Switching breasts- I don't get it.

[bflorrie]

Hello there,

I need your advice. I am a FTM With a 4 week old son. I have been exclusively bf  and plan to do so for 6 months. I thought I had bf basics down but I have so far run out of breast milk twice and been forced to switch to formula (which LO refused coz of the bottle) so clearly am missing something, thus am getting concerned.

 Currently this is how I do it: I feed LO every 2 hrs, both day and night by giving him the same breast for the  day and I switch to the other breast throughout the night. The reason I do this is to allow each breast to become full to last the day or night and to allow him get the valuable hind milk from each breast . . But I have been reading, on some forums here about  giving one breast then switching to another at the same feed. The problem is my LO is done once he feeds for like 4 minutes. If I switched, he refuses  anymore..

please advise me on how to get this right (i am doing it wrong) and ensure enough breast milk for my LO.

So how is switching done and what do they mean by 'finishing' one breast ?

[gyorgyi]

Hi!
I think giving him the same breast all day makes the other breast "left alone" and your milk supply can drop because of that.
In the begining I fed my LO from one breast and when she finished I pumped how much I could. After I gave her my other breast for the next feed and after feed I pumped that breat as well. This was really could trick to make my breast produce more milk.
I never gave her formula.

I have enough milk so I stoped pumping.
Now I am switching breast in every 3 hours. Means if I feed her more than once in a 3 hours period I give her the same breast. After 3 hours I switch for the other one. Like this I make sure that both breast get the stimulation they need to produce enough milk for my baby.
If you keep nursing in every 2 hours than maybe you can do 2 feed on one breast and after 2 on the other.

[gyorgyi]

Oh one more thing.
In one periond when I had lots of milk I was pumping some before feeding my LO because she was only feeding for 10min and I was worried that she is only having the formilk which is high in lactose and low in fat.

[firsttimemummy]

What I did with both boys is feed from one side (eg left side) then when they finish, offer the other side (right).  Usually they took a good feed from that side too.  At the next feed I would then offer the right one first (then the left one again).  I used to use a bracelet to remind myself what side I had last fed on/was due to start on again. 

Feeding every 2 hours day and night? That sounds exhausting.  Maybe you could try to extend the time between feeds a bit so he takes more at each feed?

p.s welcome to the bw site

[Tay]

Hiya,
I'm thinking a couple of things...
One of the reasons your LO might not be interested in feeding anymore than 4 minutes could be the 2 hourly feeding. He might be snacking, so he's not too hungry for the next feed, therefore takes only a little, which means he can't last anymore than 2hrs and so on.
PP is right about your supply dropping due to lack of stimulation, so the other thing I'm thinking here is that you're probably also getting A LOT of foremilk when you start feeding from the other breast that is fuller, , are you? (I remember with both mine if I missed a feed and pumped I would get a lot of 'watery' milk).
Remember that you feeling your breasts full doesn't mean you necessarily have more milk for your LO.

What I would probably suggest you do is a double approach: try to extend the feeds and move to feeding from both breasts (single sided).
You feed from let's say the right breast, burp, offer same breast again (if he doesn't take it that's ok). The next feed you extend by 5 or 10min, whichever your LO can cope without getting distressed, then you feed from the left breast, burp, offer same breast again. And so on...
What do you think? Could it work?
xxx

[bflorrie]

Since I posted, I have just tried what gyorgyi suggested and feed twice on one side then switching to the other. Will see how that works out.

 Firstimemum the bracelet Is a good idea coz its easy to forget which side I last fed from.

Ok so am gonna try to extend the feeding time gradually coz now that u mention snacking, Tay, I think that's what he's doing. Feeding, bumping then feeding again may work if he is really hungry, so I will give it a go.

Thanks so much my dears will see how it goes.

Boy am I glad I found this website

[bflorrie]

PS: LO has reflux and sometimes has spit ups and vomiting hence the 2 hourly feeds. Yes its exhausting especially at night but I know it will get better.

[gyorgyi]

My LO had reflux too, it was really hard to burp her and sometimes after an hour that I feed her she vomited and made funny faces when the acid came back. It get much better around the 6. week but until I did feed every 2 hours during the day and 3during the night because I didn't want to overload her tummy.
However it does really look like that your LO is a little snacker :-)

 Let us know how is it going!

[Tay]

DS also has reflux, so I know all too well the drama
is your LO on meds? Sometimes snacking can be due to the reflux- it helps soothe the LOs throat, hence the frequent feeding.
If that's the case trying to extend won't work great until the reflux is under control.
Keep us posted
xxx

[bflorrie]

Yes LO is on domperidone for 2 days now. So far we have not had any vomiting or spits ups, just a few wet burp here and there.

Usually if he is napping during day, he can last 2 and a half to 3 hours, at night, we wakes up 2 hours on the dot.

[Tay]

Let us know how you get on will you?
xxx

[bflorrie]

Ok, so i tried the switching thing yesterday. I fed LO one breast for like 4 minutes, burped him and offered him the same breast. a few times he fed more but most times he refused. When he fed more i offered him the other breast at the next feed and where he refused i gave him the same breast.

However, by evening, my one breast was feeling full and the other feeling empty. Every time i gave him the 'empty' one (so it can be stimulated) he would cry after 2 mins and i would have to switch to the full feeling one. This went on throughout the night and it is still feeling empty 24 hours later.

What did i do wrong?

[firsttimemummy]

maybe he is getting frustrated as the milk is taking a while to reach him I would offer the fuller one then give the more empty one afterwards to stimulate (as by then he will be less hungry, so less desperate for the milk).

Is the full one the one that you have been feeding most of the day?

[C&B&E]

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/breast-fullness.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

Hi, I wondered if these links might be useful as it sounds like you are worrying about your milk supply.  My bf counsellor said something that helps me - that breasts are not 'containers' of milk, they are *producers* - they are constantly making more milk as your baby sucks and requires it.  So the fact that your breast does not feel 'full' is not a problem in itself.  Is your baby having plenty of wet and pooey nappies?  And is he alert and mostly satisfied after feeds?  If so, then it is likely that you are just not feeling the same engorgement that you probably did for the first few weeks.  

Are you eating and drinking plenty?  That is really important too, obviously  

[Tay]

Have you tried http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=88759.0 ? It sounds like your LO might be getting frustrated with a slower flow.
The links Claire posted are also great, have a look and let us know what you think.
xx