comfort sucking & supply

how important is comfort sucking in maintaining supply?

DS2 is 4 weeks old and he can comfort suck for a really long time. sometimes
(not all the time!) i would like to finish the feed when his sucking changes
from the ordinary feeding to comfort sucking. but i do not want to do
anything that will sabotage my supply.

everything i have read of course mentions, feeding until the baby comes off
the breast themselves. but does this account for long comfort sucking?

thoughts about this & supply?

--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS1 20th august 2002
DS2 26th September 2005

"In raising my children, I have lost my mind but found my soul."
--Lisa T. Shepherd

arachne wrote:
how important is comfort sucking in maintaining supply?

DS2 is 4 weeks old and he can comfort suck for a really long time. sometimes
(not all the time!) i would like to finish the feed when his sucking changes
from the ordinary feeding to comfort sucking. but i do not want to do
anything that will sabotage my supply.

everything i have read of course mentions, feeding until the baby comes off
the breast themselves. but does this account for long comfort sucking?

thoughts about this & supply?


My DS would not comfort suck until a few weeks ago... he's almost 5
months old now. The NCSS says to break the seal just before they are
properly asleep so they get used to not needing to suck to sleep

I don't think it would affect your supply - it is mostly regulated by
milk removal at this stage.



Jo

"Jo" wrote in message
...
My DS would not comfort suck until a few weeks ago... he's almost 5 months
old now. The NCSS says to break the seal just before they are properly
asleep so they get used to not needing to suck to sleep

that's one of the reasons i wanted to do it - so i could put him down awake.
he is quite settled if i discontinue his comfort sucking, give a quick hug &
plop him down to sleep. but i'm not planning on doing it at every feed. i
like breastfeeding to sleep, but i want to have more options for sleep this
time round.

the other reason is if we need to go out somewhere on time! he can really
comfort suck for ages!

I don't think it would affect your supply - it is mostly regulated by milk
removal at this stage.

that's what i was thinking. i guess he would want more feeds more often if
he wasn't getting what he needed? he's healthy & happy breastfeeder & is
growing really quickly, so i'm thinking this would be the case. just didn't
want to bugger up something that was working so well this time round.
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS1 20th august 2002
DS2 26th September 2005

"In raising my children, I have lost my mind but found my soul."
--Lisa T. Shepherd

arachne wrote:
"Jo" wrote in message
...

My DS would not comfort suck until a few weeks ago... he's almost 5 months
old now. The NCSS says to break the seal just before they are properly
asleep so they get used to not needing to suck to sleep


that's one of the reasons i wanted to do it - so i could put him down awake.
he is quite settled if i discontinue his comfort sucking, give a quick hug &
plop him down to sleep. but i'm not planning on doing it at every feed. i
like breastfeeding to sleep, but i want to have more options for sleep this
time round.

the other reason is if we need to go out somewhere on time! he can really
comfort suck for ages!


I don't think it would affect your supply - it is mostly regulated by milk
removal at this stage.


that's what i was thinking. i guess he would want more feeds more often if
he wasn't getting what he needed? he's healthy & happy breastfeeder & is
growing really quickly, so i'm thinking this would be the case. just didn't
want to bugger up something that was working so well this time round.

Doesn't sound like you'll bugger anything up at all...
What happens now if Will comfort sucks... if he sucks long enough, he'll
stimulate another let down, have a few big gulps, then pull off himself
and go to sleep, as he didn't really want the milk.

I'm sure if he was hungry, he'd feed, not just comfort suck. By all
means let him do it when you have the time / inclination, but I honestly
don't think it would hurt if you didn't let him do it all the time.



Enjoy!!

Jo

Doesn't sound like you'll bugger anything up at all...
What happens now if Will comfort sucks... if he sucks long enough, he'll
stimulate another let down, have a few big gulps, then pull off himself
and go to sleep, as he didn't really want the milk.

LOL, I get the opposite, she is gently sucking, the letdown, the she guzzles
and I wonder why she hadn't sucked harder originally!

Anne

"arachne" wrote in message
...
how important is comfort sucking in maintaining supply?

Jessica has never been a comfort sucker and my supply hasn't been
compromised.

JennP.

arachne writes:
: how important is comfort sucking in maintaining supply?

: DS2 is 4 weeks old and he can comfort suck for a really long time. sometimes
: (not all the time!) i would like to finish the feed when his sucking changes
: from the ordinary feeding to comfort sucking. but i do not want to do
: anything that will sabotage my supply.

I think it is much more important for babies less than 4 months than for
older babies. Similarly, it is much more common the first 1 to 2 months.

: everything i have read of course mentions, feeding until the baby comes off
: the breast themselves. but does this account for long comfort sucking?

For newborns this the way they increase your supply.

: thoughts about this & supply?

Yes!

: --
: elizabeth (in australia)
: DS1 20th august 2002
: DS2 26th September 2005

: "In raising my children, I have lost my mind but found my soul."
: --Lisa T. Shepherd

Hope this helps,
Larry