who is single-side feeding?

[mama-bee]

That is one of the things that didn't make sense to me. Only giving one side at a time.
But my 2w old keeps falling asleep after the first side.And even after I get him to wake up he doesn't want the other side.
Right now it works.But I keep thinking that once he gets older there won't be enough on one side.Am I wrong?
Can anyone that is single-side feeding give me some advice,please?
Also,does it matter if sometimes I only give him one side other times both? Can my body,breasts,brain or whatever manage that?

[jennas mommy]

I started single side feeding about two weeks ago (my daughter is 7 weeks today).  I would highly recommend it.  I actually found out about it when I did an internet search for "colic and breastfeeding" to see if something in my diet was causing her to be fussy (it was just that I wasn't noticing her sleepy signals).  On of the sights said to try single side feeding if they were eating too often because tehy would get the higher calorie milk.  It also said that your body would get used to it, so you wouldn't have the engorgement issues.
Instead of how Tracy suggested to switch(I just got this book), I had her eat until one side was empty, then had her finish on the other side.  The first couple times, I was somewhat engorged, but this quickly faded.
My favorite reason for single side feading is that I no longer feel like I am going to run out.  Before, I had several times that I gave her formula when she was still hungry because I was OUT.  Now, I don't have to worry about if I will run out or not, because if she demands more than a usual feeding, I know I will have extra on the other side 
Another great thing about if my right side is full, but I am feeding on my left side, I can pump my right side, and have a full serving!
After knowing the facts of the breastmilk becoming higher in fat the longer they eat, it only makes sense to me to breastfeed.  If you feed for ten minutes on one side, you  barely get the second form of milk, let alone the third.
As far as you worrying if you will run out, I will say you have less chance of running out feeding on one side each time mostly because you have the other side to resort to.
Good luck with your choice!

[JMKca]

I'm exclusively nursing a 9 1/2 month old still and I only single side feed.  I wear a bracelet to keep track of which one to start w/ next time and all is well.  I have plenty whether he decides to eat every hour or every three.  Single side feeding allows you to make sure they get the fat rich hind milk as well.  Good luck!

Janine

[Redjelly]

Me too, with both of my girls. I have heaps of milk & if I am ever succesful in getting them to take the 2nd side, they just chuck it back up. Bf'd DD1 to 9 months one side at a time.

sorry short reply, bad typing, bfing at the same time!

[Cassie]

I single side fed my eldest son until he was a year old.  It really helped with his spitting up and fussiness.


This time I don't seem to have quite a much milk so I sometimes have to go to the other side especially at night. 

Both of my boys were/are big babies and single side feeding kept up with their needs just fine. 

[Ami ~ 3 girls' mom]

one side only here, too!

[Katet]

Liam only feeds one side (refuses the other) & has pretty much only fed one side since birth, he is now almost 9months old. He weighed over 10.5kg (23lb) & 75cm (30inches) when I first introduced solids to him at 6months, so I KNOW that a baby can grow very big on just single side feeding...BTW those sizes are average for a 9-12mo so he is a big boy... both my boys hit the 10kg mark on exclusive bf (no solids).. so it can be done

[JacobMarksMummy]

Demand=Supply

When your baby needs more milk he will nurse more often, usually this is so gradual we don't notice but if he is having a growth spurt (usually at 12weeks) you will notice that he may spend a day or two nursing two hourly instead of three hourly for example. This is to build up your supply and once it is established he will nurse less frequently.

If you are thinking of one-sided nursing then my advice is to make sure he eats ALL the milk in the first breast before offering the second breast. You may find you have two let-downs if LO has fallen asleep but this is normal. Only when your first breast is empty should you then offer the second (this is applicable to two sided nursing aswell, fo cousre) and you will probally find that he will take very little from that breast.  Because your LO is still so young I would still always offer both even if 99% of milk comes from one boob just to check that he is full.  You could try pumping in between feeds to up your supply if you find one breast isn't enough. Or if your lazy like me  just let your LO suckle about an hour after your last nurse on the breast that you fed him off first.


Are you struggling with your supply? However it does sound to me as though you are doing fine, please post back with more specific questions so I can be more helpful and remeber that everyone has different feeding styles and patterns. Hope to speak to you soon 

[lisi's mum]

I'm single-side feeding and have never found I've not had enough, even through growth spurts. From what I know a breast is never completely empty, and emptying it as much as possible is the key to maintaining a good supply.

It's also pretty reassuring to know that if she for some reason becomes ravenous, there's alway a reserve there!

[mommytsa]

I've always single-side fed my DS.  Very occasionally he will take the 2nd breast, but your body will adjust to whatever you are more comfortable with.

[aj's mom]

I am a one sider too - I heard it is not good for their tummies (gas) to go from hindmilk back to foremilk which is more watery.  No issues with running out or anything.

[teezee]

i single side fed for the first three months of dd's life.  i had a huge problem with engorgement and dd has horrible tummy problems and i found this helped both issues, b/c i was sooo engorged she wasn't getting enough hindmilk from feeding from both sides at the time.  now she is over 8 months and at times still does single side feedings most of the day, except at night before bed or first feeding of the day she takes milk from both.

[Minimonkey]

A word from a two sider... DON"T DO 2 SIDED IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, especially if you have a strong letdown.  The baby will get happy with the strong letdown since they don't have to work as hard for milk, and get real smart, real fast.  My baby start refusing the first side as soon as the milk would slow down and I would have to give him the second side (b/c a LC diagnosed a different problem in error and told me to start doing 2 sided).  From then on, he would only nurse a few minutes on each side, while the flow was fast, thereby getting mostly only foremilk.  I believe he wasn't getting enough fat milk b/c of this, and was also a grumpy baby bc of this.  I have been to ALOT of specialists to try to solve his problem, including Dr.Jack Newman himself, and basically his pattern was already set and too difficult for me to change.  Anyway, that's all behind us now since he is close to 10 months now.

If you find your baby is falling asleep on the first side.  Try waking him up and then compressing your breast, this will give the baby a gush of milk and perhaps peak his interest a little longer.  All you do to compress is - with your hand in a "C" shape, thumb above the areola, fingers below and both well back from the areola - squeeze your breast and continue to hold it until your LO starts swallowing (you can tell when they are swallowing as opposed to sucking).

Hope this helps,
shari

p.s. I have had a lot of difficulties with bf mostly due to an LC who tried to correct a problem that wasn't there in the first place.  It caused irreparable damage to my bf relationship with my son - If I could give one piece of advice, please be careful whom you seek advice from.

[daisymelan]

A word from a two sider... DON"T DO 2 SIDED IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, especially if you have a strong letdown. The baby will get happy with the strong letdown since they don't have to work as hard for milk, and get real smart, real fast.

p.s. I have had a lot of difficulties with bf mostly due to an LC who tried to correct a problem that wasn't there in the first place. It caused irreparable damage to my br relationship with my son - If I could give one piece of advice, please be careful whom you seek advice from.

I have the same problem with my ds.  I was told to do single side feedings until 4 months and then switch to both sides.  What a mistake, he is doing exactly what you say your lo has done.  He knows the other will gush and is just too lazy to keep sucking on the  first.... and to boot, he's not very distracted (which is improving) so it's really tough to get him to feed. 

And the last piece of advice is great.  Absolutely brilliant.  Thanks for posting.

 

[Minimonkey]

Haha, Jodie, we have a lot in common!

Shari