Breastfeeding provides many benefits for both mother and baby. But deciding how often and how long to breastfeed can be a challenge for new moms. Recommendations on breastfeeding duration vary, but most experts agree that breastfeeding on demand is best for baby. Understanding the factors that impact breastfeeding duration can help moms set reasonable goals.
Breastfeeding Recommendations
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby’s life. Exclusive breastfeeding means giving your baby only breast milk – no formula, water or solid foods. After 6 months, the WHO suggests continuing breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods until 2 years or beyond.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods through at least 1 year. The AAP notes that any amount of breastfeeding has health benefits for mom and baby.
Most health organizations do not give a specific number of hours to breastfeed. Rather, they recommend feeding baby “on demand” or “on cue.” This means letting your baby feed any time they show signs of hunger, rather than following a strict schedule. Babies should feed 8-12 times or more in 24 hours in the early months.
Factors That Impact Breastfeeding Duration
While recommendations provide a goal, the real duration of breastfeeding can vary quite a bit for each mom-baby pair. Some factors that impact how long moms breastfeed include:
- Baby’s age – Newborns under 2 months breastfeed more frequently, while older babies breastfeed less often.
- Baby’s health – Preterm babies or babies with illnesses may breastfeed less.
- Mom’s milk supply – Low supply could shorten duration.
- Mom’s health – Illness or medications could affect milk supply.
- Access to breast pumps – Allows mom to express milk so others can feed baby.
- Work/school – Time away from baby impacts breastfeeding.
- Support system – Encouragement from family, friends, employers helps moms breastfeed longer.
- Personal choice – Mom may choose to wean for various reasons.
These factors mean that breastfeeding duration can look different for each mom and baby. Some babies breastfeed for only weeks or months, while others breastfeed for a year or longer. The sections below provide more details on average breastfeeding duration.
Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding
Exclusive breastfeeding means feeding your baby only breastmilk. No formula, water or other foods are given, with the exception of vitamin drops or medications.
Research indicates that globally only about 40% of infants are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. Rates are lower in the United States, with around 25% of babies exclusively breastfed at 6 months in 2015.
Many mothers supplement with formula or start introducing solid foods before 6 months. Common reasons for stopping exclusive breastfeeding include concerns about milk supply, mom’s need to return to work/school, and infant behavior like crying or frequent nursing that leads moms to worry their milk is not enough.
While few babies meet the 6 month exclusive breastfeeding recommendations, here is some data on how long mothers actually breastfeed exclusively on average:
- By 3 months – 42% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding
- By 4 months – 30% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding
- By 5 months – 22% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding
- By 6 months – 16% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding
As you can see, even among mothers who intend to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, supplementing and introducing solid foods often begins happening around 3-4 months of age.
Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration by Country
The duration of exclusive breastfeeding varies greatly around the world. Some patterns according to UNICEF data:
- African countries like Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia have the highest rates of 6 month exclusive breastfeeding – around 75-85%.
- Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan and Pakistan have moderately high rates around 65%.
- Northern European countries like Sweden, Norway and Denmark have lower rates around 20-30%.
- The United States has one of the lowest rates globally at only 25% exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months.
Cultural practices, maternity leave policies, and access to health services may contribute to these variations between countries.
Total Breastfeeding Duration
Total breastfeeding duration includes exclusive breastfeeding time plus any period of partial breastfeeding. Partial breastfeeding means baby gets breastmilk along with formula and/or solid foods.
WHO and AAP recommend continued partial breastfeeding until 1-2 years of age or longer. However, most babies are weaned off breastmilk before their first birthday.
Here are some statistics on total breastfeeding duration:
- United States: 49% of babies breastfed at 6 months, 27% breastfed at 12 months
- Australia: 90% start breastfeeding, 30% still breastfeeding at 6-9 months
- Canada: 90% start breastfeeding, 54% breastfeed beyond 6 months
- UK: 81% start breastfeeding, 34% still breastfeeding at 6 months
- Worldwide: 40% of babies are breastfed until 12-15 months
Breastfeeding tends to drop off gradually over baby’s first year. Even mothers who intend to breastfeed for a year often find breastfeeding decreasing after returning to work or school around 3-6 months postpartum.
How Many Hours Per Day Do Breastfeeding Moms Nurse?
On average during the newborn period, breastfeeding mothers spend about 2-3 hours per day actively nursing their baby. However, time spent nursing varies significantly depending on the age of the infant:
| Baby’s Age | Average Hours Spent Breastfeeding Per Day |
|---|---|
| 1 month | 3+ hours |
| 2-3 months | 2-3 hours |
| 4-5 months | 1-2 hours |
| 6-12 months | 30-60 minutes |
Newborns breastfeed very frequently, often every 1-3 hours in a 24 hour period. So while each feeding session may be short, it can total up to 8-12 feedings and 3+ hours during the day and night.
As babies get older, they tend to breastfeed less often and spend longer times sleeping at night. By 6-12 months, nursing sessions are typically shorter and baby may only feed 3-5 times a day – hence the lower total nursing time.
Breastfeeding Duration for Working Moms
Mothers returning to work or school often breastfeed for a shorter duration than stay-at-home moms. Pumping breast milk during the workday presents challenges that can lead many working moms to switch to formula within the first 3-6 months.
However, providing breastmilk for the full first year is possible with adequate pumping breaks. Here are some tips that allow working moms to meet their breastfeeding goals:
- Speak with your employer about using lactation breaks to pump.
- Pump on your regular schedule while at work to maintain milk supply.
- Space out pumping sessions as needed to minimize impact on work.
- Store pumped milk for caregivers to use in bottles for the next day.
- Nurse frequently when you are together to maximize milk transfer.
- Allow direct nursing whenever possible, like evenings, weekends and days off.
Working mothers may need to supplement with some formula, but any amount of continued breastfeeding provides benefits.
Tips for Breastfeeding Duration Success
Reaching your personal breastfeeding goals takes determination and support. Here are some tips to breastfeed for as long as you desire:
- Get educated – Take a prenatal class and understand the basics of breastfeeding.
- Make a plan for returning to work – Speak with your employer and childcare provider.
- Line up support – Have lactation consultants’ numbers, join support groups.
- Set small goals – Aim for 3 months, 6 months, etc versus broad durations.
- Stay flexible – Be open to supplementing when needed to reach goals.
- Don’t give up – If you face challenges, get professional help.
Breastfeeding for any length of time provides nutrition and health benefits for baby. By understanding typical breastfeeding duration and getting the support you need, you can achieve your own goals.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding recommendations encourage nursing for at least the first year of a baby’s life. However, the real duration of breastfeeding varies widely based on multiple factors. Exclusive breastfeeding rates drop off steeply in the first 3-6 months. Total breastfeeding duration is often shorter than the recommended one year, especially for working mothers. Understanding the average time spent breastfeeding helps moms set realistic goals. With proper support, many mothers can achieve their desired breastfeeding duration.