Breastfeeding Technique?

congratulations on all your babies!!! I have three and had a very different breastfeeding experience with each. from your story it sounds like looking at the clock was better for weight gain. but actually, what you did with the last 2 may have been.

you mentioned researching your technique. how updated was it and what were the sources? I work i a baby friendly hospital. we teach our moms to look at the baby. if you ever get your hands on the book breastfeeding made simple, read the foreward by dr. jack newman. it has a very good explanation how we evolved to looking at clocks instead of reading our babies. by the way, the dvd the happiest baby on the block is pretty amazing too.

so how do you read the baby?

hunger cues:
1. lip smacking
2. mouthing (sticking her tongue out)
3. turning head to side and opening mouth
4. bringing hands to mouth
5. in a sleeping baby, rapid eye movement

signs to fullness:
1. no longer showing any of about signs when stimulated
2. asleep with hands open and arms relaxed not flexed
3. weight gain
4. adequate wet and dirty diapers

a couple reasons why you don't want to only feed for 15-20 min is because the creamier milk (or hindmilk) may not have reached the baby in that time frame. You also may not be emptying the breast as much which will leave your body making less milk for baby.

keep in mind that some babies are fast eaters and some a slower eaters. it's hard to tell if that's the reason when you only have one that you're feeding. I've talked to mom's of twins that had a fast and a slow feeder. obviously they were getting milk from the same place, so you could see that it was the difference in the child.

My personal experience:

with all of them i emptied one side before offering the other.

With my first I would generally let her her feed as long as she wanted. I would make sure that it was at least 20 min. But if she stopped showing (what I thought)interest after 20 min. I would take her off. I also waited until she started crying to feed her (about every 4 hours). that makes learning for her more difficult.

With my 2nd, i had more information on breastfeeding and looked back and thought maybe my 1st was fussy at times because she was hungry. so i fed her whenever i thought she was hungry--looking more for hunger cues and not waiting for crying. she's my petite kid then and now. i was reassured by her doctor that her slow weight gain was fine, she seemed healthy every other way.

I fed my 3rd much more like the second. for some reason she swallowed more air and I'd have to burp her in order to finish a feeding. she is definitely my biggest kid. i weaned her at 11 months. when she was 13 months i took a class on lactation. i wished i had breastfed her longer, and even half seriously joked about relactating.

I'm pregnant with my 4th and plan to do lots and lots of skin to skin, watch for signs of hunger and fullness, and use the methods of attachment parenting. personally, i think that attachment parenting is one of the easiest ways to parent ESPECIALLY when you have other little ones to care for.

i'd like to hear from you. just on your thoughts and how things are going. good luck with everything, and again, congratulations.

Hi L.,

I don't have a ton of experience but in my opinion, it has more to do with the individual baby and how hard they suck to get the hind milk out. With my son, he was 9 lbs 10.5 ounces when he was born and he would only eat about 5 minutes on one side only for about the first 3 weeks. Now he nurses about 7-8 minutes at the max first side then about 4-5 the second side. He has almost doubled his weight at only 4 months, he's fat and strong as he can be. I also let him dictate when he will switch sides. He'll come off one side wanting to be burped, I burp him and we switch sides. I try to alternate sides each feeding.

According to my lactation consultant though, after about 10-12 minutes they are sucking only for comfort, because they have already gotten all the hind milk. So 45 on one side, I think is definitely too long, I would probably take them off at that point, burp and try the other side.

I guess what I am trying to say, is let the baby decide how the feeding will go, but only to a point.

You should seriously get a medal for nursing all your kids. Way to go woman!

I was told by every lactation consultant I talked to and everything I read to nurse on one side until emptied, then only switch if baby is still hungry. However, switching after 15 minutes is probably fine because, like someone else said, after about 12 minutes they've gotten it all and are probably sucking for comfort. But they have to have the opportunity to get that rich hind milk- the first stuff that comes out is more watery to make sure baby is hydrated, then the hind milk is richer and more fattening. Your last couple of children gaining less weight might be a total coincidence- every child is different, and as long as your pediatrician said they were okay they were obviously well nourished. And I am so happy to hear he encouraged you to breastfeed- too many pedicatricians jump at the chance to push formula.

Congrats on your 6th (I would LOVE six kids... just not six pregnancies!) and power to you for all the breastfeeding!

WOW! YOu've been busy! I think that the hindmilk is the richest. It comes out ladt. I always emptied both breasts. My daughter had roll after roll!! She slimmed down drastically when she started preschhol at 3. I nursed until one month before she turned 4. Hope this helps- H.