. For some people, it can be difficult to trigger the letdown reflex, which releases the milk from your breasts. Others may be able to get a letdown, but then find that they have slow milk flow when pumping.
Watch your baby! If your baby is awake and swallowing at the breast, there is no reason to switch sides. If your baby's swallowing has slowed, they have started to fall asleep, and/or they seem frustrated at the breast, it's time to switch sides.
There's no need to wait between feedings for the breasts to refill—in fact, a long wait between feedings tells the breasts that the baby needs less milk and production slows down.
A newborn should be put to the breast at least every 2 to 3 hours and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. But rather than worry about duration, it's important to know that the best way to ensure that the baby is getting enough breast milk is by feeding frequency, wet and dirty diapers, and weight gain.
Babies who are feeding well can take anywhere between five minutes and 40 minutes at each feed. Another guide to how well your baby is feeding is what comes out! So plenty of wet and soiled nappies are a good sign. From about a week old, a healthy, well-fed baby is likely to be producing six or more wet nappies a day.
Your breasts feel softer
This is completely normal and has no effect on your milk supply. Breast fullness may return for a short while if: your baby's feeding routine changes. you or your baby becomes unwell.
Sometimes a baby may still be hungry because he wasn't attached properly to your breast, so he didn't get a full feed. In that case, your nipples will probably hurt a lot too and may look squashed. If you have any worries about feeding your baby, please don't struggle alone.
However, if you are following the schedule and no milk is coming, keep going. This is an essential step in signaling to your body to create more milk. While some breastfeeding parents see a difference in just a day or two, you may find it takes several days or a week to see a significant increase in breast milk supply.
If the breasts do not get emptied completely or often enough, the body begins to produce less milk. Some mothers say the milk never stops flowing while they pump. Typically, you should not pump longer than 30 minutes, even if the milk is still flowing.
Too much pumping can cause problems for nursing moms. Supply is a function of demand – the more milk that you remove, the more milk you may make. Therefore, a lot of extra pumping in addition to nursing could lead a nursing mom to have an oversupply.
This question comes up often as more breastfeeding moms are pumping and often times, exclusively pumping to produce breast milk. Another common related question that moms ask is does pumping burn as many calories as nursing? The answer to this helps answer the first question, which is a resounding Yes!
Also pumping at least 5 minutes after your milk stops flowing will tell your body that you need more milk; thus increasing your supply. 15 minutes should absolutely be the minimum pumping time.
If you pump, or hand express, your breast milk at different times during the day, you may be wondering if you can combine the breast milk from different collections into one storage container. Well, if you follow the proper guidelines, you can.
In general, if you are only getting drops, or a very small amount of milk while pumping, but your breasts still feel heavy and full after you've pumped for 10 to 15 minutes, then it is very likely that you are having difficulty letting down in response to your pump.
As newborns get older, they'll nurse less often, and may have a more predictable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2–3 hours between feedings. Newborns should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even overnight.
Engorged breasts can make sleeping difficult. A person may wish to try expressing some milk before going to bed to make the breasts less painful. Placing cold compresses on the engorged breasts before going to bed may also ease swelling and relieve discomfort.
Releasing a lot of milk will cause your body to produce larger amounts of milk. This can make breast engorgement worse. Gently massage your breasts to help milk flow during breastfeeding or pumping.