Breastfeeding on One Side Only?

I breastfed my babies on one side at a time and had plenty of milk even if they slept well at night. If she's sleeping like that, she is getting plenty of milk. And her demand will keep it coming.

That is a great question and I personally think everyone is different. I dried up way sooner than I wanted due to the lack of breast feeding because I went back to work after 6 weeks for one monthe even though I pumped at work it was only once a D. that I was ablt to pump at work. After one month I started working from home but my milk dried up anyway and that was about 3 months. If you are able you should be pumping atleast every couple of hours except maybe at night just to be safe.

My youger daughter is 4 months now and she does the same thing: eats for abotu 5 minutes every couple of hours except at night. You are blessed to have such a sleeper. Ours started sleeping a lot better once she was in her own room but still doesn't sleep well for naps :( I think once they are about 12 pounds you shouldn't have to worry about having to wake her up to feed, but check with your doctor at the 2 month visit. I just hate waking her up, but they make you do it at the hospital, which was pretty annoying actually :) You'll make what you need, don't worry!

I had a friend who only fed on one side at a time. She didn't seem to have a problem. Just remember to alternate the sides. She put a little safety pin on her bra to remind her which side to feed when it was time. If you are concerned about losing milk, pump the other side and freeze it for a rainy day. My foster daughter would feed on one side and pump and the other while the baby was feeding.

Just remember this is your schedule. Usually a woman's body adjusts the milk to what the baby takes, so I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like you are doing great.

Hi J.. I have always strongly believed in baby led breastfeeding. I fed my children the same way. I allowed my children to feed on one breast per feeding and the next feeding I alternated. Every baby is different and feeding times will vary. You will find that as she gets older she will want to eat more. Your body will naturally produce the milk you need for your baby. It will never leave her without. If you find yourself worrying to much. Have your OB refer you to a lactation consultation or ask for one at the hospital. You may have to pay a small fee but they are so worth it. I went to see one after I had issues with my daughter and you get to understand why we need them so much. Your decision to breastfeed is a wonderful one plus it only gets easier as they get older. Congratulations!

A lot of babies sleep during the night at infancy and I don't think the mom's milk dries up. Pumping will even out the sides and will also keep your milk production up. Your body will produce enough milk to feed her, as she gets older and eats more your milk production will also go up.

I had the same "problem" with mine. I was so nervous that my milk would dry up. It never did. I nursed both of mine until they were a little over a year old. If your daughter is sleeping through the night, I think you should let her, but you can pump before you go to bed. I used to just to get some comfort. My kids were never on a set feeding schedule (I fed on demand as well), but as they got older they began to feed more evenly on each side.

Hi J.,
It sounds like you are doing great. Babies go through a growth spurt around 6-8 weeks where their digestive systems get more mature and thus they are able to sleep longer. You don't need to wake her up to feed. She will wake when she is hungry. She has also gotten much more efficient at getting the milk out, so even though it seems she isn't feeding very long, she is getting way more out than you realize (and more than what she could get out when she was younger). You are doing all the right things. One thing that helped me immensely was a breastfeeding support group. There is one at Banner Gateway hospital, every Thursday at 10 am. It is free, and there is always a lactation consultant there to answer your questions for free. It was also great to talk with other moms with babies of the same age. They will be able to direct you to the conference room for the support group if you ask at the front desk.
T.

Your breastmilk will be fine. The supply and demand works the way it's supposed to. You'll probably just start producing less at night and more during the day. It's an amazing system. My daughter was a snacker, like yours. She nursed for only 5-10 minutes every 2-4 hours initially, then went to 3-5 minutes, now she's back up to at least 10, if not more, but only every 4-6 hours. She's 21 months now. I night-weaned her about a month ago, and she has handled it beautifully because I didn't force it until she was ready.
You just may be producing more milk than you realize, or she could be a very efficient nurser, and she is getting all she needs in that brief time nursing. My daughter would sleep long periods as well, and I didn't need to wake her in order to keep her weight gain up.
As long as your daughter is having the amount of wet and dirty diapers she is supposed to be having, you're doing great! Some babies also gain weight slower or faster than others. Pediatricians need to cover all their bases in order to keep from getting sued, but just pay attention to the amount of wet and dirty diapers, your baby's overall demeanor, and most of all, your instincts, you should be fine.

You can always get support from the local La Leche League. To find the closest group, just go to www.llli.org. It's a great resource for other BF mamas!
Congratulations! And remember, everything is temporary.
Cheers,
E. :)

I was told by a lactation consultant that if I feed only on one side at a time to pump on the other side during or after each feeding. That way my milk supply will stay up and I will have a stash of breastmilk in the freezer for later use.

I am a Newborn Care Specialist and Breastfeeding is part of the help I give moms.
Yes, you absolutely can breastfeed on one side at a time. If I were you I would pump the other side each time and store the milk for later use.
As far as waking her up at night....don't. She may sleep all night and that is great. She will make up for the lost calories during the day. If you continue to wake her up she will get into the habit of waking up and you will be calling someone like me to train her to sleep all night.
Your breastmilk should be fine. If you are worried about supply you can wake up after 5 hours and pump. You milk supply will adjust to not being used at night.
You are doing great with your schedule.
N.

I have two kids and I breastfed both of them. I was also on-demand. My oldest was so textbook. 15 minutes on one side then 15 on the other. When my son was born, I freaked out because he had the same eating pattern you have described. He only ate for 5 minutes tops and only on one breast. There was no time to switch during a feeding. He was done too fast. I alternated breasts each feeding. Right one the first feeding, left breast the second, right again the third, etc. I never dried up and was actually a lot more comfortable than the first go round.
You'll make what your baby needs. Don't worry. Mother Nature knows what she's doing.

I have three soley breastfed kids and I fed them all on one side at a time, except for the earliest days when engorgement was an issue. It worked great for us. But I was nursing more frequently or for longer periods, usually. I would work with a lactation consultant or LLL Leader to see what might help you nurse longer or more frequently. If you're uncomfortable, relieve yourself a little bit by pumping. And don't worry too much. If your child seems healthy and happy, she's getting what she needs.

La Leche League will help with your questions, but, your body adjusts to your babies schedule. You should count yourself lucky if your baby is sleeping so nicely through the night already. Don't disturb her sleep pattern, If she is hungry, she will wake up and feed on her own. You don't need to pump. If she didn't take much from the last breast, start her on that one when she wants to feed again. That way she will get the rich milk from the back of the breast. If she has a favorite, you can always trick them into taking it, by laying her on the bed, and hanging the less used breast over her. Sounds weird, but it works. But LLL is a wonderful resource for breastfeeding moms. Good luck.

It may help for you to consider that your baby's stomach is only the size of her fist. I am breastfeeding and I was concerned that she should be eating more - both breasts. My doctor explained that I am making enough to simply rotate from one to the other. Your milk will not dry up in 7 hours. You will feel swelling and fullness after 7 hours because your breasts are full - it will be a relief to feed her. You are doing fine - do what feels natural - it is instinctual.

Hi J.-
Just remember to alternate sides. The baby's appetite will vary, depending on things like the temperature, and how much growth is going on at the time. When baby needs more milk, she will try to get it, which will, in turn, stimulate you to produce more milk. Try not to worry- that will cause you to produce less milk. I tried to wean my son at nine months. He failed to thrive on formula, and was allergic to both cow and goat milk. I was able to start nursing again, and nursed him until he was about a year and a half and over his allergies. The stop must have been at least a week, but it picked right up again. It won't dry up in the much shorter periods of time you are describing. We produce what the baby needs at that time. if she gets hungrier, you'll produce more, if she starts solid foods, she will need less, and you will produce less. Trust your body's wisdom- iot knows best:-)
Good luck- S.

If your daughter is going that long without feeding, I would pump during the longer-stretch to keep everything flowing. :)You can put the milk in the freezer, that way you can always have extra.

Hi J.,

I had the same issue with my first daughter and I freaked out because everyone said "you need to do both sides for a certain amount of time". My daughter never nursed on both and for a longer period than at most 15 minutes. After a few months I got tired of trying and stressing over it. I let her nurse one side as long as she wanted then switched on the next feeding. I never had a problem with a lack of milk. I nursed her for 13 months.
Just dont give up your body has a way of producing what is needed. If you feel you are not producing enough during the day What I did was pumped a little on that side. Good luck to you. By breastfeedign you doing an amazing thing baby and for youself! :)

Ouch!! 10 hours hurts. My second daughter did that as well. I did have some trouble keeping up my milk supply so I started pumping at 4-6hrs or so. (Craigs list has a few cheap pumps, or get a manual one) Even if I only dumped the milk out so not to bottle feed, it helped keep my supply regular and prevented engorgement. 10 hours was painful. I couldn't wait that long for her to eat. Good luck! Hope that helps.

Your body will adjust and produce the amount of milk baby needs. If you get too uncomfortable you could always pump.

Oh, and how wonderful to have a little one on such a great sleeping time! Enjoy it!

I was told when I was breastfeeding that you will make as much milk as your baby needs. But for various reason we had to start suplimenting with formula and he liked that better, especially when he started bitting. My suggestion is to start pumping and storing your milk. That way you don't have to worry about drying out, and you can have a stash so someone else could watch her. And just a note, if she is sleeping at night, don't wake her. That way you can sleep!

J., of course the more she eats the more milk you should have. But all babies sleeping habits change. Since she is just eating off one breast at a time you may want to pump the other breast. In fact where the baby is breast fed only you may want to try pumping in between feedings and make sure you are switching your breast each feeding. Both my boys were bf only and these steps helped me. Hope this helps you some and congrats on the new baby they are all a blessing