Supporting mothers, nurturing families since 1979

How long should I breastfeed my baby for?

Always let your baby determine the length of the feed. Your baby knows when he has had enough and will take himself off the breast. If you take him from the breast before he is ready, he may not have received as much of your milk as he needs, and he may not gain weight and thrive as he should. Taking your baby off the breast too soon may also reduce the amount of milk you produce.

 

Download this page (together with the other questions), as an information sheet entitled ´Questions New Mothers Ask´ on our leaflet downloads page. You can also download and read this information in Spanish on the leaflet downloads page.

Alternatively, you can purchase this and all the other questions as a paper leaflet from this page.