new to BF, how do u know when the boob is empty?

[belstaff]

and my 1 month old seems hungry still after a feed from one breast. do u offer both breasts in one feeding session? when do u know one is empty and to offer the other

[tiktok]

belstaff, you can't know when it's empty, and you don't need to

The breast is never completely empty, and the guidance of when you swap breasts - and yes, it's a good idea to do so, esp at first, so both breasts get stimulated to make more milk - lies with the baby. When he takes a 'natural' break, by wriggling or coming off, or slowing down to more or less a flutter suck, that's when you offer the other side.

[moondog]

Breasts are vever empty.The more you feed the more you make.Supply and demand. There are no hard and fast rules but a good idea to offer both.Have a look at this website run by an MNer.Tonnes of good advice on it.

How breastfeeding works

[NoBiggy]

I always offer both. When the baby comes off the first breast, just switch then. Mine would look as if she'd finished, but when breast no. 2 hoved into view she'd be interested again.

Then next feed you start with the side you used second.

[Liz79]

Thanks for this post. I have always been able to squeeze a bit out at the end so when she finished feeding i thought that was it and didn't see the point offering 2nd side as surely she must be full as there was some left and also it would be hind milk she needed not fore milk (has had slow weight gain and about to cross centile for 2nd time). After reading this yesterday I have started offering 2nd boob when she falls asleep/starts messing/gets fractious. She has been taking it happily. In fact she slept 8 hours from 7pm -3am! We normally wake her at 10-11pm but slept through the alarm . She is 10 wo. Hopefully next time she will have gained a decent amount of weight because of this (she gains 7-7.5oz a fortnight, they like at least 8oz)

[tiktok]

Liz, whoever advised you to only feed on one side at a time was misinformed. It can be very important to at least offer both sides, in order to stimulate adequate production.

A baby with weight gain slow enough to cause concern should definitely not be restricted to one side only, and you should have been told that by people telling you the weight gain was not enough

Offering both sides increases the volume of milk the baby has and the overall calorie intake and the overall supply. When mothers want to reduce the amount they are making - because they have a bad case of over-supply - they feed on one side only. So it's good you are switching to 2

[Liz79]

I took it upon myself to only offer one side, didn't see the point in 2 as 1st not empty. However the person who weighs her knew what I was doing and didn't say any different. Hopefully she will now pick up. Was/am expecting to get sent to doc next time as sure as eggs she will cross the line, going about something else later so may just mention it and what I'm doing. Might save going again! Or should I wait and see if it doesn't happen? I think she will now have a much better weight gain but will still cross the line.

[RedJools]

dd1 used to be happy with one side at each feed- was offered the second but not interested, so I used to express from the other one while she was feeding- got a great stash!dd2, however, could drain both in 15mins! ds (feeding as we speak)starts fussing , even though there seems to me to be some milk in there, think at the end it comes out too slowly for his liking. When I put him on the other boob, he starts again. I did worry about the whole foremilk/ hindmilk thing, but he is certainly thriving!

[Caz10]

hi liz79

just to say, there is a thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1364/417135?pg=1 about slow weight gain, you'll get some good advice and support there!

my dd sounds similar to yours, i won't rehash the whole story, but just to say on tiktok and others fab advice i now offer both sides, sometimes back for a third or fourth too! she's still a tiddler though...

so ridiculous re the set amount of weight gain expected too, like every baby is the same - mine gained 9oz in the last fortnight and that was not enough and we are now off to the paediatrician!!

[Liz79]

we're supposed to do 8oz a fortnight. It was 7.5 last time and 7oz the time before. COnsequently she is going across the centiles. I think they are more worried about having crossed 2 centiles than anything else. She has fat cheeks, arms and legs, wees and does yellow poos and as far as I know is doing everything she's meant to. Just puts weight on slowly. Unlike her mummy who would gain 8oz just thinking about chocolate cake!!!

[tiktok]

Liz, the empty breast thing is very misleading....to check there is milk and assume that the baby does not want any more from side two if there is some still in side 1 might seem logical, but it actually isn't!

You can never totally empty the breast, though clearly the breast can be fuller/emptier at different times.

Babies often drift off while feeding on side one, then if they go onto side 2, they start to feed vigorously again, even if there is milk in side 1 (and of course there always is). The faster flow of the second side stimulates them to feed more, and also removing the milk from side 2 encourages more milk to be made....and the opposite is also true, that is, not removing the milk from side 2 encourages less milk to be made.

Now, for many women, this doesn't matter. They have more than enough milk for their baby without each breast being used at all/most feeds. Everything is just fine and dandy....and in a few cases, mothers who routinely feed on both breasts can become overwhelmed with too much milk, and then they have to make a conscious decision not to offer both.

If there is a concern about a baby's weight, then it would be really important to ensure both breasts are offered every time.

[Liz79]

tik tok you are so right. she refuses side 1 after a while but feeds vigorously from side 2. took her to the doc as she has a nasal infection (didn't know this, just saw blood coming out my babies nose ). I showed him her chart whilst we were there. He said she might have a steep rise, especially as her nose gets better. take her back when she does actually cross the line, he would be obliged to write to the paed. he wouldn't want to refer her but would have to write. He said she would probably be labelled FTT and explained how its rubbish and an accusation on mum. He said she clearly isn't failing, she's bright and alert and well (besides the nose). was nice gp

thanks xxx

[tiktok]

That all sounds good, Liz

Keep on offering both sides