Nursing questions...

[ArizonaGirl]

Nursing is going much better this time, but I have a couple of questions and need the BBB wisdom and input.

1) I have been scheduling feedings every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day and waking her up every 3 hours at night, but I have been reading that this is not such a good idea, but I have always (maybe, ridiculously) worried about my milk supply. I was afraid if she ate less often my supply would go down, especially if she slept through the night.

2) At the beginning I was trying to follow her cues and feed her when she was rooting and seemed hungry, but then it seemed like she would be wanting to eat so soon after and then latching on an sucking for a minute and then falling asleep, like she was using me as a pacifier. We tried giving her a pacifier and she won't take it, she will suck on my finger tho and seems content with that and will often fall asleep.

3) If I were to feed her sooner and she doesn't eat well do I feed her on that side again, I guess my question is how do I know when to switch sides?

4) Has anyone ever heard that sleeping on your stomach while nursing is bad for your milk supply, or am I just making that one up.

Thanks if you have gotten this far, I am a very anxious person and breastfeeding is very stressful for me (i love it tho)

[Simon]

Nursing is going much better this time, but I have a couple of questions and need the BBB wisdom and input.

1) I have been scheduling feedings every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day and waking her up every 3 hours at night, but I have been reading that this is not such a good idea, but I have always (maybe, ridiculously) worried about my milk supply. I was afraid if she ate less often my supply would go down, especially if she slept through the night.
So long as you are always feeding her when she is hungry and aren't just trying to make her wait longer between feedings then I think you're fine. Its people try to delay a nursing session by offering a pacifier or finger instead that you are most likely to run into supply problems. This is especially true if they are hitting a growth spurt where they really are that hungry all the time and are also nursing extra to try and increase your supply. For me, the don't wake and scheduling exceptions are with pre-term or jaundiced or very sleepy babies who do need you to rouse them to eat because they aren't able to regulate themselves yet. I wouldn't wake my 1mo to nurse at night unless she meets those criteria (which my first two were, so I did wake them). Its also fine to try and nurse more often during the day because that does help some babies sleep better at night.

2) At the beginning I was trying to follow her cues and feed her when she was rooting and seemed hungry, but then it seemed like she would be wanting to eat so soon after and then latching on an sucking for a minute and then falling asleep, like she was using me as a pacifier. We tried giving her a pacifier and she won't take it, she will suck on my finger tho and seems content with that and will often fall asleep.
Its normal for newborns to want to nurse that often because they are still working to establish your supply and are just plain practicing too. If she's content with a finger then yes, I'd say she's not hungry. Also don't forget about growth spurts (6 weeks is coming up) when they are pretty much insatiable and may want to nurse every hour for 45 minutes. Allowing extra nursing then is part of your baby signaling your body to produce more milk

3) If I were to feed her sooner and she doesn't eat well do I feed her on that side again, I guess my question is how do I know when to switch sides?
Do you mean sooner because she was rooting or because you want to? The answer is it depends. If my Dc has not nursed well, I keep nursing on the same side within about the 1st hour. After that, I will usually offer the other side even if they never emptied the first side. Sometimes they stop nursing because they are too tired to eat (your Dc is still so young) and so I try and balance it over the day, like if I know she had two good nursing sessions on the R, but only 1/2 emptied the L, then I'll make sure Dc really empties the left next because I don't want my supply to drop on just one side. Or maybe they did about 1/2 feeding so I start them back on the 1st side but then I am getting overfull on the other so I don't want to do the entire next feeding on the 1st side.

4) Has anyone ever heard that sleeping on your stomach while nursing is bad for your milk supply, or am I just making that one up.
I don't think its bad for your supply, per se, but I have gotten plugged ducts if I sleep with too much weight on just one side or completely on my chest.
Thanks if you have gotten this far, I am a very anxious person and breastfeeding is very stressful for me (i love it tho)

Congrats on your new baby!

[klwa]

1) I have been scheduling feedings every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day and waking her up every 3 hours at night, but I have been reading that this is not such a good idea, but I have always (maybe, ridiculously) worried about my milk supply. I was afraid if she ate less often my supply would go down, especially if she slept through the night.

She's about at the age where my doctor told me to just let the kids sleep. Supply should be fairly well established, and she'll probably wake during the night without you waking her up. Just maybe at 4 hour intervals rather than 3.


2) At the beginning I was trying to follow her cues and feed her when she was rooting and seemed hungry, but then it seemed like she would be wanting to eat so soon after and then latching on an sucking for a minute and then falling asleep, like she was using me as a pacifier. We tried giving her a pacifier and she won't take it, she will suck on my finger tho and seems content with that and will often fall asleep.
Also normal. As PP said, if she's content using your finger, let her do that.



3) If I were to feed her sooner and she doesn't eat well do I feed her on that side again, I guess my question is how do I know when to switch sides?.
I always just started the feeding on whichever side felt the most uncomfortable to me. If the other side is starting to hurt, go ahead & feed on the other side. If both sides feel full, it doesn't matter which side you start on.



4) Has anyone ever heard that sleeping on your stomach while nursing is bad for your milk supply, or am I just making that one up.

I'm a stomach sleeper & never had a problem. I believe it CAN lead to more plugged ducts, etc, though.

[Katigre]

I would calculate total times nursed per day. 10-12 is an ideal number for establishing supply. Going every 2.5-3 hours during the day is on the longer end for newborn feeding. I would let her nurse on cue even if that means some 1-2 minute sessions sprinkled in. Nursing is about more than just transfer of milk, and your baby may be getting other needs met by that short suckling.

[ArizonaGirl]

Thanks for the replies, this is so hard for my Type A, want to see everything (and you can't see how much she is eating) personality.

Additional question...

How long would you let her go during the day without eating because sometimes she wants to take a long nap and I have been trying to offer at least every 2.5 to 3 hours even if I have to wake her up to do so.

Thanks again

[rin]

My general rule of thumb is to not wake babies to nurse once they've regained birthweight. When my DD2 was about 2-3 weeks old (she's now 12 weeks) we settled into a relaxed nursing schedule:

She nurses to sleep sometime between 5:30 and 7:30. Sleeps until I go to bed, I wake her for a dreamfeed (don't change her diaper unless it's poopy), then go to bed myself. If/when she wakes up I nurse her, if not then we sleep. She wakes up for the day sometime between 6:15 and 7:30, gets a clean diaper and she nurses. She goes down for a nap sometime between an hour and two hours after she gets up, with milk if she seems hungry, without if not. Then as the day progresses she naps, wakes up whenever she's ready, I offer milk right when she gets up and if she doesn't seem hungry then I'll offer again in a little while. We don't follow a schedule per se, I just offer her a chance to nurse basically whenever she gets up from sleeping or whenever she's about to go to sleep (unless she nursed recently enough that I don't think she could be hungry).

At night, DD2 usually goes between 2 and 5 hours before waking up. Last night, for example, she went to bed at 6:30, I nursed her in her sleep at 10:30, then she woke at 4:45 to nurse, went back to sleep, and woke up at 7:30 for the day. She nursed at about 7:35, then again at 8:45, took a nap from 9 to 11:15, nursed at 11:30, again at 12:30, and went down for a nap at 12:45 (still sleeping).

Unless you have a real need to schedule her feedings, I wouldn't bother; IME it's just another thing to keep track of, and it creates a lot of stress. My babies have both been very good about letting me know when they're hungry!

[ehlana06]

Nursing is going much better this time, but I have a couple of questions and need the BBB wisdom and input.

1) I have been scheduling feedings every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day and waking her up every 3 hours at night, but I have been reading that this is not such a good idea, but I have always (maybe, ridiculously) worried about my milk supply. I was afraid if she ate less often my supply would go down, especially if she slept through the night.

2) At the beginning I was trying to follow her cues and feed her when she was rooting and seemed hungry, but then it seemed like she would be wanting to eat so soon after and then latching on an sucking for a minute and then falling asleep, like she was using me as a pacifier. We tried giving her a pacifier and she won't take it, she will suck on my finger tho and seems content with that and will often fall asleep.

3) If I were to feed her sooner and she doesn't eat well do I feed her on that side again, I guess my question is how do I know when to switch sides?

4) Has anyone ever heard that sleeping on your stomach while nursing is bad for your milk supply, or am I just making that one up.

Thanks if you have gotten this far, I am a very anxious person and breastfeeding is very stressful for me (i love it tho)

I'm a lactation consultant so I hope I can help. Being that your baby is only a little over 1 mo, I would definately feed on demand. Scheduled feedings are not a good idea especially if you are concerned about your milk supply. A newborn can and most likely will nurse every hour to hour and a half for the first month or so. This is completely normal. Even if she is only using you for a pacifier it is better for your supply if you allow her to continue doing that. That being said if you feel you are getting overwhelmed with being a "human paci" a clean pinky finger works well especially if your baby will not take a pacifier. Most likely her desire to "use you as a pacifier" is simply her way of spending some close bonding time with her mommy. Enjoy it while you can because you will miss it when she stops.

As far as night feeding goes, being so young, she probably will not sleep longer than 4 hours without waking up to nurse (so long as you are not supplimenting with formula which I do not suggest you do). I do not suggest that you let her sleep longer than 4 hours without nursing or your supply "could" suffer.

If she doesn't eat well I would suggest starting with the breast you left off with simply because you want her to get a good balance of fore-milk and hind-milk. The hind milk is fattier than the fore-milk. Fore-milk is sugarier. If she doesn't nurse for too long (a couple of minutes or if your breast does not feel significantly softer after feeding) start off with that breast. Otherwise start with the other one.

It is not suggested that a nursing mother sleeps on her stomach, it supposedly could restrict milk production at night time. In my experience, I always slept on my stomach and had no problems. It just might be a bit uncomfortable for you if you are full. I see no problems with it. Worrying yourself to death over things like what position to sleep in will do much more harm to your supply than just sleeping on your stomach. Stress has been known to significantly reduce supply. I suggest you relax, snuggle with your baby skin-to-skin and eat some lactation cookies (I have a recipe if you would like it. They have ingredients in them, such as oatmeal and brewers yeast, that will help you maintain supply and they are quite tasty).

It is sooooo normal to worry about all of these things. Just remember that the more milk you take out of your breasts the more you will make. So long as you are nursing exclusively with no suppliment you should have no problem producing enough milk. If you have any other questions or worries you are more than welcome to pm me. Good luck and Enjoy!

[ArizonaGirl]

Thanks for the reply ehlana06, so what you are saying is it is better for her and for my milk supply to snack or eat smaller meals more frequently, than to eat larger amounts less often, is that right.

I would LOVE the recipe for the oatmeal cookies you describe they sound yummy and any excuse to eat a cookie I'm down with.

I am not supplementing with formula anymore (was for 24 hours right after she was born due to her weight loss), but stopped soon after.

The switching sides thing always confuses me because as of right now I rarely feel full (even tho I know I have some milk because I can hear her loudly suck and swallow during feedings) so that's not really a good gauge. I also know that my milk comes out really fast (sprays, sorry if TMI) so she never really nurses for very long, but I think she still got a decent amount. So I guess I just kind of have to use my best judgement about whether she has sufficiently drained one side and then switch to the other, if that makes any sense at all :dizzy:

Thanks again to everyone who has replied

[Katigre]

Thanks for the reply ehlana06, so what you are saying is it is better for her and for my milk supply to snack or eat smaller meals more frequently, than to eat larger amounts less often, is that right.
Yes, this is correct and why attempts to schedule feeding are not recommended. If you like to read, I loved this book for evidence-based nursing advice that really helped. http://www.amazon.com/Breastfeeding-Made-Simple-Natural-Nursing/dp/1572248610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348267526&sr=8-1&keywords=breastfeeding+made+simple


The switching sides thing always confuses me because as of right now I rarely feel full (even tho I know I have some milk because I can hear her loudly suck and swallow during feedings) so that's not really a good gauge.
Then just tell yourself to feed twice on each side if she's snacking or switch sides if its been 2 hours or more. With their little tummies it's hard to tell sometimes what's a
new feeding' vs. the continuation of the previous one with a short break to burp/digest a bit. Remember that breastmilk digests more quickly than formula which is why bf babies feed more often.



I also know that my milk comes out really fast (sprays, sorry if TMI) so she never really nurses for very long, but I think she still got a decent amount. So I guess I just kind of have to use my best judgement about whether she has sufficiently drained one side and then switch to the other, if that makes any sense at all :dizzy:
I have a fast letdown and it takes a few months for my babies to be able to handle it easily. Short feedings have always been the norm over here, especially with young babies whose stomachs get full with just one letdown. I'm used to 5 minutes, maybe 10 min max per nursing session but my babies nurse more often to compensate.

As another Type A, learning to release the area of nursing into the area of being intuitive vs objective control/measurement helps A LOT.

[ArizonaGirl]

I need to learn to relax more and let it go and just trust my instincts versus trying to micromanage it.

Thanks to everyone

[sste]

Arizonagirl,

Excellent advice above. If you are worried about supply or feel your supply dipping add a pumping session - - so you feed her and then immediately after pump both sides. In general, supply is often higher with subsequent babies so I am not sure you should be concerned. But, the pump is a very effective way of increasing supply - - just don't go crazy with it if you are prone to mastitis.

Also while feeding on cue is great I personally think you need to balance what feels doable to you with the baby's breastfeeding. My personality is such that by 4-6 weeks I absolutely needed to be left the freak alone for 90 minutes at a time!! So, I tried to urge the baby toward that cycle by offering soothing in other ways or letting someone else feed the pumped milk (see above :) once or twice a day - - I had a huge supply from pumping.

My personal opinion is that women try so hard to do everything right, and follow every rule . . . that they end up on a population-basis BFing for shorter amounts of time than if they emphasized self-care right up there with baby care.

Good luck!

[ehlana06]

Thanks for the reply ehlana06, so what you are saying is it is better for her and for my milk supply to snack or eat smaller meals more frequently, than to eat larger amounts less often, is that right.

I would LOVE the recipe for the oatmeal cookies you describe they sound yummy and any excuse to eat a cookie I'm down with.

I am not supplementing with formula anymore (was for 24 hours right after she was born due to her weight loss), but stopped soon after.

The switching sides thing always confuses me because as of right now I rarely feel full (even tho I know I have some milk because I can hear her loudly suck and swallow during feedings) so that's not really a good gauge. I also know that my milk comes out really fast (sprays, sorry if TMI) so she never really nurses for very long, but I think she still got a decent amount. So I guess I just kind of have to use my best judgement about whether she has sufficiently drained one side and then switch to the other, if that makes any sense at all :dizzy:

Thanks again to everyone who has replied

Here is a web site that talks about feeding on demand and why you should do it. http://www.breastfeeding-problems.com/cue-feeding.html
It's a great site!

When i get into work on tuesday I will post the lactation cookie recipes. It's on my work computer.

If your milk comes out fast, she is probably eating faster! I had a really strong let down and neither of my children ever nursed for longer than 10-15 minutes total each feeding. The reason she is eating longer with the scheduled feedings it probably that she is really hungry. One of the goals behind baby-led feeding is to not let your baby feel that "despirate hunger" and to let her decide when she is hungry.

When you say you can hear her "loudly suck" what do you mean? If she is lached on properly you should not hear sucking or slurping noises. If you hear these slurping type sounds or a "clicking" type noise coming from the back of her throat, break the latch and try again. The gulping sound is perfectly fine and is probably from her keeping up with your let down. If she has an improper latch, milk transfer from you to the baby will not be as effective. This may be a reason why she is wanting to eat all the time. As she gets older she will not eat as frequently. If you feel like you are constantly holding her and you feel like you need to get stuff done try using a Moby wrap. This way you can still nurse on demand but you can also get things done. It's sooooo much better and a lot less frustrating when you don't feel like you are trapped on the couch or rocker 99% of the day.
Wear your baby dot com gives different ways and positions to wrap your baby and some allow for breastfeeding while wrapped. It even gives instructions on how to make your own wrap, since all a Moby wrap is is a long strip of cloth. It gives the length and width of the cloth needed and the type of cloth needed. http://www.wearyourbaby.com/Default.aspx?tabid=36
Hope this helps!

[ehlana06]

Lactation Cookies


2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal
4 Tablespoons water
1 Cup unsalted butter
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons brewer’s yeast
3 Cups thick cut oats*
1 Cup chocolate chips


*Use McCann’s Irish Oats or Silver Palate Thick and Rough Oatmeal

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix the flaxseed and water and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs. Stir flaxseed mixture into butter mixture and add vanilla. Beat until well blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and brewer’s yeast. Stir into butter mixture. Stir in oats, then stir in chocolate.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper or greased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 12 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy 4 or more a day to help increase or maintain full milk supply.

Variations: We have soaked the flaxseed meal in Silk or So Delicious coconut milk and added two more tablespoons liquid. We have added an extra egg. We like milk chocolate chips. I usually add the whole 12 oz. package of chocolate chips. Try adding chopped nuts, raisins, dates, dried cranberries, coconut, dried cherries or anything that sounds good to you!

Be sure to use flaxseed meal as whole flaxseed does not release its nutrients.

Also get brewer’s yeast with reduced bitterness. Flaxseed meal and brewer’s yeast can be found in health food stores if your grocer or pharmacy does not carry them. They can be added to other foods to increase nutrition and milk supply.

Per cookie:
Calories: 46
Fat: 2 gms
1 saturated
0 trans
Sodium: 33 mg
Carbohydrate: 6 gms
Sugars: 4 gms
Protein: 1 gm
Dietary Fiber: .5 gm

I will also pm you this recipe :)

[ArizonaGirl]

Thank you so much ehlana06, I am off to Sprouts to buy the few ingredients I need, yum!

Mini update: I have been letting her eat up to every 1.5 hours (sometimes in the evening I let her suck my pinky when I can't take being the human paci. At night she usually goes 4 hours one time and then back to every 3 which is fine with me.

Another weird thing tho is that sometimes in the evening usually when she is nursing a lot she will start to suck pull off and then open her mouth and attack my nipple and then pull off again, but she doesn't seem all that upset. I just thought it was strange.

Thanks again