newbie - few basic questions!

[squizita]

Touch wood mw and Hv happy enough with progress, baby pink/alert and regained birth weight at 11 days.
Just have some newbie questions!

• Can someone explain in idiot terms fore and hind milk and the rules of how to make the most? I just pop her on one side till she's done, THEN swap if she wishes. If she's taking fequent short feeds I swap hourly.
  
• She was born on 25th percentile and having regained that is still there (the graph only starts at 14 days) but then there seems to be a "jump" required to stay there. Hv and mw seem perfectly chilled though. When should she next be weighed, to give her a chance to gain enough to stay in her % ... don't want to fuel any anxiety!
  

Thanks.

[EmbarrassedPossessed]

This is quite a good explanation of the foremilk hindmilk thing:

kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/basics/foremilk-hindmilk/

As for weighing, I think monthly weighing is what is recommended if there are no concerns. Although weigh ins are optional, and you don't have to have her weighed at all if you are happy with her health generally.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

How old is she now Squizita? Generally about monthly if birth weight regained and no other issues.

You really don't need to worry about foremilk/hindmilk. It is often trotted out to sound scientific but actually if you feed on demand and don't limit feed time (let them come off when ready) it really isn't something you need to keep tabs on (obvious disclaimer that I am talking about healthy term babies)

[SwayingCat]

In our area they recommend less than monthly weighing now as long as no concerns.

Re foremilk and hind milk, don't get hung up on it. If you are lead by your baby as to when they finish on one side , then swap to the other, that will be fine.

[squizita]

She's coming up for 2 weeks, healthy but smallish (I am short/small and hcp all say thats why) at 6 lb 14 oz. Very alert, normal poo and wee etc. :)
Thanks for the advice. Feed on demand and a monthly weigh in it is!

[SwayingCat]

I would use both sides personally.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

Buggerlugs - offer both. You will soon learn if your baby wants the extra.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

Who told you one side?

[squizita]

Waves at Bugs! Yeah I just carry on with the other side if she's still hungry! When she was brand new that seemed distant future but today she's fed more than slept and both sides got plenty of use!

[katandkits]

Midwives often are not sufficiently up to date with latest bf advice. Not that I am an expert in any way either:)

I believe that the best advice is to let the baby come off the first side when they are done then offer second side if they are still awake. Obviously if the baby is asleep one side must have been enough that time. Sometimes two sides is not enough. My baby's record is a six boob cluster breakfast. Obviously a newborn has a tiny stomach so one side is enough at some feeds.
But if you only offer one side at each feed, each breast is going longer without the signal to produce milk.

If you have a healthy term baby who feeds well and gains weight I wouldn't worry about the centile chart either. Its only à big drop of two centile spaces that indicates a problem.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

The midwife gave odd advice Buggerlugs. You offer one side, let them take what they want, offer the other (but don't stress if they don't want no. 2, my third child is the first to take the second side more than once in a blue moon).

[NickyEds]

Don't worry about fore/hind milk- if your baby's gaining weight and feeding fine it just complicates things! Feeding off one side is designed to reduce supply in ladies who have over supply/engorgement issues I think.

I had my baby weighed every week until his 14 weeks check when a nice hv said it was probably ok to go longer!! Can you tell he's pfb?? He lost weight for the first 2 weeks and I was just reassured by having him weighed far too oftenregularly. Other mums I know have had their babies weighed every 4-6 weeks or so. You can generally tell when they get a bit older by the sheer amount of new clothes you have to buy.

[katandkits]

Nice one! Hopefully all that milk has set her up for a nice little sleep!

[squizita]

Bugs I had mine going left right left right for 8 hours (growth spurt) I thought I'd be a zombie after 24 hr of it... Thankfully she wanted to sleep in between so just hadon't a 3 hr sleep ... but is awakening now. goes to dunk boobs in vat of lanolin, flexes shoulders and finds cushions

[squizita]

The nips get less sore! A week and a half in mine are much better! Birth hormones make them extra tender would you believe. Though I still have a ten thousand volt let down!

[NickyEds]

Less sore nipples is an excellent sign squitzita mine were still getting very, very much worse at that point!!

[Heatherbell1978]

squizita DS1 is 6 wks today and I've done one boob from the start mainly because when he was tiny he kept falling asleep on me so it was hard to get him to 'finish' one side. Now he's a very efficient feeder and drains my boob in 6 mins before passing out very satisfied! I used to always offer the other boob but he rarely took it and sometimes when he did he'd get a bit upset as he clearly wasn't hungry and had a leaking nipple shoved in his face. He was born on the 50th centile and has never lost weight, still on 50th now. In fact in 8 days he's just put on 11 lbs! Occasionally at night one side starts to feel a bit heavy and full but I also express in the morning so DH can give a night feed so I tend to 'clear' both side then.

Oh and I started using Lansinoh at 37 wks pregnant and still put it on after every feed and nipples never been sore:-)

[katandkits]

bugs cluster feeding is common in the first three months. I found it peaked around a 6 week growth spurt. After 8 weeks it tapered off and now she goes a fairly normal interval between most feeds. It was a good excuse not to take a turn cooking. It is the babys way of telling your body to supply more milk for the next feeds. Bottle feeders just put an extra ounce in the bottles when their babies need it. Obviously we can't do that so the only way the baby can get more is to feed longer till your body catches up. Expect a few growth spurts, there will be some days when you seem to feed all day! These pass after a day or two. Cluster feeding in the evening happens more so just get comfy and enjoy the cuddles. If you are still having sore nipples after a week or two it is worth getting help. It is usually caused by a latch that is too shallow or a tongue tie.

I can highly recommend downloading the book "the womanly art of breastfeeding" I learnt way more from that than from any midwife or health visitor.

[cogitosum]

Block feeding on one side can be recommended for an oversupply but not at 2 weeks!

I just think go with baby... i would tend to offer other side and sometimes he'd have it and sometimes not. Now at 14 months he only feeds for a few minutes and then just plays with my nipple ... joys! Although the breast stroking and kissing makes up for it!

[squizita]

Grr midwife today weighed her on different scales. A little LESS than Hv yesterday.
Then, having worried me, told me it was irrelevant as different scales plus things like a poo or wee could account for it.
SO WHY NOT JUST LET THE HV WEIGH IN YESTERDAY STAND!?!?
Now I'm all worried.

[TwoLittleTerrors]

squizita I thought your little one has regained her birth weight? And the MW says it's ok isn't it? Try not to worry. i think mine was last weighed on day 12 by the HV, and she said we only need weighing monthly. (DD2 is 20 days now).

And definitely they fluctuate day to day and that's why dont weigh too often. Only in the long term you see trends.

[tiktok]

Squizita, sounds like everything is fine, and it's your confidence that's the issue. Feeling wobbly is not pleasant.

Can't think of any good reason why a normal healthy baby who's reached birthweight would be weighed so often.

It provides no good info at all.

Is there a baby cafe or other bf support group you could go to? Might help.