Is She Breastfeeding Long Enough?

She knows how much she needs to eat and as long as she is going to the bathroom like she should, which it sounds like she is, than I think everything is fine and there is no need to worry!

I also alternate breasts each feeding and my son is now 8 months old. I have never supplemented and he has always been a big healthy boy. I say do what works for you.
Good Luck K.

She gets all the milk she needs in the first three to five minutes. The rest of the sucking is to stimulate more milk. It also forms her strong face muscles. This will make her more beautiful. Everything is fine. As she gets older you will need to do both breasts at one feeding. So you will need learn to break her suction with a finger. Use a safety pin to keep take of which breast to start with.

Every kid is different. My daughter did the same thing yours is doing and I was freaking out. She was my 2nd. My son (my 1st) would nurse for at least 30-40 minutes at a time so I was convinced my daughter was starving. But she was gaining weight and following her growth curve and the doc wasn't worried. She had plenty of wet/dirty diapers, too. That's the best indicator of whether or not she's getting enough.

I'm breasting my 3rd now (she's 2 months old) and she's somewhere between the other 2 kids -- usually 15-20 minutes at a feeding. They are all different but all are growing and are healthy.

As long as she seems satisfied after the feedings, she's getting enough. Sometimes she'll nurse for comfort, sometimes she'll be hungrier (first thing in the morning, for example).

As long as she has at least 4-6 wet and 3-5 poopy diapers in a day she's eating enough.

JB:

if you are worried call and have a lactation consultant come to the house to help you.... I am sure you will find it a very worthwhile experience.

you can get all your questions and concerned answered on a one to one.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

Why are you only doing one breast? Do you have an over-active letdown and you are trying to control it? If so, then that is probably enough. My milk would come out so fast that she could be done fast. It would be better to nurse a bit longer to get the hind milk (~15 mins at that age), and then she gets the fat. But if she is gaining weight and everything else you mentioned sounds great, she's probably just fine and you are fortunate to not have to spend forever nursing. Congrats on your new little girl!!! They are wonderful!

H.

make sure her chin isn't too close to her chest her head should look as if she was looking up my daughter's chin was to close to her chest and she would release because she couldn't swallow very well in that position
i had a lactation consultant to the house and she had her nursing perfect and long enough right away

just a thought

Is she gaining the right amount of weight? She should gain 4-7oz per week. The hind milk is the best, so you don't want to go to the other breast before she has really gotten all she can from the first one. If she is gaining enough weight then I wouldn't worry too much. If she isn't then you may want to tickle her feet, wash her with a cloth, take off her clothes etc to make sure that she doens't go to sleep too quickly.

I did it that way with my last child and am planning on alternating breasts with each feeding again with my next one. I don't think it is ideal, I think it is better to drain each breast at each feeding, but for us it worked well. It was exquisitly painful and difficult to get my son latched on for the first month or so of feeding, so once I got a successful latch I really didn't want to have to do it again on the other side. The lactation consultant said as long as he was gaining enough, seemed satisfied, and had lots of wet diapers a day (I think she said 6 or 7 at least) that it was okay. He stayed in the 90th percentile for weight the whole time I breastfed so I didn't worry. I will say that I got a lot of plugged ducts though and I don't know if the fact that I only nursed on one side at a time so didn't drain the breast as often as I should contributed to that or not. Good luck and remember it will get a lot easier in another week or two.

YAY!!! Good for you for doing the best for your daughter:) As long as she has dirty diapers and gains weight, you don't need to worry about length of feedings. Some babies are very fast and efficient, others take FOREVER. More and more LC's are recomending single-side feeding for gas reasons. My son couldn't take more than one side because of his reflux, if he got too much, he'd puke and we'd have to start all over.

If you have more questions, you should go to a support group and/or La Leche meeting. Feel free to PM for info on local groups. Community North will welcome you to their support group even if you didn't give birth there!

Keep it up! :)

Hi JB,

I agree with all the posts that it sounds like she is doing fine! My 1st child never nursed for a long time on either breast - I nursed him until he was a year old, and he pretty much nursed 7 minutes on each breast starting at 2 months until he weaned! He was all business - he ate and that was that! So if your little one is pooping and peeing and gaining weight, I would bet she is doing fantastic! Good luck! J.

Congrats and way to go on nursing! It sounds like you are doing wonderful! Nursing is so hard. It really is. It sounds like she is getting everything she needs. A La Leche League woman told me this once - sometimes you are more thirsty than other times.... so will your baby. It's hard to not want to supplement afterwards because you feel like she isn't getting enough. But if you can not do so, the better for your supply. But if it makes you feel better... do what you think is right.

My oldest also nursed this way--and thrived. I think you guys are doing great. Nursing is definitely a challenge--kudos to you. Good luck and God bless!

You're doing great! I am now on child #4 who is 3 mo. old, and i have breastfed all of them. My 3rd and 4th both tend(ed) to want to nurse when they were sleepy...they used my boob as a pacifier! :) I could never get any of my kids to take a regular pacifier...probably because they were breastfed, and it is a different type of sucking motion used on a pacifier vs. a breast.

At any rate, my 3 mo. old daughter does the 5 minute nursing thing when she wants to nap, but isn't particularly hungry. It's OK if time spent nursing varies, because nursing is very much a supply and demand thing. Trust me, your baby will let you know when he or she is hungry! And as long as they are gaining weight, and having plenty of wet diapers, they are getting enough milk!

It is hard to judge how much they are getting, because in a bottle, you can see how many ounces they are taking in. But, breastfeeding is so convenient, so healthy, and so inexpensive!!! It is a great bonding tool. Obviously i believe so, because i've now nursed 4 children! Congrats to you, and keep up the good work!

Sounds like she's doing just fine. Is she gaining weight? You say she's had wet/dirty diapers. Then she's doing great. My son was also a "hit and run" eater - he would nurse for MAYBE 15 minutes max once he got to be a few months old. Think of it as a blessing - you don't have to spend 45 minutes at a time nursing her.

That said, you do want to make sure she's not "snacking". It sounds like she isn't since she's eating every 2-3 hours. (I would define snacking as eating for 5 minutes every hour or so). You can always try changing her diaper to wake her up so that she can nurse on both sides before she falls back asleep.

Either way, I would NOT supplement her. Your body knows how much to make based on what she eats, so there's no need to give her extra. It will just confuse your boobs.

Actually sometimes it is better to feed just one side a feeding because that way you are assured that the baby gets all the fatty hind milk. If you do that regularly your body will adjust and make enough on one side for a feeding. As long as she has good amt of diapers etc she is good. Some babies are just very efficient. You are lucky! My son would take his time 30-45 min every time!!

Sounds like she is doing fine. I breastfeed and am still breastfeeding my almost 11 month old son on one side at a time also did this with my first daughter. I never had a problem because I am a little on the big busted side when the time came that he/she needed more than 4-5 oz it was no problem. It is all a supply and demand system so if you get on a schedule of feeding on each side every 4-6 hrs your body will work with you. But if she is going to the bathroom fine don't worry she is getting enough. My only question to you is that you say you are supplement after she unlatches... are you supplementing with formula? If so this is a great opportunity for you to try and start pumping to get all the hind milk out and then if you feel you need to feed her more you will have some in the fridge or freezer so she gets more breast milk and less formula(not to mention you bank account will be a little fuller since you will not be buying formula). My son would spit out the bottle if I even tried to give him formula. He has never in his almost 11 mths had any formula thank goodness and I have a freezer full of milk that he will be drinking when I wean him in a few months.

Hope this helps and keep up the great work....It will only get easier. Remember you are doing a great job and there are no exact intructions for your little one if she is growing she is eating fine.

Good luck!!!

I think you are doing just fine. Take your cues from your little girl. If she seems happy and content she should be getting enough. You said she pees often, a baby doesn't pee very often if they aren't getting enough to drink. When I breastfed for the first time I was paranoid too. Don't worry you sound like you are doing great.

When my son was first born, he kind of did the same thing. He would only stay awake long enough to eat from one breast each feeding...and trust me, I tired everything to keep him awake. My lactation consultant told me that as long as my son was gaining weight, it was not a big deal how long he ate. She also reminded me that when there are twins, they each only eat on one side each feeding, so it shouldn't be a big deal if your daughter is only eating from one side. Besides, as she's getting older, she's also getting more efficient with eating, so she may be getting more than you think. Good luck, but I wouldn't worry too much!

JB,

My 10 week old was breast fed (now he drinks my pumped milk at day care and nurses sometimes at home) and my milk comes out SO fast. It's crazy. I can empty both with my dual-pump within 5-8 minutes. Unfortunately, when my son nurses, sometimes it's too fast for him and he can't keep up and gets frustrated.

Anyway, when he was first born, he would only eat on one side and then he would fall asleep. NOTHING would wake him up. So, I let him sleep and about 15 minutes later he would wake up and want the other side. It was hard with those middle of the night feedings, lol.

As long as she is content and has wet/dirty diapers, it sounds like she's doing great. You may have enough supply for her in only one breast for a feeding. Since you are alternating sides, your body will catch on and produce accordingly.

Like someone else mentioned, this may be a good time to start pumping the other side as soon as your little girl finishes. If you plan to work you will then have a head start on the pumping and will have a good back-up supply of milk. We have a ton in our freezer.

Enjoy.

T.

Congrats on your new addition firts of all!! If she is gaining weight and peeing and pooping all the time she is more than likely getting plenty. SHe is probably just a really effecient eater, because I am sure she would be fussing if she were not getting enough. Also, I don't know where you had her at, but a Rush Copley you can call one of their breastfeeding counslers and take your child for a weekly weigh in if you feel you need to. My son had such a hard time with breastfeeding, he was early and just couldn't get it and fusssed continually until he got a bottle. I just opted to bottlefeed him and he was a lazy and frequent eater (every 1 1/2 hours for 30-45 minutes) and you didn't dare take his bottle away because he would cry. Now my daughter on the other hand took to breastfeeding no problema, unfortunately I had to stop because I was hospitalized in an emergency situation and my meds were not okay to take while nursing. Anyhow, she was a get down to business eater (every 2-3 hours for 10-15 minutes tops) They all have such different personalities as I am sure you are already noticing. Hope this helped and good luck.

I have to agree with everyone else. As long as there are dirty diapers and weight gain you are fine. I feed all three of my children on one side at a time. My first eat for about 30 minutes each feeding. (He was normally asleep for most of it, but still latched on.) My other two both eat for about 10-15 minutes. Trust me, they will let you know if it isn't enough. I hope all the advise helps.

Sounds like she is doing great. You could always try to wake her or arouse her a bit and get her latched to the other breast after she unlatches. Or you could switch her to the other breast after about 5 minutes and see if the fuller breast stimulates her to stay on. But really if she is content and seems to be pooping and peeing, I wouldn't worry (easy for me to say, right?) Sounds you she is an efficient nurser and you have a good supply.