BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: liacarmen on September 25, 2007, 03:22:40 am
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greetings ladies!
my darling 8 week old son nurses for a long time, i'm trying to keep him to 45 minutes total, usually about 25 minutes on one side, 20 on the other. he's usually ok when i pull him off but sometimes needs a pacifier. do you think i just have a baby that likes to suck, or is something else going on? he very rarely pulls off himself. i'm also using nipple shields and trying to wean him off but no luck yet. i've also noticed a good amount of watery spit up lately.
thanks much!
lia
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Welcome to the boards!
There's a huge range of normal when it comes to nursing. A 45 minute feed at this age really wouldn't be that unusual. The key thing is to make sure you aren't taking him off the breast while he is still actively sucking and swallowing because you want to make sure you are not preventing him from reaching his full quota of richer fattier hindmilk. So pay attention to his behaviour on the first side. His swallowing will slow down as he reaches the richer milk and you will see more sucks per swallow. Usually when the hindmilk is finishing up and the flow rate is no longer appealing a baby who is comfort sucking will move to lighter fluttery sucks or perhaps just fall asleep.
It might be that he would do better staying on the first side for longer and think of the second side as just a top-up if he needs it (then that side gets to be the primary breast next time). It might even be that he wants to single-side feed.
Yes, babies like to suck, not all babies come off the breast by themselves but some babies just take longer than others to feed. Some have just a more gentle style and sometimes a mother's letdown might be a little slower.
It will most likely get speedier before you know it.
Just try and take him off without looking at the clock by trying to judge by his behaviour. Does that make sense?
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Yes, thank you - this all makes great sense. I started single side feeding, but because he wanted to eat for so long, I assumed he wasn't getting enough. Then at a month when I broke out the pump to practice for returning to work, I realized I usually get about twice as much from one side. That said, sometimes he's starting to single side feed on his own, especially at night. The biggest challenge with his long feeds (up to 1.5 hours if I let him lead!) is he likes to eat every 2 hours, so there's no S, A or least of all Y in the EASY with a schedule like that! Of course I'm paranoid that he's not getting enough to eat, but he's got plenty of wet and dirty diapers, sleeps for 4 to 5 and sometimes closer to 6 hours at night and I average 3 ounces when pumping, which I generally do about a 1/2 hour after he feeds given the 2 hour schedule he likes. We're working on extending it because I think he's nursing for comfort, especially in the evenings and when I give in he spits it all up and has gas - so clearly that doesn't work.
I really appreciate the response, thank you!
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My son is 2 weeks older than your son and they both seem to be feeding the same but I have just managed to get him onto a 3 hour feeding routine by playing and passing the garden with him which made me more upset than he was but I need get him on to a 5 hour routine for the new year for when I go back to work as I will only be away from him for no more than 4 1/2 hours 4 days a week