nursing

Trina - posted on 11/12/2009

Thank you everyone! come to find out hes just stubborn and doesnt like to be help on that side most of the time so i got my boppy pillow and did the football hold...now he eats from that side! CRAZY boy!

Natasha - posted on 11/11/2009

i had this problem and what my doctor told me was to always start feeding on the breast that they dont like. milk supply is prob a lot lower on the breast they eat less of and that mean that the let down takes longer and they dont like to wait or work so hard for it with sucking. so they prefer to go with the breast they dont have to work so hard on.

that way you dont dry up and the more sucking the better to bring up the milk supply.

Minnie - posted on 11/11/2009

Quoting Trina:

Quoting Lisa:

What makes you think he didn't get enough milk out of your first? There's no rule that says you HAVE to nurse your baby off both breasts per feeding. Many mothers who need to block feed to regulate and maintain supply nurse their baby off of one breast for several feedings, myself included.

If he unlatches, you've burped him and offered the other side and he doesn't want to nurse let him be. Your baby knows his needs better than you do.

Babies will always take milk from a bottle because the milk just pours into their gullet. It's not necessarily an indication of still being hungry.

Is he appearing satisfied after one breast? Is he pooing and making urine that isn't dark or smelly? Then he's getting plenty of milk.

 

i think he may be gettig enough but only becasue he usually smiles and coos or even squeels after he eats one breast BUT the pnly reason i think mayb enot is because hes losing a bit of weight! thats wny im so nervous

 

Hmmm...you don't want him losing weight, obviously.  Have you tried breast compressions while nursing?  What you would do is squeeze your breast, keep the pressure on while your baby is sucking (making the full swallows) and then release the pressure when he stops suckling.  Then when he starts again you would start with the pressure.  You want to make sure he's getting the fatty hindmilk (which is what block feeding does as well). 

I don't think it's a matter of him only nursing on one breast and you not being able to make enough for him out of one breast- we have two breasts for a reason- if we have twins, or if one breast becomes damaged, we have another to keep up the production.

An inefficient latch can cause a baby to not get enough milk.

Trina - posted on 11/11/2009

Quoting Joanna:

Hi Trina! I discovered a way to outsmart this behavior. First of all, make sure you alternate which side you begin nursing on with every feeding. Some moms pin a safety pin on the side of their bra. I have a piece of paper on the fridge with "R" on one side and "L" on the other--just switch it every morning to remember what I'm starting with that day. Anyway, the trick is to reduce the amount of time you allow the baby to nurse on the first side. Every baby is different, so it isn't particularly helpful to say that my son gets 5 minutes. Just cut it down by a couple of minutes from the current situation. Burp quickly, before he feels full, and get started on the second side.

I've nursed three babies, and worked through all kinds of problems. The most embarassing is that one breast is noticeably larger than the other. As long as you switch sides, the baby seems to get the same amount of milk from either breast.

Good luck, and great job nursing!!
Joanna

 

thank you!!!! :) great advice!

Trina - posted on 11/11/2009

Quoting Lisa:

What makes you think he didn't get enough milk out of your first? There's no rule that says you HAVE to nurse your baby off both breasts per feeding. Many mothers who need to block feed to regulate and maintain supply nurse their baby off of one breast for several feedings, myself included.

If he unlatches, you've burped him and offered the other side and he doesn't want to nurse let him be. Your baby knows his needs better than you do.

Babies will always take milk from a bottle because the milk just pours into their gullet. It's not necessarily an indication of still being hungry.

Is he appearing satisfied after one breast? Is he pooing and making urine that isn't dark or smelly? Then he's getting plenty of milk.

 

i think he may be gettig enough but only becasue he usually smiles and coos or even squeels after he eats one breast BUT the pnly reason i think mayb enot is because hes losing a bit of weight! thats wny im so nervous

Joanna - posted on 11/11/2009

Hi Trina! I discovered a way to outsmart this behavior. First of all, make sure you alternate which side you begin nursing on with every feeding. Some moms pin a safety pin on the side of their bra. I have a piece of paper on the fridge with "R" on one side and "L" on the other--just switch it every morning to remember what I'm starting with that day. Anyway, the trick is to reduce the amount of time you allow the baby to nurse on the first side. Every baby is different, so it isn't particularly helpful to say that my son gets 5 minutes. Just cut it down by a couple of minutes from the current situation. Burp quickly, before he feels full, and get started on the second side.

I've nursed three babies, and worked through all kinds of problems. The most embarassing is that one breast is noticeably larger than the other. As long as you switch sides, the baby seems to get the same amount of milk from either breast.

Good luck, and great job nursing!!
Joanna

Roxane - posted on 11/11/2009

If he was not getting enough to eat he would let you know. Instead of smiling and cooing, he'd be saying more mom. My daughter usually eats only on one breast per feeding. As long as he is gaining weight like he should be as well as poopin & peeing frequently you have nothing to worry about. Don't foreget his stomach is just the size of his fist.

Ruth - posted on 11/11/2009

u might be more comfortable holding the baby on one side then the other. find a more comfortable position when you nurse that side. try nursing that side a little longer then the other. and drink a glass of water when you nurse it might let u calm down and relax. remember the baby picks up on your anxiety.

Minnie - posted on 11/11/2009

What makes you think he didn't get enough milk out of your first? There's no rule that says you HAVE to nurse your baby off both breasts per feeding. Many mothers who need to block feed to regulate and maintain supply nurse their baby off of one breast for several feedings, myself included.

If he unlatches, you've burped him and offered the other side and he doesn't want to nurse let him be. Your baby knows his needs better than you do.

Babies will always take milk from a bottle because the milk just pours into their gullet. It's not necessarily an indication of still being hungry.

Is he appearing satisfied after one breast? Is he pooing and making urine that isn't dark or smelly? Then he's getting plenty of milk.

Tara - posted on 11/11/2009

When my son was a newborn he very often took 5 minutes on one breast and lost intrest. I had to start a journal to help me remember whitch breast he started with the time before. It was more natural for me to start with the right, but I got used to flip-flopping. Every baby is different, and feeds different, that doesn't mean they're not well-fed. My littlest is almost 8 months & 22 pounds, so small feedings just ment he was gearing up! 8-)

Jade - posted on 11/11/2009

When i breastfed my daughter she used to only be hungry enough for one breast at each feeding and she gained weight prefectly fine ( she was also 9lbs 12oz when she was born and i was only a size C) If he seems happy and content, just start him on the side he doesnt favor at the next feeding and see how he does when hes actually hungry

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 11/11/2009

Will he start on the left side at the next feeding? You'd be surprised how much milk they can get out of one breast. If he seems satisfied I wouldn't think that giving more breastmilk in a bottle is necessary. If he won't latch on to the left side at all then you can try squeezing milk out onto the nipple so he can taste it and then he may latch.

Trina - posted on 11/11/2009

thank you michelle!!

Michelle - posted on 11/11/2009

It normal to them to pick a a side. You can try the football hold for the disliked side or the next nursing try to use that side first.