Questions About Breastfeeding - Lexington,KY

The best thing I ever did was go to the lactation consultant and have them give me advice right there on the spot. The hospital you gave birth at should have that service and it's usually very low cost or even free depending on the hospital.

My daughter is still nursing at 16 months. I just recently started giving her both sides in the morning. Before that she would only take the one side for about 10-15 minutes. I would say 20 minutes is pretty long if he is still constantly sucking. She would eat every 1 1/2 -2 hrs when she was first born so my one side would only have to go a few hours in between feedings. Keep at it-your milk supply will adjust with what and how he eats and then it isn't so painful waiting for that feeding. The first few weeks is always the most painful but remember he is getting the BEST possible thing for him! Also, if you are sore on the one side that he isn't eating on you can also pump on that side just to get enough out to be comfortable. Remember, its supply and demand so if you just keep up with his demand your supply will adjust accordingly. If he seems like he is still hungry after that 15 minute feeding I would check to see if he needs burped. Sometimes that can be mistaken for hunger. Keep feeding him until he takes 6-8 sucks on each side before swallowing. Then you will know he isn't getting as much milk in the beginning and you can switch sides if he still seems hungry. One last thing, my husband was always in charge of waking up-playing with her head or messing with her so she would wake up enough to eat until she was full.

B.,
I've nursed both my girls (Lydia 6 and Sydney 2)for the first year and it is hard. Kudos to you for keeping up. My advise is to just go with the flow. I always just fed Sydney on one breast per feeding. It just worked for her. And my body quickly adjusted. Just try to remember which breast you had used last and use the other the next session. I was never one to worry about the hind milk, babies get what they need unless there is an exceptional case; this is, afterall a natural process. I think 10 -25 minutes on one breast should be more than sufficent to get the hind milk anyway. I don't think there's too much you can do about your son's eating habits, but they change so quick that I'd say just keep your chin up and before you know it things'll change. I don't know if I've offered any practical/useful advise but I did want to encourage you. What you're doing is hard but has so many benefits.
Hope I was some help,
D. S

I was told from the doctor that five to ten minutes on each breast is plenty long, and the rest is strictly just tender loving care and f course they are getting more food as well. You can do every other breast each time; however, like you I found that to be very painful for the breast not nursed as it became engorged. Start with the opposite breast each time you nurse so that one will at least get emptied every other time as the baby eats a lot more in the first five minutes than any other time. My suggestion would be to empty the first one until you can no longer feel milk come out (I could never tell) so I found just touching the breast tissue and if it is soft it is emptied (about five minutes after a good latch and suckling) and then switch breasts to finish the job. Also, when you unlatch your baby make sure you break the suction with your finger as this will save your nipple from getting sore.

He may be getting disinterested if you are leaving him on the one breast too long as the milk would be coming out slower and the baby now has to work harder for it. If you are interested to see how much milk you are producing you can always pump a bottle. I sometimes did this if my daughter fell asleep before I could get to the other breast. I found that I had one breast that produced a couple ounces more than the other. If you pump remember that your baby is most likely getting a ounce or two more than that as the pump does not do as good of a job as a baby.

Never mind I didn't look to see how old this post is...but I guess some advice for another mom with a similar issue.

Have you checked out breastfeeding.com and kellymom.com. I think if I were still nursing either of these would be allies. Keep up the good work!!

My daughter is about 5 months old now and i had the same problem with her. I breastfed my son (he's 3 1/2 now) for the first year but he wasn't a heavy sleeper when he was little so not being able to wake my daughter was a new experience for me. I ended up nursing her for 10 minutes on the first side, burping her, then nursing for 10 - 15 minutes on the 2nd side. 10 minutes was the magic time for the first side since she was sated and comfy but not sleeping hard enough that i couldn't get her to latch onto the 2nd side. As she's gotten bigger, i've increased the feeding time to 15 minutes per side and although she still falls asleep on the first side sometimes, she's a little easier to wake up between sides since she's usually still a bit hungry!

As for the nurse one side or both sides per feeding, I was always told that i should nurse both sides every feeding. And don't worry to much about the hind milk.... your milk will provide your baby with everything they need to grow and be healthy. As long as there is weight gain, everything is working like it should. Don't give up and ask for help from a lactaction specialist (LeLeche is a good group or contact the hospital you gave birth at) if you feel you need a little one on one help!

I have to reiterate what Sally said- get in touch with the lactation consultants at the hospital where you delivered. They are wonderful! I know that they encouraged me to nurse on only one side per feeding, for the reason you mentioned: that way the baby gets the hindmilk. I can tell you that I have had many, many people tell me to do otherwise, including the nurse at the pediatrician's office. However, I nursed both my sons only on one side per feeding, for fourteen and sixteen months each, and it worked great, so I think it is a matter of your comfort level and your preference. It does take some getting used to feeling a little fuller on one side, but I know that that helped me remember which breast to feed on when I was sleep-deprived and exhausted, and later on, I barely noticed any difference at all. Your body will adjust to whatever demands your baby has, if you give it time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to have it all figured out after eight days- it took me and my oldest 23 days to figure out nursing, and that included a lot of hour-long feedings! Get in touch with those lactation consultants, and best wishes.

From my experience with my daughter she spent on average 10 min on each side, but you should really be watching to see he is responding. It was hard at first to keep her awake long enough to nurse, but you have to try to keep him awake. I never tried the nursing one side at a time. I don't that is a recommended method. I would image doing that would be an invitation for mastitis. I have found a site www.babycenter.com to be very helpful and easy to navigate. I hope that some of this helps.

My son did that too-he had jaundice and was sleepy all the time. I always changed his diaper half way through the feeding and that usually woke him up again. Im sure you are feeding him every 2-4 hours, so you shouldnt get sore if you only feed on one side each feeding, but you want to make sure you have a good milk supply established first. In a few more weeks, breastfeeding wont take as long.

Lots of good advice here, but I just wanna add one more thought. My sister had similar problems with her son and after a while the lactation consultant realized she never did get her milk in! So, she was trying to nurse him and he wasn't really getting anything. My mom and I never even thought about it since we both had so much milk! It's sad, if that is the case, but at least you will know and can begin to supplement if needed. If you never felt your milk let down, it very well could be you just didn't produce. This is a common problem and it doesn't necessarially happen the same with each child.

Good luck!!

B.,
My daughter is a breastfeeding counselor. You could contact her for help at ____@____.com She sounds a lot like you in that her children are close in age to yours. Good luck.
P. R.

Dear B., I read your post and just wanted to give you advise that I hope will be usefull. Yes, breasfeeding could be a very hard experiense but at the end it is the most wonderful and beneficial thing you can share with your child. My advise to call one of the consultant at La Leach League, it's a breastfeeding consultants organization you can find them on the net. They will come to your house and walk you through the breastfeeding process and will give you some very usefull advise or just have a consultation with them on the phone. Just don't get discoraged, you are doing a great thing.
Little about myself: I am staying home mom of 2 children. I did not breastfeed my first one who is 13yo now (only 2 first months )and regret is so much, but my second who is just turned 2 yo I still brestfeed and think that it is the greatest way to bound and most important is the only way to boost his immune sistem. He hasn't been sick more that 2 times out of his 2 years and no longer than a day or 2. Even when all family is fighting a fly it doesn't affect him much, as I said maybe a couple of days of runny nose:-). Good luck and best wishes to you and your family. Julia.

Are you burping him after about 10 minutes? Generally, you're supposed to nurse about 10-15 minutes on each side, and burp in between, then again after. It may be that he's getting a lot of gas trapped in there, which makes him feel full. That could be why he stops eating and then is hungry again so soon.

Your getting great advice! For sure contact your lactation consultant I waited too long! They told me to nurse on one side for the hindmilk and for 3 months I had the crankiest baby ever and could not figure out why! I then called the consultant and she said oh no nurse on both and I have a different baby. At first I was a clock watcher and now I don't even bother because he lets me know and he is 5 1/2 months. I would do at least 15-20 on each side make sure you burp and then switch. The soreness will go away although it seems it will not. Did you get Soothies? They help alot! Good luck!

My routine with my daughter used to be I would feed her for 20-30 mins or until she lost interest/fell asleep then i would change her to wake her then feed her on the other side until sleep too over again. She would then sleep for two hours and be back for more. The reason I did both was because I knew that the sucking action is also a soothing action, so just sucking on something will put them to sleep. Falling a sleep at the breast didn't really mean full tummy for her.

Your son was born...9 months ago, yes? He really doesn't NEED to nurse. Of course it is still a good idea to try as long as you can, but by now you can probably start trying him on food. You can try saving the breast until the end, see if the solids help fill him up.

I really hope you get some advice that helps. I nursed my 1st son until he was 8 months, and my second son is almost 6 months and we're still going. Trust me- I've had my fair share of problems with both. I think my first piece of advice would be to stick with it!!
Ok, advice number 2- you need to get him used to the idea that he will be eating both sides during the feeding. So on the 1st side, nurse until you feel letdown and his sucking slows. When you notice that, burp him and put him on the otherside. Even if it only ends up being about 5 minutes for the first side. Then let him go as long as he wants on the other side.
How often does he wait between feedings? I got in the habit of feeding one side a feeding with my first son, and he wanted to eat every hour. When you're able to get more in him, it'll be long between feedings and he'll be happier.
Lastly, like everyone else has said, get a hold of a lactation consultant. If you are on WIC, they can hook you up with one; your pediatrician can too. I hope you get the help you need! Stick with it.

R.

The best advise i can give you is this. With my son he prefered one side. To trick him into nursing on both sides i used the football hold and that got him to nurse on both sides since his head was turned the same way as it was on my right breast. The time to get the hind milk really isnst relavant it is different. If you want to know if you have made it to the hind milk look at the color of your milk beofre a feeding and after he latches off. IT will be bluish at first and more creamy white near the end. the cream is the fatty hind milk. IF he is an active nurser then i would let him nurse for 10-15 minutes on one side give him the break he desires then let him nurse for 10-15 on other side. IF it does not satisfy him let him nurse a lill longer. He is still brand new. IT does take some time for your mature milk to come in and if you had him on the 2nd you might still be transitional. Just nurse frequently and relax. IF you are worried that you are not giving him enough milk then express any left over milk from your breast after a feeeding and freeze it. Then if you have trouble later you always have the backup supply. And not only that but it will save you from becoming engorged on the side he doesnt nurse as often from, and help stimulate your milk supply. I hope this helps.
T.

I breastfed my daughter Elena (now 2), and it was hard at times. Especially when she was first born she had a hard time laching on. I was told by a breastfeeding consultant at the hospital that for a new born average about 10 minutes per breast. Break the lach and move the baby to the other breast. It helps keep you balanced and helps keep the baby's attention. It worked pretty well with me. And I kept a little journal of what time I fed and how long on each breast each feeding. It helps with the rotation of the breast, so I know which breast to start with if the baby only fed on one breast.

First off, you'll want to nurse both sides, when you don't nurse from one of the breasts it will get really full, really painful, and will leak all over. If you only want to nurse from one side, use the pump and pump from the other side, which is great while you are nursing at the same time. Then when you are exhausted from nursing you can give him the bottle of breastmilk or keep it for when you can't be there with him. You can feed him for 10 to 15 min on each side, if he acts dissinterested take him off right away before he starts using your breasts as teethers, which really hurts! Put him on a feeding schedule, then you won't be tied down all the time. I wish I had done more of a schedule for my daughter while we were breastfeeding. You can do it every hour, or every 2 hours. If he's sleeping at night, the definatly don't wake him up!! Use that time to get some rest yourself!!!! Most people think that breastfeeding comes so naturally but it is a lot of work and takes time and patience! Congrats on giving breastfeeding a second chance with your son, a lot of people figure that if it didn't work with the first child they won't try it with the next. There are a lot of expectations for moms out there and it's hard to be a breastfeeding mom. Good luck and God bless! I hope it works out for you!

Brand new babies are not as adept & efficient at nursing as are older babies, therefore it takes them longer to empty the breast. And as you mentioned, they keep falling asleep! I remember nursing my first baby every 2 hours for at least an hour & thinking, "I can't do this forever!" But as they start to be awake more & get better at emptying the breast, nursing sessions speed up.

There's a lot of debate about feeding both sides vs. feeding both at east sitting. Personally, I wouldn't worry about waking him up to nurse the other side unless he's not gaining weight, unless of course your doctor tells you to. I think most people start off feeding on each side but eventually end up nursing one side at a time. It depends on what works best for you both.

As for the hind milk, I could always feel mine "let down", although I know not everyone can. Mine let down so strongly that it almost hurt & it happened almost immediately after the baby started nursing. But like others have said, don't time your baby, just let him nurse as long as he wants & as often as he wants. He's just learning about this nursing thing too!

I would strongly recommend you find some breastfeeding support in your area....other nursing moms, La Leche League, lactation consultants...anyone who can help you as you go along. These resources were invaluable to me when I was breastfeeding.

Most importantly, don't worry too much! He is so brand new & you both will change & grow with this process. I know it seems crazy & out of control at first, but it does get better!!

Good luck!
A.

Where did you deliver? Call the lactation consultants and they can 1) answer your questions and 2) show you what you are doing wrong. Also, there are quite a few Le Leche League groups in the area and those meetings are coming up this week and next. They are very helpful! Go to www.LeLecheLeague.com and follow links to find the one nearest you.
Good Luck!

I don't think that there is really a correct timeline for breast feeding. I nursed all 3 of my children and they were all quite different. My youngest would take 45-60 minutes to nurse and sometimes eat every 2-3 hours. If was sometimes very frustrating, but if you can just remember the good that will come from it and the bonding that you will have with your child that is irreplaceable. Good luck

Hi B., Congratulations! I am proud of you to have chosen to breastfeed even after your first not so fun experience. If your baby isnt even 1 month old yet as I have gathered, he is growing very rapidly and will nurse almost every other hour at times. That is normal. You can't nurse too much. My son would fall asleep after only feeding him one side also, my unemptied breast was so full too, until we got into a routine. I only gave him one side at a feeding for months until my friend told me to "ALWAYS OFFER THE OTHER SIDE" Sometimes I was the one who was so tired I wanted to just let it go at one side, but her words echoed in my head! ha ha! Well he did wake up for it eventually, as he got older. Your body is an amazing thing, it will adjust to your babys needs. It takes a little time, in the meanwhile, try pumping just a little bit to relieve the pressure (and maintain your milk supply) or use cold cabbage leaves as a nice cool relief. (it fits on the breast nicely) I think I have found the perfect web page for your question. Hope it encourages you! God Bless, J.

www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html

You're baby will nurse on one side and then pull off, burp him/her then offer the other side...if baby doesn't take to that second breast then pump to express the excess milk and to keep up your supply. Your baby will get the hind milk naturally...there is no set time on how long each baby nurses..every baby and his needs are different. Relax and enjoy your wonderful experience. Your first child is fine...you must have done something right! Hehe. Good luck and congrats on making the choice to breastfeed.