Consensus please...one or both breasts at each feeding in the beginning?

[brittone2]

Hi ladies,

I have a newbie BFing question (due in Feb. w/ our first). I'm a member of LLL already, have done quite a bit of reading on BFing, and just took my hospital's BFIng class monday night, but I'm still confused...

Some things I've read recommend in the beginning that you offer both breasts at each feeding to help build supply. At my class on Monday night, the LC recommended letting the baby totally empty one breast before offering the other to be sure the baby gets enough hind milk. I understand that point as well. She said if the baby pops off the breast after a while and seems to be finished, then try offering the opposite breast. But overall, she seemed to think just offering one per feeding was the way to go provided baby is satisfied. I've also seen this school of thought on many boards/books.

So what do you all think? I'm sure some of it is just trial and error in terms of your own baby (i.e. I'm thinking if the baby is gassy or eats totally non stop at the breast, getting hind milk may be more important than for other babies). With sleepy babies, I've also heard "switch nursing" recommended to keep them alert and interested...
I've also read the recommendation to offer both breasts at each feeding in the beginning, and then as your supply increases letting the baby empty one entirely before switching sides to get more hind milk into them so they stay satisfied longer (and are hopefully less gassy).

Any advice? I guess there is no solid answer, but I'm curious what was recommended to all of you and what you actually ended up doing...

Thanks for the help,
Beth

I vote for the one breast method. This is what I did and it worked great. I have never had supply problems. Usually my DD would totally empty one and promptly fall asleep. I say getting the hind milk into them is key because it has more fat and stuff in it. So the baby will gain weight better if they are getting more of the "fatty" milk. Obviously if your baby finishes on one and still acts hungry offer him the other one. At first all babies seem sleepy - they are. I just tickled her under the chin when she seemed like she was slowing down. Also, at the very beginning - first day or two - you really don't have milk, just colastrum (please excuse my spelling), so it seems like the babies aren't getting very much to eat anyway. At the hospital they recommended feeding 15-20 minutes every few hours and I think this is what really helps the babies get the hang of nursing (before they are flooded with milk).

[mamicka]

I think that all options are great depending on your situation. I did both breasts at each feeding for the first 3 weeks & then I just offered one each because I had super-fast letdown. Now I'm still just offering one per feeding except right before bed when DS stocks-up.

Good luck!

[hez]

Congrats on being so well prepared!

I offered both at the beginning, and the second side always got less attention (a definite reminder to switch which side you offer first with each feeding!). Somewhere in month 3, DS backed so far off that he would nurse for about 15 seconds on the second side, pop off & be done. So, now we just do one side at a feeding. Assuming we have a baby #2 somewhere down the road, I'll probably try a similar approach-- use both at the beginning, and switch to one side at a time later on.

[brittone2]

Thanks ladies. So I guess what you are all pretty much saying is you just have to see what works for your baby ( I guess that's the whole point of parenting, LOL!!!). It just confuses me because I've seen it recommended
*both* ways. HOpefully we'll figure out what works for us!

Here's a 2nd question. I know the first few days you only have colostrum, and the amounts are "teaspoonfuls" according to the books and the LC. How much can they nurse if they aren't getting much volume wise? I know it is important to keep offering to build your supply, but while it is still colostrum only, did your baby nurse for like 20-40 mins, or did they only nurse a little at a time in the very beginning until your milk really came in? I'm starting to come up w/ more and more questions...;)

Thanks again ladies,
Beth

The first day, keep it short...I remember only being able to stand it for about 10-20 min at a time, but DS probably would have gone on all day if I let him. When my milk came in, I had such fast letdown that DS could only stand one breast per feeding, and even then still spit up much of what he ate! Seems like it has only been in the last month that we've been doing two sides per feeding.

[momma_boo]

Beth,

It's so awesome how well you seem to be preparing for this!

I initially fed Sarah for about 20 minutes on each side (this is what they told me to do at the hospital). I would make sure that at the next feeding I would start on the side that I ended with. (I used a hair rubber band on my wrist to keep track of which side I needed to start with. Believe me, it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to keep track of something so simple when I was sleep deprived and feeding her constantly).

I didn't worry too much about her getting enough hindmilk b/c she was gaining weight pretty rapidly. When she was around 3.5 mos old, she was satisfied after nursing on one side and didn't want the other side. These days she only nurses both sides at bedtime.

When I was still at the hospital, I was nursing her for about 20 minutes on each side (this is in response to your second question about colostrum). My milk didn't come in until the day AFTER we came home. Our first 24 hours home were really really hard. I think she was starting to get hungry and wanted food but my milk hadn't come in yet. After no sleep and her crying tons, we ended up giving her about an ounce of formula, which helped a lot. That was the only formula she ever had, actually. (Some might flame me for suggesting this, but you might want to take home the free samples of formula they give you at the hospital so that you have some just in case).

[hez]

I'm a nerd and still have the records from when we used to mark down the time DS eating, and how long he ate on each side (and which side he started on, b/c my tired mommy brain couldn't keep track!). At the start we marked down how long he 'seemed' to be eating vs. resting, and the first day it was anywhere from 5 minutes to 25 on a side (sometimes 0 on the second side if he had fallen asleep). You may even have 'attempts' where you think your baby may be ready to eat again, and s/he's just not interested right then.

I couldn't believe he was getting enough (especially since we were so bad at it to start with), but the tell-tale sign is the wet/dirty diapers, and he did GREAT with those. I think the records of diapers changed were more encouraging to me because I knew he was getting enough in him to make the wet/dirty diapers.

[hez]

Esther-- saw this after I finished typing my response. I would never think to flame you for the formula, after learning about a friend at work whose milk took 6 entire days to come in. They BF'd successfully for 11 months, so it all ended well. I'll have to ask her next week if she ended up supplementing, or how exactly she got through those days.

[trumansmom]

Esther-

We did the same thing. Plus it took him almost a month to learn to latch on, so I pumped and supplemented for the first four weeks. THEN, I was able to bf exclusively, and did so for a little over a year. I think, once again, it's a case of doing what you think is best for your child.

Even though I plan on exclusively breastfeeding my next one, I'm still signing up for free samples for backup - just in case. I figure I can always donate them to a shelter if I don't need them.

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and EDD 4/23/04!