Milk intake and frequency of feeding in breast fed infants

To provide normative data for healthy full term infants in the United States when the mothers were encouraged to feed as often and as long as the infants wished, 46 mother-infant pairs were studied in the first month after delivery. Mothers recorded the length and time of each breast-feeding for the first 14 days postpartum, and weighed the infant before and after each feeding during a 24-48 h period at 1 month. The mean frequency of feeding during the first 2 weeks of life was 9.8 +/- 2.5 feeds/24 h and the mean duration of feeding was 162 +/- 50 min/24 h. Infants heavier at birth demanded significantly more feedings and nursed longer during the first 14 days of life. At one month the infants were nursing an average of 7.2 +/- 1.3 times/24 h and the mean duration of feeds was 158 +/- 63 min/24 h. Although the frequency of feeding during the first 14 days postpartum was significantly higher than at 1 month, the total duration of feeding in 24 h was similar. Daily milk intakes at 1 month ranged from 395 to 1011 ml (mean 681 +/- 136 ml) and were not significantly correlated with either the frequency or duration of feedings.