"Double Dipping" - good for BFing, not so good for routine?

[Gypsymom]

I know Tracey recommends single-side feeding. I'm not sure how popular it is among all us BWers though...?

My LO is still very fresh and I'm not worrying about EASY too much yet, although I do try to avoid feeding to sleep. DS1 was a very hungry babe and it looks like DS2 has a big appetite as well. My pattern is to feed one side for about 20-30min, doing compressions if sucking slows down too much, and possibly offering a burp if he comes off early. Then, we do a diaper change which wakes him up again and I offer the second side - and he usually will feed 15-20min more there. Then I take my sleepy little fellow, rouse him slightly before swaddling and putting down to sleep. If he's dozy he goes off by himself. If not, I rock or let him suck my finger until his eyes start rolling. He seems to sleep 1-2 hours unless he is overtired (or in the evening which is looking like a fussy don't wanna eat or sleep time). With this "double" feed, he is able to go 2-3 hours from the END of the nursing session. When people talk about about feeding every three hours though, they mean from the start of feed A to the start of feed B being a total of 3 hours, right? So, am I playing with fire doing it this way??

I think I had supply issues with DS1 so I want to make sure to nurse a lot in these early days. I have been waking to feed at night but last night I forgot and he slept almost 4 hours!!  or  ??

[~ Vik ~]

It sounds like you are doing fantastically!!  As for single side vs. double side, it really is whatever works for you and your lo.  Breasts are all different shapes, sizes, and storage capacities and babies' tummies are the same way.  Some babies do well with single side feeding, others do better taking both sides at each feed.  Still others single side for a while, then double side during growth spurts.  My ds (from about 3-5mo) used to single side in the morning and early afternoon, but want to double side during the evening cluster feeds.  You're doing compressions to ensure that he's getting to that fat-rich hind milk, stirring him, and then offering the second breast.  You're even stirring him again to get that EAS pattern started early!  My hat's off to you, you are doing GREAT!!

With this "double" feed, he is able to go 2-3 hours from the END of the nursing session. When people talk about about feeding every three hours though, they mean from the start of feed A to the start of feed B being a total of 3 hours, right? So, am I playing with fire doing it this way??

You are right - when timing the space between feeds you use the time at the beginning of each feed.  So if feed A begins at 7am and lasts for 45m, and feed B begins at 10am, then your lo has gone 3h between feeds.  I would try to wake him at the 3-ish hour mark to feed again - newborns are very sleepy and would just keep sleeping if you let them.  I wouldn't say that you're playing with fire, but by waking to feed at 3h intervals during the day you really ensure that he's getting as many calories as possible, and that will hopefully help him sleep for longer stretches at night when he is ready.

HTH, and congratulations on your little guy!

[Elenas Mummy]

To best determine if your baby/body is best suited to single or double side feeding, you need to watch your baby.  The advice is to offer the first breast until your baby comes away by themselves.  Re-offer the first breast until your lo refuses it.  Then offer the second.  If your baby refuses the second or only takes a tiny amount from the second, then you'd likely do best to single side feed.  If however your baby goes with gusto at the second breast, then it's pretty good to assume your lo needs both breast per feed

They've recently discovered that there's actually hindmilk in that first letdown!  There's quencher, foremilk and hindmilk in EVERY drop of breastmilk, it's just that the ratios change somewhat during a feed - i.e. there'd be a higher percentage of hindmilk per drop the further into the feed you get- does that make sense?  I'm trying to find the relevant link which is taking longer than I'd thought, I'll pop back in later if I remember

[*Ali*]

Congratulations on your new LO.
I believe Tracy only recommends that you empty one breast before offering the other to ensure your baby gets sufficient quantites of the hind milk. As long as your DS is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and the poop is yellow and not green he is probably getting plenty of hindmilk. Also if your baby was big at birth then he may be able to slightly longer between feeds than a smaller baby.
I always offered the second breast after DS came off the first and the first seemed empty. I think you can always offer the second breast once the first is finished and if he doesn't want it sometimes that's fine.
Babies are quite sleepy in the first few weeks so he'll probably be waking himself and demanding feeds soon enough.