single sided vs double sided feeding?

[Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom]

Ok so the first time around I didn't really understand single vs double sided feeding and this time I still don't.  I took a class and she didn't cover it at all.  What are the ideas behind both?  TIA

[teezee]

it really is just a preferance for the nursing mom...or sometimes the lo.  if u have a very abundant milk supply, if u single side nurse, then lo gets all the hindmilk rich in calories and fat.  in the beginning this is what i did but now that the supply is under control - i put her on the first breast twice and then the other one and try the first one again if she will eat more.  i think that is the only difference but i may be mistaken...

[Lan]

I was told to let them finish the first side (until they finish gulping and they're just hanging on there) then offer the second - it doesn't matter if they don't take the second side. I don't really think it matters too much because the amount of fore and hind milk evens out over the course of a day. So don't worry too much! Easier said than done - there's so much conflicting advice when it comes to breastfeeding. Your baby will optimize your supply, so as long as your baby is gaining weight she will be fine.

Lan

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Pretty much covered the basics, but to sum up, the ideas behind both:

Single side feeding - Use only one breast for each feed, switching to the next breast for the next feed.  The idea is that if the baby stays on one side for the whole feed, he'll be sure to get the fatty milk (hind milk) at the end of the feed and not run the risk of getting too much foremilk and less fat, if you take him off too soon and switch sides.  During growth spurts, you may want to offer the second breast anyway, though.

Double side feeding - Empty one breast, then offer the second breast at every feed.  For the subsequent feed, start with the opposite breast first (the one you ended the last feed with).  The idea with this is that both breasts are stimulated each feed, which can help with supply if that's a concern, you won't feel as lopsided, and baby may eat more (depending again on your supply).  Also helpful if baby is sleepy - switching sides can wake them up because the flow picks up a bit! 

For both, watch for the long suck-swallows that indicate baby is really eating and not just comfort sucking, and use breast compression when he slows down to get him going again and make sure you really empty the breast.

Let me know if you have more questions!  HTH!

[marlowho]

I suggest pumping!
First time around I never did well pumping.  This time around I started fairly early. What I learned: one side makes WAY more than the other.  So, b/c of this I mainly feed on the one side (that I know makes more.)
And she only gets the other side after she's finished the "good" side or if she just seems hungrier.
HTH.

[alligirl]

I single-side fed for a while and then once Z hit his six month growth spurt (and still wasn't sleeping through the night) we switched to double-side feeding.  That's worked well for us.