Conflicting Info

Ok, so "They" say finish the first breast first before going over to the
second. Seems like good advice but then they say that a breast doesn't
actually empty cos it's always making milk on-the-fly after a few weeks of
b/f'ing so how can you 'finish' it?

--Alison

Alison wrote:
Ok, so "They" say finish the first breast first before going over to
the second. Seems like good advice but then they say that a breast
doesn't actually empty cos it's always making milk on-the-fly after a
few weeks of b/f'ing so how can you 'finish' it?

Well, considering that there's no real need to use both breasts after the
first few weeks anyway, it's something of a moot point, isn't it?

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."

"Alison" o.uk wrote in
message ...
Ok, so "They" say finish the first breast first before going over to the
second. Seems like good advice but then they say that a breast doesn't
actually empty cos it's always making milk on-the-fly after a few weeks of
b/f'ing so how can you 'finish' it?

In the case of my DD (almost 11 months), she will pull off after 5-10
minutes on the first breast and show no interest in re-latching. I flip her
over and let her latch on the other breast and she eats for another 5-10
minutes.

So in our case, she's finished with the first breast, even though there is
still milk. I think it gets to where it's not flowing fast enough in her
opinion. Or something.

Babies are different. This is just my experience (with only one child).

Lucy

Alison wrote:
Ok, so "They" say finish the first breast first before going over to
the second. Seems like good advice but then they say that a breast
doesn't actually empty cos it's always making milk on-the-fly after a
few weeks of b/f'ing so how can you 'finish' it?

--Alison

I second this question, particularly after I've read in a few places that
you'll know when to switch breasts when the other side starts letting down.
Is that a good sign? How do you know when one breast is done? I don't want
to skimp on any hindmilk.

- Joanne
#1 - 36w2d

wrote:

I second this question, particularly after I've read in a few places that
you'll know when to switch breasts when the other side starts letting down.
Is that a good sign?

Huh? I would *frequently* let down from both breasts at once while nursing from
one side. Like, on the first let-down, minutes or maybe even seconds after
starting a feed. I used to joke with my son (who was born after my twins) that
the other breast thought there was a second baby over there ;-)

I didn't ever switch breasts much. I wasn't used to it as I had always nursed
the twins simultaneously, one breast each per feeding. When I did, it was
usually after I started feeling a bit emptier on the first side but the baby
still seemed hungry.

--Helen

jjmoreta wrote in message
...
I second this question, particularly after I've read in a few
places that you'll know when to switch breasts when the
other side starts letting down. Is that a good sign? How
do you know when one breast is done? I don't want
to skimp on any hindmilk.

I've never heard of that as a guideline. When DS starts nursing on the
first side, both sides let down simultaneously, so it would be
impossible for me to switch when the other side starts letting down -
he'd never even get started. I switch when DS drops off looking
contented. If he pulls off, but acts uncomfortable, I burp him. Then
he will usually take the same side again. If he refuses to go back to
the same side, then I offer the other. IME, when to switch is not
something the mother needs to decide, the baby does just fine at letting
me know when he's done. It does start to take longer between let downs
after a while, and the breast feels a lot softer when the baby's done,
but as long as the baby continues to nurse, there's no reason to switch
IMO. Also, don't get too hung up on foremilk vs hindmilk. It's not
like it's only one or the other - it's a gradual transition. HTH.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 6 mo.
And Jaden, 1 month

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

Alison wrote:

Ok, so "They" say finish the first breast first before going over to the
second. Seems like good advice but then they say that a breast doesn't
actually empty cos it's always making milk on-the-fly after a few weeks of
b/f'ing so how can you 'finish' it?

I switched when Caterpillar unlatched on her own, or when
she refused to re-latch on the first side, depending on my
mood. When she wanted to be switched back and forth and
back again (I counted 19 times in 4 hours, during which time
she never stopped actively nursing, during one growth
spurt), I switched whenever I couldn't stand having her on
that side any longer.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt

jjmoreta wrote:

I've read in a few places that
you'll know when to switch breasts when the other side starts letting down.
Is that a good sign?

*boggle* I always assumed that when I felt letdown on the
un-nursed side, it corresponded to letdown on the nursed
side. But I didn't feel letdown until Caterpillar was more
than 10 weeks old, and I only feel it on the unnursed side.
I feel it on both sides when pumping, though, and it's
pretty simultaneous.

It wouldn't be a good sign for me.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt

"Lucy" wrote in message ...
"Alison" o.uk wrote in
message ...
Ok, so "They" say finish the first breast first before going over to the
second. Seems like good advice but then they say that a breast doesn't
actually empty cos it's always making milk on-the-fly after a few weeks of
b/f'ing so how can you 'finish' it?

In the case of my DD (almost 11 months), she will pull off after 5-10
minutes on the first breast and show no interest in re-latching. I flip her
over and let her latch on the other breast and she eats for another 5-10
minutes.

So in our case, she's finished with the first breast, even though there is
still milk. I think it gets to where it's not flowing fast enough in her
opinion. Or something.

I think this probably approximates what's going on for the baby. I
suspect that if a kid nursed one breat for an hour, she'd still get
*something,* and some kids will do that, God knows, but it seems that
most of them get off when the breast "gets low".

I think the standard advice these days is to let the baby nurse as
long as she likes on the first breast and then offer the 2nd.
"Finishing" means different things to different babies at different
ages and even at different feedings. Some babies are "businesslike"
nursers who will get off when things slow down and then expect to be
put on the other breast. Others will hang out on the first breast,
comfort sucking even after they're done "eating".

My 3rd, currently nursing at 10 months, does tend to get off the first
breast after about 7 minutes and take the second for about the same
amount of time during the day. She doesn't hang out at the breast when
she's awake. However, at bedtime, she falls asleep at the breast and
would continue sucking for probably 30 minutes if I let her. But I
want her to get the max amount of milk to last her all night, so I do
tend to de-latch her after about 15 mins (unless I fall asleep!) and
give her the other breast for about the same amount of time. Given her
daytime ability to get a full feeding in about 15 minutes total, I
feel safe that 30 mins of nursing has virtually "emptied" my breasts.
But she still wants to suck, so I pop a pacifier in her mouth. Off she
goes to the crib, off I go to read to one of my big kids. Bliss all
around.