confussed...

Hi all,

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning on breastfeeding. I'm
a bit confused as to wether or not you feed from both breasts
at one feeding or if you alternate breasts with feedings?

I have a book that my MIL gave me that is, unfortunately,
dated 1987. As I'm reading it, part of me is wondering if it
is a bit dated. For example, it suggests alternating 5 minutes
on each breast per feeding and slowly increasing to 10 and 15
minutes. But I thought this was an old method. She has also
talked about alternating breasts when she fed her kids (hubby,
who is 29 and BIL who is 22.) While I appreciate her advice
and encouragement, again, I'm concerned about dated thinking.
My mom bf'd my little brother (who's 18 and maybe not so little
and I can't recall if she alternated or went one at a time.

Thanks in advance for the advice. This newsgroup has provided
lots of great info for me already!

Chris.
EDD 14 Oct
(and trying to get this stuff figured out before then

I alternated. Started with the full one and then went to the other, then
next feeding started on the other breast.
"chris" wrote in message
...

Hi all,

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning on breastfeeding. I'm
a bit confused as to wether or not you feed from both breasts
at one feeding or if you alternate breasts with feedings?

I have a book that my MIL gave me that is, unfortunately,
dated 1987. As I'm reading it, part of me is wondering if it
is a bit dated. For example, it suggests alternating 5 minutes
on each breast per feeding and slowly increasing to 10 and 15
minutes. But I thought this was an old method. She has also
talked about alternating breasts when she fed her kids (hubby,
who is 29 and BIL who is 22.) While I appreciate her advice
and encouragement, again, I'm concerned about dated thinking.
My mom bf'd my little brother (who's 18 and maybe not so little
and I can't recall if she alternated or went one at a time.

Thanks in advance for the advice. This newsgroup has provided
lots of great info for me already!

Chris.
EDD 14 Oct
(and trying to get this stuff figured out before then

chris wrote in message ...

Hi all,

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning on breastfeeding. I'm
a bit confused as to wether or not you feed from both breasts
at one feeding or if you alternate breasts with feedings?

It probably depends on the baby to some extent. My daughter started out
only feeding one side each session. Then at some point (can't remember
when - about 5-6 weeks I think) she started wanted the 2nd. And then when
she went on to solids at 6 months she only took one (and really let me know
that she didn't want the second!). She has been off-colour for a week, and
off solids, and is back on both sides each nursing session.

Good luck with your impending arrival.

Cathy

chris wrote in message ...

I have a book that my MIL gave me that is, unfortunately,
dated 1987. As I'm reading it, part of me is wondering if it
is a bit dated. For example, it suggests alternating 5 minutes
on each breast per feeding and slowly increasing to 10 and 15
minutes. But I thought this was an old method.

Oops, just re-read the rest! Let the baby feed as long as they want each
side! DD did a few marathons - one hour one side, then 30 mins the other.
She is a lazy nurser, and will nibble till she gets a let-down. If I had
only given her 5 mins, she would have gone very hungry - even at a day old
she would have about 20 mins each session (I know I shouldn't have watched
the clock, but I did!).

(That info is not quite as bad as a book my grandmother has that states no
night nursings whatsoever! Haven't things changed since 1940).

Cathy

chris wrote:

Hi all,

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning on breastfeeding. I'm
a bit confused as to wether or not you feed from both breasts
at one feeding or if you alternate breasts with feedings?

I have a book that my MIL gave me that is, unfortunately,
dated 1987. As I'm reading it, part of me is wondering if it
is a bit dated. For example, it suggests alternating 5 minutes
on each breast per feeding and slowly increasing to 10 and 15
minutes. But I thought this was an old method. She has also
talked about alternating breasts when she fed her kids (hubby,
who is 29 and BIL who is 22.) While I appreciate her advice
and encouragement, again, I'm concerned about dated thinking.
My mom bf'd my little brother (who's 18 and maybe not so little
and I can't recall if she alternated or went one at a time.

Thanks in advance for the advice. This newsgroup has provided
lots of great info for me already!

Chris.
EDD 14 Oct
(and trying to get this stuff figured out before then


This info is definitely dated, although maybe there is some other
chapters in the book that are OK.

I mostly fed from one breast at a time. Alternating each breast at each
feed. If the baby still seemed hungry after some time and the breast
felt 'empty' I would offer the other breast.

The first few days you have colostrum and not that much of it. Mind you
the baby has a tiny tummy and does not need much. They also take a long
time to feed at first, 45 minutes was usual but up to an hour was also
rare. They also feed quite frequently, mine generally went close to 3
hours between the start of each feed but they can feed more frequently.

When your milk comes in anytime from 2 - 7 days I think is normal. There
is a lot more milk and sometimes you need to express a little off (just
hand express) to make the nipple softer and easier to get baby to latch
on. As they grow they become more efficient at feeding and faster, feeds
spread out a bit as well.

Hopefully you will have a lactation consultant available to you in the
hospital to help with positioning.

Larissa

I don't think alternating after a very short time is current advice, but I
tried it for a couple of days when we either had a sleepy or wriggly
newborn, I gave him 2 mins each side and kept swapping for as long as I
could keep him awake, once he was about 10 days old and he had got over
hid jaundice he could stay on one side without falling asleep.

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning on breastfeeding. I'm
a bit confused as to wether or not you feed from both breasts
at one feeding or if you alternate breasts with feedings?

Offer one side and let the baby continue nursing until s/he lets go, falls
asleep, or has settled into "comfort sucking" with no active swallowing
happening for several minutes. This will probably take somewhere between 10
and 30 minutes. Then offer the other side. The baby might take it or might
not. :-)

Alternate which side you start with from feeding to feeding. However, it's not
all that important if you forget which side is which; sometimes it will be
obvious because one side will be a bit engorged, but sometimes you won't be
able to tell and it doesn't matter.

There are various reasons to try other patterns, but you you can cross that
bridge if and when you come to it. For now, the thing to keep in mind is to
watch the baby, not the clock. :-)

Get yourself a newer book. If you don't have a copy of _The Baby Book_ by
William and Martha Sears, I recommend it. There's a good chapter on
breastfeeding, and it's a useful reference for everything else you'll have
questions about in the baby's first year.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs

I always put a ponytail rubber band on the wrist I needed to start
nursing on next time. It was easy to change while nursing. A braclet
might do the same trick just make sure it slips on.

LB

HollyLewis wrote:
I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning on breastfeeding. I'm
a bit confused as to wether or not you feed from both breasts
at one feeding or if you alternate breasts with feedings?


Offer one side and let the baby continue nursing until s/he lets go, falls
asleep, or has settled into "comfort sucking" with no active swallowing
happening for several minutes. This will probably take somewhere between 10
and 30 minutes. Then offer the other side. The baby might take it or might
not. :-)

Alternate which side you start with from feeding to feeding. However, it's not
all that important if you forget which side is which; sometimes it will be
obvious because one side will be a bit engorged, but sometimes you won't be
able to tell and it doesn't matter.

There are various reasons to try other patterns, but you you can cross that
bridge if and when you come to it. For now, the thing to keep in mind is to
watch the baby, not the clock. :-)

Get yourself a newer book. If you don't have a copy of _The Baby Book_ by
William and Martha Sears, I recommend it. There's a good chapter on
breastfeeding, and it's a useful reference for everything else you'll have
questions about in the baby's first year.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs

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