If you just switched to nursing only on one side ...

[peanut4us]

I was adviced to nurse only on one side during a feed because of overactive letdown, which has helped somewhat btw. My question is should I nurse her longer? It seems like she wouldn't get as much milk during the feed this way.

I try to let her tell me. She was going roughly 15 minutes 1st side, 10 the other. Just on one side now, she seems to just be doing 15-20 minutes total. Any thoughts?

Joey

Mother to Sara Anne 3/27/03

[kfcboston]

DS actually just switched on his own to one side only, and the total feeding time seems to have gone down as well. I'm not concerned about his caloric intake, so I'm assuming he's becoming more efficient. I'm trying to follow his cues and let him tell me when he's done, as I've always tried to do. Maybe he and I are just becoming better at reading each other!

[COElizabeth]

As long as she seems satisfied and gains weight, I wouldn't worry. I single-side fed most of the time for several months starting pretty early on, and James often finished in 5 minutes. Granted, we nursed fairly frequently, but I have never been able to get him to eat longer than he wants to - I really don't see how you can! It sounds like she is doing great, and an efficient eater is very convenient!

Elizabeth
Mom to James
9-20-02

[ginalc]

I agree with the others and suggest that you forget about watching the clock. Let baby guide you as to when she's finished. I've also nursed only on one side with all 3 of my children and find the length of time they needed varied.

I was totally freaked out when my DD only nursed 3-5 minutes on one side, every 3-4 hours. Then, my Dr. explained that some babies are very efficient and if taking a bottle, would empty the bottle very quickly, too.

If baby is voiding well, you're changing diapers frequently, and she seems satisified after a feeding, you can relax and stop worrying! :) I was never able to judge by the # of poopy diapers because my babies only have BMs every 4-5 days, and sometimes it's only a small spot in the diaper.

I've also read that most babies get 90% of their milk in the first 4 minutes of nursing. The rest of the time is simply "comfort nursing."

gina, mom to 3
BFing for 4 yrs