Breast feeding questions!

[smjmekg]

Aubryana is one week and one day old. Everything is going pretty good with breast feeding now after having a couple issues Fri.  SO...

1. Are my breasts supposed to get hard all the time between/right before feedings? (I wake her up every three hours still.)

2. Sometimes it takes her a while to fall asleep after, or she'll eat for twenty minutes on one side fall asleep for a little bit, then go for another ten to twenty minutes on the other side, fall asleep for a little bit longer and wake up and want more so I switch back to the other side =
20 min left side
10-15 min break
10-20 min right side
10-20 min break
5-10 min left side again
10-15 min break
5-10 min right side again
sleep for three hours
...with her going back and forth so much in a short period of time A) is it going to cause me to make MORE milk? B) is her nursing keeping me too empty? She doesn't always do the same thing, sometimes it's just 20 min on one side a break and 10-20 min on the other side and she'll sleep for three hours again. Or she'll wake up and eat for 10-15 min on one side in between the three hours...

3. Do I feed her every three hours from the time she starts or the time she stops nursing? I've been going off when she stops eating. BUT when she goes back and forth do I count from when she's done completely, or after the twenty minutes on both sides and not count the little five minute nursing, or the 10-15 min in between the three hours?

She gained five ounces from Friday to Monday, so I know she's getting enough milk, and she seems more satisfied after feedings now, but I wonder about the eating, stopping, eating, stopping that she does. Last night for example, from midnight until about six thirty she was on and off, ranging from about five minutes to twenty. She always starts off about ten minutes, stops to take a break and goes for another ten or so...I guess I'm just worrying too much, but with how bad things went with Elijah, I can't really help it...During the day I wake her up every three hours, she stays on 20 min, and 10-15 on the other side and USUALLY sleeps through the three hours, it's at night she's more awake and eats more. I do NOT use a binki with her, or bottle, so any s*cking she does is at the breast, per lactation consultant's suggestion. I don't mind the lack of sleep at night, I'm staying rested and adjusting.

[Clysta]

I wouldn't personally try to time anything. I've always been told to focus on the baby and ignore  the clocks. You can normally tell when they still want to eat and when it's comfort. When she comes off, does she eat or hands or shake her head from side to side? Or does she turn her head toward someone holding her and try to latch on?

In the first six weeks she will eat. A lot, and frequently. The purpose is to get your supply up. Does she have enough dirty/wet diapers? That is your major indicator of if she's getting enough. Also, the colour of her bowel movements is a sign of if she's getting the proper amount and enough of the fatty milk.

[smjmekg]

I think it's more that she realizes she's in her bassinet and not being held right now. With Elijah he'd fall asleep and do the same thing start crying a few minutes later to be held and as soon as he had a binki and was being held he'd go back to sleep. BUT with her there's no binki.

When she wakes up I'll look at the time, and make sure she's on one side at least 20 min, and after 20 min I'll switch to the other side if she still wants more, after 10-15 more min on that side if she wants more I'll switch back.

The breasts getting hard question...I asked because they don't always, I just fed her a few minutes ago and they weren't hard at all, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.

With the time part, when she wakes up again after eating for the few minutes to nurse, if I count from when I started feeding her it'll be time to feed her again right after she's done almost...

Last night she was up and eating from about 12-6 almost constantly, is it just that she's cluster feeding, or is she not getting enough? She seems to be doing good, but unlike bottle feeding you can't see how much is going in at one time, so I wonder when she's eating so much or when she goes 20 and 20 and then wants more...part of me thinks after the 20/20 she just wants to s*ck, and I refuse to give her a binki...So should I try letting her on 20 and 20 from the same side and waiting the three hours for the next side?

[becca_3456]

I agree with Heatherm4 if she is eating 20 minutes on the left side and then takes a 10-15 minute break I would put her back on the left side so she can get the fatter hind milk. Try that and see if she will go longer in between feeds. other that it sounds like she is a normal newborn.....they just want to eat eat eat LOL

[Heatherm4]

My breasts get that hard feeling most of the time before a feeding. It's usually worse in the middle of the night for some reason and that's like the only time I leak. I only feed from one side at a time so it helps to know what side I need to use...if I forget! LOL \

For some reason it sounds to me that it's taking a lot to feed her. Doesn't sound like you have very long breaks. If she goes back and forth in that little of time...then she might not be getting your hind milk. When Brady falls asleep and I can't wake him back up to keep feeding and he wakes and wants to feed within the hour...I put him on the same breast to empty it out and so I know he gets that more fatty hind milk.

As for your time question. You start your time count at the beginning of your feed. Not the end. I wasn't sure about that at first either. It would make sense to count after but ya it's the beginning.

[30something13]

oh and they have these cool things now called milkies i think, you slide one in on the side you aren't nursing to catch the let down when you nurse! it catches the milk to store without pumping! cool, i have not bought them yet, not sure if I could use it as i only nurse on one side at a time

[Michele, Katy, TX]

Well for me, the pumping never made me more sore.  I never noticed a difference.  I have actually been told to pump and get a break from your baby if you get too sore for nursing, but never did it specifically for that reason.  Just to pump off the excess or to pump from one breast if my baby fell asleep w/ only eating on one side.  Plus it is good, IMO, to have stored milk in case of an emergency.  If you plan on working or even leaving the baby w/ a family member, it is good to have some milk stored.  Also if you are not getting your milk drained regularly, it can cause Matitis (sp??).  So for me, pumping was great, w/ all 6 of my kids.  I pump a lot in the beginning because I have so much milk.  It never interfered w/ my milk supply being properly established either.  It actually helped me because one my milk supply was established, it got harder to pump if I needed to.

I do recommend waiting until your baby is about 5 or 6 weeks old before introducing a bottle though.  Some babies can do both from the get go.  But some babies will get nipple confusion and then start refusing the breast.  It REALLY does just depend on the baby.  I have a friend who has breast/bottle fed all of her babies from the start and not had any problems, but I know plenty who have tried the bottle too early and then had problems breastfeeding after.

You are doing awesome and I am so glad you are having wonderful luck w/ breastfeeding.  I wouldn't trade my experience w/ it for anything :)

[30something13]

yep what the other posters said but with the pumping the downside to that is that any extra stimulation will make mroe milk! Standing in the shower will not bring stimulation but just the let down effect. I have never pumped with 4 kids except when my 3rd was in the NICU for 14 days. You count from the time she starts not the time she stod to feed, Now with the milk thing I always had too much milk and never could find a happy feel for my boobs without just feeding one side a time, so baby could eat whatever, Your body adjusts and it si not different then if you feed both sides. I always fed both sides till I got a good milk supply going. It was easier for me to remember what side to feed on too. But ya feed her on demand like you have been doing, she is still little and will sleep, go with your body as to waht side you should start on.


OH and the pumping this ealy will make the nipple more sore from everywoman I have talked to and my experience little as it was. The LC was right about the bottles and paci, that is where most come into trouble and confusion for baby.

You are doing so great and sounds like baby is comfy and thriving! Congrats!!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

I didn't read all the comments, but I skimmed them and I agree w/ the above posters.  If you become uncomfortable between feedings, I recommend pumping off the excess milk.  This will help you be more comfortable, plus you can start a stock pile of milk for later one when you may be away from your baby.  At this stage they pretty much eat on demand :)

[AHP84]

It sounds like you're doing everything right!
Yes, it's normal for your breasts to be engorged for about one or two weeks as your body adjusts the amount of milk to make for the baby. You can't overfeed her, and she'd be losing weight if you were underfeeding her--feeding on demand like you're doing is exactly what you're supposed to do. Her feeding frequency sounds very normal and healthy.
It's not likely that she's "emptying" you completely and getting too little or none at all--babies can always nurse much more than you think you actually have. If she starts losing weight, or not gaining fast enough, is when you can get concerned, but for right now...everything sounds just right!

[Roxannee3]

It sounds like you have a pretty set schedule, but to answer your questions - your breast will get hard in between feeding because they're filling up with milk all over again. & the more she nurses could cause you to produce more milk, but at the same time your body is producing the amount that you can hold at one time. I doubt she is keeping you empty because you nurse her for a long amount of time. Although if I were you, I would allow her to sleep until she's hungry, let her wake her self up. She could be doing the nursing & sleeping, then nursing again because she's not's quite hungry enough to eat. Or it could just be how she nurses, my son would nurse on one side, sleep, & then nurse on the other side. just relax & it sounds like your doing a great job :)

i hope this could help at least a little.

[fadingsun]

I breast fed both my children for around 8 months.  It is normal for your breasts to get hard like that at first.  It will eventually stop.  Your body is trying to figure out how much milk to make.  The best thing you can do is get in a nice warm shower and let is drain out a little bit, at least in my experience.  I wouldn't worry about over or under feeding the baby as long as you are feeding her when she is hungry everything will be all right. Both my kids ate in a very similar pattern to what you are describing.  Just takes a little bit for you to get used to each other.  Congratulations on your little one!  :)