https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Jul 2026 17:55:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-813229 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:54:42 +0000 ladyfingers 813229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He usually pops off but sometimes he'll just hang out and stop swallowing, or his sucking pattern will change (lots of light, quick sucks in a row then silence, repeat -- similar to what he does with a pacifier). I rarely hear him gulp anymore except at the beginning and can never "see" him swallow like they taught me to watch for in the hospital, but I eventually noticed when he's actively drinking, he'll make little sounds that sound like air puffing out of his nose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-812044 Tue, 28 May 2013 04:18:37 +0000 Smurfette 812044@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: I never can hear her swallow. That is what throws me off. At the beginning, not every time, she makes really loud sucking noises. But those are just cute. And yes, the milk running out of their mouths is the cutest thing!</p> <p>@PrincessBaby: I will look for that on the wonder week app to see when it is coming. I know it isn't 3 month cause I keep reading that one in preparation for its arrival. Which is going to come next week, along with me going back to work and she starts day care. And DH is traveling so solo parenting for me Mon-Thurs. going to be a fun week! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-812011 Tue, 28 May 2013 00:42:04 +0000 lemondrop 812011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I gave him 15 minutes on each side to start and that usually did the job. </p> <p>From about 10 months on he started popping off and gave a super milk drunk "all done" on each side. He totally cracks me up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811833 Mon, 27 May 2013 21:17:03 +0000 PrincessBaby 811833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When H got older ( I suck bc I can't remember when, but it was after a wonder week where popping off when done nursing is one of the "skills" acquired), she just started doing it. 4 mos maybe? She started popping off and grinning at me like "Ok, all done, Mom! Let's play!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811805 Mon, 27 May 2013 20:59:53 +0000 JoJoGirl 811805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I struggle with this too, but my new rule is once I stop hearing her swallow, she's done. I'll often try to wake her and see if she wants more at that point. If she resists being popped but is done eating, the pacifier usually does the trick. I'm learning to watch her cues for when she goes from hungry to sucking for comfort but its not easy! It does crack me up though when she falls off the boob asleep with milk dribbling down her face ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811756 Mon, 27 May 2013 20:37:11 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 811756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son wouldn't pop off until he got older. When he was younger, I let him eat as long as he wanted on one side and offer the 2nd, but usually he didn't take much from that side. I would just pop him off and if he didn't protest, we'd be done. Like runsyellowlights said, I just fed him more often if he asked for it (we didn't do a set schedule). </p> <p>Also, he was a champion spitter! He could've been getting too much, but it started to taper off around 4-5 months. Now he only spits up if he really did eat too much or I ate something he didn't like (diary). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811727 Mon, 27 May 2013 20:25:27 +0000 Smurfette 811727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oliviaoblivia: Aww, that sounds so cute! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811690 Mon, 27 May 2013 20:06:10 +0000 oliviaoblivia 811690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>L gives me no more milk face and will pop off, purse her lips, then turn her head away. She's a little dramatic. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811687 Mon, 27 May 2013 20:04:59 +0000 Smurfette 811687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprk: some days she goes every 2 hours but I am trying to get her to space them out. Cause I know she can, she went 3.5 hrs yesterday cause she took a long morning nap. Sometimes she spits up so much that I wonder if she is just eating too much but she won't come off the boob so I don't know. So I just clean up a lot of spit up some days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811676 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:58:11 +0000 aprk 811676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: I totally agree with @runsyellowlites. If he's still hungry, he'll come back! We nurse every 2 hours on average when he's awake during the day, which is fine by me, since it's such a short time. He can definitely go longer if we are out and he's sleeping. Every so often he nurses longer which either signals me to make more (which he then drinks just as fast) or makes him barf, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811666 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:53:54 +0000 MsLipGloss 811666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: I would try to do 15-20 min per side. I usually *capped* the session at 45 minutes. I am not sure about your Ped's suggestion . . . That seems a little too short for such a young baby, and pumping does not accurately reflect your real supply (most people pump less because babies are much better emptiers than pumps). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811661 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:52:15 +0000 Smurfette 811661@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: I liked that thanks! So true, I guess she will let me know if she is still hungry. I will say about my sweet little girl, she isn't shy about letting us know when she needs/wants something. She has some healthy lungs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811660 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:51:59 +0000 runsyellowlites 811660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: P can still be getting milk &amp; nurse much longer than what I get when I pump! I wouldn't go back that at all since pumps just aren't as good at signaling letdowns &amp; getting milk out. If you nurse as long as she wants then you can't really go wrong in the "is she getting enough" &amp; "will I keep making enough" departments. =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811652 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:49:13 +0000 Smurfette 811652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprk: The pediatrician told me to just nurse 8-10 mins on each side since that is all I get milk coming out when pumping. But it doesn't seem long enough to me but maybe it is. I will try it tomorrow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811645 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:45:20 +0000 runsyellowlites 811645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>P has never really been one to pop off, I can honestly count on one hand how many times that's happened. And as she's gotten older she's gotten better at staying latched even when sleeping deeply.. It's pretty funny to see her try &amp; get back latched when I unlatch her. lol</p> <p>As for telling when she's done.. she'll usually slow down how often she's swallowing, I think just a few swallows a minute is a cue she's about done &amp; I'll try and unlatch her... sometimes she's golden, sometimes we're not and I'd offer the other side.</p> <p>I did just find this &amp; think it was great!</p> <p>"How do I know when my baby’s finished? He may just drop off by himself, relaxed and loose-limbed. But it doesn’t really matter! Think dog, or horse, or gorilla. If a gorilla Mama can’t reach that banana with the baby attached, she just takes him off. She doesn’t worry about whether or not he’s full. If he fusses, she puts him back on after she gets the banana. Dogs don’t think about milk; they nurse because it feels good and keeps the puppies from yapping. A mare may walk right away from a nursing foal to reach a better patch of grass. The foal has to trot along and re-attach when mama stops moving.<br /> In the same way, you don’t have to glue yourself to the couch until you’re absolutely sure your baby is totally full, so long as you’re willing to nurse him again when he asks. He may have been having dessert in a happy haze of occasional swallows but be willing to go to sleep ifyou take him off. Or he may want to nurse again in 5 minutes because he just wasn’t finished. You won’t hurt him either way. The problem in the past was that we didn’t allow babies back to the breast for 2 or 3 or even 4 hours. Nursing works for other mammals because they don’t stick to rules. Forget the rules and enjoy your baby."</p> <p>I guess she if she comes off &amp; is content &amp; if she wants more she'll tell you. =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811641 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:42:55 +0000 MsLipGloss 811641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO used to pop off, but now she loves to stay latched! It's a struggle to get her to sleep (for me, since she knows I have the boobs) without a boob in her mouth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811635 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:39:19 +0000 shopaholic 811635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>K used to fall asleep at the boob and let it fall out. Now, she likes to stay latched! I will try to pull out a little and she'll hoover and suck me back in hard! OR, she likes to wrestle a bit when she's done. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811630 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:36:00 +0000 aprk 811630@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A pops off every so often. Usually he just sits there with my nipple in his mouth. Sometimes I can tell that he is just messing around bc he gets really sloppy and doesn't stay latched. He's a super efficient nurser though - 6 or 7 minutes and my breast is empty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811628 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:35:50 +0000 T.H.O.U. 811628@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO loved to fall asleep latched and it wasn't until she was in a deep sleep that she would like fall off. Basically so relaxed her mouth opened. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-so-you-know-when-lo-is-done-nursing#post-811625 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:33:53 +0000 Smurfette 811625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>R is 11 weeks but rarely ever just pops off the boob. I usually take her off after 10-12 mins on one side and then the same on the other. Earlier tonight she nursed 10 mins on one side and then 20 on the other. I was seeing if she would pop off herself, nope. Even at night when she falls asleep nursing, she just keeps on till I take her off. I know she must just be using me as a pacifier since she won't take one. </p> <p>I know she is eating enough cause she gained 3 lbs in her first two months. She eats every 2.5-3 hours. </p> <p>Is this normal??? Do most babies pop off when full? </p>