Breastfeeding question

Hello ladies! I wanted to open this up to you guys since I'm a FTM and I know many of you have some great experience. My little guy was born Monday night and after a tough few days of breastfeeding we have a good thing going (I feel!) and my milk came in yesterday! Since he's so not eating a ton yet, he'll nurse for 10-15 mins on one side and be cashed out. So he only gets one boob per 2-3hr stretch. I then offer him the second boob the next time.

If he only eats one boob at a time is that okay for establishing my supply? I've been pumping the other boob after for same time he fed just to get some of the pain away, but now I feel like I'm overdoing it? I like to spend time with him after feeding, but instead I feel like I'm rushing off to pump. What would you ladies suggest?


Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

My babies would always nurse on both sides at that age, and often ate every 1-2 hours. 3 hours sounds like a long time between feedings to me for a baby that's less than a week old. HOWEVER, every mommy-baby pair is different and the best way to know if he's getting enough is to monitor weight gain and diaper output. If he's following his growth curve and he's producing lots of wet diapers then I wouldn't worry if he only wants to eat on one side at a time. If you're watching for signs of hunger like rooting and you don't see them, he is probably getting enough milk from one breast. You should also be able to see/hear him swallowing so you know he's getting a good amount with each suck. Google Dr. Jack Newman for a great website with videos on what to look for. Kellymom is great too.

If you really feel like your supply isn't coming in well on one-sided feedings you could always pry him off before he's done and switch, but then he might end up getting too much foremilk (you will know because his poop will turn green and watery instead of yellow/orangey).

Congrats on your new son!

Im an over producer so my boys only nurse on one side until they get much older like 6-9 mo. Just watch his wet and poopy diapers to make sure he's getting enough.

You're doing great! I'm so very happy for you and your little guy [emoji4]!



[emoji170]DS1[emoji1379], DS2[emoji577], & DS3[emoji602][emoji170]
[emoji166]One last pink sway 2016[emoji166]
My Ovulation Chart

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Originally Posted by XXforhubby

Im an over producer so my boys only nurse on one side until they get much older like 6-9 mo. Just watch his wet and poopy diapers to make sure he's getting enough.

You're doing great! I'm so very happy for you and your little guy [emoji4]!



[emoji170]DS1[emoji1379], DS2[emoji577], & DS3[emoji602][emoji170]
[emoji166]One last pink sway 2016[emoji166]
My Ovulation Chart

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Did you just let the other side stay hard? I'm going to try to do 5-10 on each side since I think that should be enough for the little guy right now.

What you're doing is fine. Either way works. Mine stayed hard for a bit, but my boys always ate every 2-3hrs until they were about 2 mo old or weighed 12lbs whichever came first.



[emoji170]DS1[emoji1379], DS2[emoji577], & DS3[emoji602][emoji170]
[emoji166]One last pink sway 2016[emoji166]
My Ovulation Chart

Hoping it stops being so painful soon though too! They aren't much fun! I figured I'd pump 3x a day after he eats to begin building up a stockpile, so we can just see how things go. Today I pumped for about 10 mins extra on each side and got 3oz so I figured that was a good start!


Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

My first was a sleepy baby so in between sides I would wake him by doing the nappy change then and giving him a rub. The cold air woke him more and the rubbing helped stimulate him to stay awake long enough to do tge other side. I aimed for about 10mins on each side and sometimes it was a stuggle to keep him awake by the end.

As he got older and stronger it got easier. Also it was painful at first as my nipples adjusted. I always used lanolish before and after. I'm pretty sure it was just the first month or two.

Try not to pump too much as milk adjusts for the baby so the milk you pump for a week old is different to the milk produced for a 1 month old. Also the first 6 weeks you as establishing supply so it could cause oversupply issues.

Do you need to return to work soon? I suppose that makes a difference. I always forget the US expects women to return to work much sooner.

I was advised at this age to not let them go more than 5 hours without a feed at night as that really helps maintain the supply. It wasn't an issue though as he woke anyway!

I'm sure you are doing an amazing job! It is so hard and exhasting the first few weeks and months but it does get easier (that was something I really needed to hear when I had my first!)

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Originally Posted by purple

My first was a sleepy baby so in between sides I would wake him by doing the nappy change then and giving him a rub. The cold air woke him more and the rubbing helped stimulate him to stay awake long enough to do tge other side. I aimed for about 10mins on each side and sometimes it was a stuggle to keep him awake by the end.

Try not to pump too much as milk adjusts for the baby so the milk you pump for a week old is different to the milk produced for a 1 month old. Also the first 6 weeks you as establishing supply so it could cause oversupply issues.

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Yes to both of these suggestions! When baby wakes up immediately nurse from the side nursed the least last (so if you nursed 20 min on the left side and 5 min on the right side, start with the right side), then after that side, burp and change baby's diaper and offer the other side. Changing the diaper mid-feed, instead of at the beginning, will often wake baby up enough to take the other side. I also agree with not pumping at all or very minimally. I had a huge oversupply and had to pump for 1 minute on each side just to make it soft enough for baby to latch on, but I wouldn't pump more than that. 10 minutes of pumping is way too much and will definitely cause an oversupply. I wouldn't pump at all, even if returning to work, until at least the 4 week mark as you are establishing your supply in those first few weeks.

Keep up the good work! Breastfeeding can be super challenging and often takes up to 6 weeks to get through all the kinks, but after that it should be smooth sailing. And definitely pay for a private lactation consultant to come to your house if you're having any issues. Even if it costs $100 out of pocket, in the long run that's still way cheaper than formula!

Thanks ladies!! I wasn't sure how n the pumping since my lactation consultant had said to pump 3-4 times a day once milk came in for a week? It has been nice to have a little for when company comes over as I'm not ready yet to BF in front of others. But I just pump for about 5 mins after he eats to get a little to ride him over. Hoping I'm not leading to over supply...ouch! I do notice that I get more out of the right breast when I pump. So should I begin to start him on my left side to get more going on that side?

Also, I am on a nipple shield now because my nipples aren't long enough for his liking. I tried starting on the shield, breaking him, then putting him on my bare breast, but he notices and is not a fan. Any tips to wean him off the shield?


Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

I have done it about every conceivable way and had success doing one sided feedings sometimes (but they were older than 1 week) They make it out to be like this one successful way but it works different for every baby every time it seems like.

I do want to reiterate what Erin is saying though - 3 hours when breastfeeding, my kids could never make it that long. I was nursing constantly it felt like (every hour, 2 at night maybe sometimes) and in that case scenario, nursing every hour or so, you'd be ok without rushing off to pump right after. I personally never pumped at all and just nursed a lot. Eventually it worked itself out.

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Originally Posted by TaytumJ

Hoping it stops being so painful soon though too! They aren't much fun! I figured I'd pump 3x a day after he eats to begin building up a stockpile, so we can just see how things go. Today I pumped for about 10 mins extra on each side and got 3oz so I figured that was a good start!


Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

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I would cut way back on that for now because I think it's making you have an oversupply (that is normal but should go away) and also may be making you sorer than necessary.

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Originally Posted by TaytumJ

Did you just let the other side stay hard? I'm going to try to do 5-10 on each side since I think that should be enough for the little guy right now.

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5-10 pumping or nursing??

One of my guys would not always nurse enough and he ended up getting bad poops from foremilk vs. hind milk so I'd try to nurse one side dry even if you have to put him on the other breast for a bit to keep it from being super hurty.

What I have found is right before I'm about to lose my mind because it's so sore/full that means it's about to get better. Hang in there, your body knows what it's doing. :)

First of all HUGE congrats on your son! My firstborn son is most definitely my BFF (shhh, don't tell the other kids lol)...:)

I agree with everyone that posted, great advice.

I am now breastfeeding my 4th child, I have done it with all 4 but not all as long as I would like to have and it was definitely my own fault. My babies did nurse on one side at a time in the beginning due to the same reasons (milk coma) and no matter what I did they would not wake, so next feed would be on the other breast. In the beginning it feels like you are always feeding it becomes very taxing and I personally did not run to pump I would hate for you to burn yourself out...

The fullness and soreness will subside after a few weeks. Baby Ava is now 4 1/2 months and is going strong(nothing but breast milk) despite me returning to work at 6 weeks postpartum. I pump on the way to work and driving home, Medela sells a car charger ( I am only out of the home 5 hours a day). I don't pump if I am home, I offer the breast always..
One mistake I have made for my previous babies is that if baby was fussy I automatically thought that they were still hungry and did not get enough milk from me and quickly give the hospital given samples of formula hence starts a downhill pattern..Less breast more formula less production.. babies are fussy for many other reasons, gas, tired etcc.. if they are peeing and pooping and of course gaining it should be fine.

It will get easier, even if feels like you are about to lose your mind (welcome to motherhood lol)!

Congrats again!

Thanks so much for all the advice everyone!! When I got pregnant and throughout the pregnancy I wasn't planning on BF. My husband though has been my biggest supporter and encourager. But I didn't find out as much as I should have beforehand because I wasn't planning on it and now I need to catch up!

Thanks for the info on the 3hrs - they told me in the hospital 2-3hrs to feed him. I do basically feed him whenever he wakes up or any rooting signs that I see. He rarely sleeps that long, but sometimes he does. I should wake him up sooner now, about every 2hrs. His first appt is Monday so we'll make sure he's gaining. His diapers have picked up and his poop is now yellow/seedy so I'm taking those as good signs too.

I feel like from here on out I'll hold off pumping unless necessary and just for sure make sure I rotate breasts every feeding. I'm just so afraid of blockage or mastitis or something.

Hoping that my breasts even out soon with supply. I can feel the tingling still and they're sore. So right now they're getting hard and tingly - I'm getting ready to wake the guy to eat, but I shouldn't jump up and pump the pressure out, correct? Because my breasts are going to even themselves out with his feeding, correct?!

Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

Honestly, it's probably better to just learn as you go. When I nursed my first in 1991 they weren't as militant with the advice and while they did push the formula samples on me, at the same time there wasn't a lactation consultant standing over me going "no not like that you're doing it wrong" either. There is a learning curve for you and for the baby and every mom and baby pair is different. Sometimes I think the more they try to help you, the harder it is. Those yellow diapers are like gold haha!!

Don't be afraid of mastitis. It sounds awful and certainly isn't fun but does happen now and then (I never had it with my first though and I was horribly engorged OMG) and all you do is just nurse or pump more and then they can give you antibiotics if you need them. It isn't as scary as they make it sound.

If you're dying, then yeah pump a little out. I usually did it in the shower but that's cause I didn't have a pump haha. Just do enough so you're not totally miserable - you are trying to just relieve the pressure but not encourage your body to keep making more and more.

I think I just needed to hear that. It seems like there are so many rules and so many people saying do this or do that. We're just going to do what we can when we can and if it doesn't work out then we have it a try!


Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

I tell ya, I could write a book about the weirdness of having my first baby in the early 90's and my last in the 2010's. They are better about some things but the redonk advice they suddenly start insisting on with each consecutive kid was rather amusing. With my first, they barely let me have him rooming in with me and insisted on rushing him off to bathe him, with my last they were yelling at me to do kangaroo care. I"m like "pick a lane guys".

You know what you're doing more than they (or you) think. Imagine trying to learn to walk or talk if someone was hovering over you, shouting instructions constantly and never giving you a chance to find out what worked for you. :) I have no doubt you are doing great and over time it's going to get easier and easier.

I used to worry about getting mastitis or getting sick and not being able to keep up with feeding (I had anxiety after DS1 was born so I had lots of worries!). I never got mastitis in my approx. 3.5 years worth of BFing so I worried over nothing. If I got sore spots I normally massaged downwards towards the nipple and it was fine.

I wouldn't wake him up unless he is having a really long day sleep (you want that long sleep to be at night!). Rule #1 never wake a sleeping baby :)

The main other thing to be aware of is that they go through several growth spurts where they suddenly start feeding really frequently. They normally only take a day or so and then it goes back to "normal". Growth spurts are them just building up your supply a bit more. I think 3 weeks and 6 weeks are common times for them. It is good to be aware they happen otherwise I think some women think they suddenly have no supply but it is just the growth spurt.

Sounds like you are doing great :)

Thanks!! I'm trying to relax a bit more about it. It still makes me nervous when I'm not around him or a pump (last night we went to a visitation and were there for 3hrs, then by the time we got home and everything it'd been close to 5hrs before I pumped!). He does seem to be eating from both sides more frequently now. I'm just going to do what I can now...and hope that I'm not screwing it up too badly! [emoji6]


Successful blue sway in May of 2016! Thanks so much Gender Dreaming! [emoji170]

Doing what you can and hoping you're not screwing up too bad is the key to parenting. :)