Bre@st Preference

I put Caterpillar on the slow-flow side last night, and fed
her until she refused to latch anymore. (She ate about as
long as she normally does on the fast-flow side, but I
suspect she got a lot less milk.) Sure enough, 5 minutes
later, she started making "hungry" cues. So I put her back
on that side, and she just fussed and fussed and refused to
latch.

I didn't want to reward her for fussing by giving her the
other side, so we did "suck finger until primed, transfer to
mom, unlatch and fuss, suck finger, relatch, lather, rinse,
repeat" until she finally decided she was full enough. (She
does get the fast-flow side quite a bit, and I've been known
to switch her if it's my decision, but I don't want her to
learn that refusing what's offered gets something better.
She can nurse as long as she wants, as often as she wants,
but I decide what she gets to nurse on.)

If the fast-flow side were a bottle, we'd have a real
problem, especially since the slow-flow side now never feels
more than slightly full, even if it's been 8 or 9 hours
since she's nursed on it. (She's sleeping a 5-hour stretch
and a 3 hour stretch some nights, and I'm not willing to go
8 hours without nursing on the side that's huge and
uncomfortable at 4 hours, nor am I happy at the thought of
pumping at 3am after spending half an hour coaxing her to
drink from the other side.) And I can't pump more than half
an ounce from that side anymore. I'm starting to think that
this might be a problem even with everything coming from me.

Is the solution the same as the solution to a bottle
preference -- take away the fast-flow side (and pump, both
to maintain some supply and to build the freezer stash), get
some water and oatmeal and fenugreek, and just keep putting
her on the slow side? If I can get her on the slow side for
every feeding during the day, is there any harm in giving
the fast side at night? How do I keep from being unbalanced
in the other direction? How long should it take to even
things out? Anything else I should think of?

Phoebe

So, is it that she likes the fast flow side, but you want to make sure
that she is also stimulating the slow flow side?

I have a faster side too, but we only eek out enough supply, so we
must use both breasts every feed, except at night when we simply take
turns.

If you want your breasts to be more even, you should just alternate
sides, but I've always heard that you should always offer the second
breast when they quit latching on the first to make sure they get
enough milk.

KC

Phoebe & Allyson wrote in message ...
I put Caterpillar on the slow-flow side last night, and fed
her until she refused to latch anymore. (She ate about as
long as she normally does on the fast-flow side, but I
suspect she got a lot less milk.) Sure enough, 5 minutes
later, she started making "hungry" cues. So I put her back
on that side, and she just fussed and fussed and refused to
latch.

I didn't want to reward her for fussing by giving her the
other side, so we did "suck finger until primed, transfer to
mom, unlatch and fuss, suck finger, relatch, lather, rinse,
repeat" until she finally decided she was full enough. (She
does get the fast-flow side quite a bit, and I've been known
to switch her if it's my decision, but I don't want her to
learn that refusing what's offered gets something better.
She can nurse as long as she wants, as often as she wants,
but I decide what she gets to nurse on.)

If the fast-flow side were a bottle, we'd have a real
problem, especially since the slow-flow side now never feels
more than slightly full, even if it's been 8 or 9 hours
since she's nursed on it. (She's sleeping a 5-hour stretch
and a 3 hour stretch some nights, and I'm not willing to go
8 hours without nursing on the side that's huge and
uncomfortable at 4 hours, nor am I happy at the thought of
pumping at 3am after spending half an hour coaxing her to
drink from the other side.) And I can't pump more than half
an ounce from that side anymore. I'm starting to think that
this might be a problem even with everything coming from me.

Is the solution the same as the solution to a bottle
preference -- take away the fast-flow side (and pump, both
to maintain some supply and to build the freezer stash), get
some water and oatmeal and fenugreek, and just keep putting
her on the slow side? If I can get her on the slow side for
every feeding during the day, is there any harm in giving
the fast side at night? How do I keep from being unbalanced
in the other direction? How long should it take to even
things out? Anything else I should think of?

Phoebe

In article ,
Phoebe & Allyson wrote:

Is the solution the same as the solution to a bottle
preference -- take away the fast-flow side (and pump, both
to maintain some supply and to build the freezer stash), get
some water and oatmeal and fenugreek, and just keep putting
her on the slow side? If I can get her on the slow side for
every feeding during the day, is there any harm in giving
the fast side at night? How do I keep from being unbalanced
in the other direction? How long should it take to even
things out? Anything else I should think of?

Phoebe, most of us are a bit lopsided, with one breast an obviously better
producer (and slightly bigger) than the other. I don't think galactogogues
are a good idea as you will stimulate production on both breasts.

Now -- is bubs showing signs of displeasure when you offer that side, or do
you feel that you are looking a bit lopsided? :-0

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"...children should continue to be breastfed... for up to two years of age
or beyond." -- Innocenti Declaration, Florence, 1 August 1990

Well, ds got very opinionated about my slow side, and eventually we
completely phased it out. Not entirely my choice, but after a while I
stopping fighting it too much. So, it's not the end of the world,
though you do end up a bit lopsided. The main thing that made me not
work too hard was that I was getting very engorged and almost getting
mastitis when I tried to give the faster side a break.

(I didn't completely give up on the slower side until ds was about a
year old, btw. He just mainly got it for comfort nursing.)

Gotta go

Irene

Chookie wrote:

is bubs showing signs of displeasure when you offer that side, or do
you feel that you are looking a bit lopsided? :-0

She eats until she gets the first letdown, then unlatches.
After about 3 relatches, she won't open her mouth. I burp
her, re-offer, she won't latch. Then she gets more and more
agitated unless fed on the other side or tricked into
feeding on that side longer. (And if I do give her the
other side, she eats like she hadn't gotten anything from
the first side, and usually doesn't unlatch until she's
gotten two letdowns.)

When fed on the other side first, she eats diligently until
full, and can't be tempted to have a second side.

Phoebe