One boob or two?

[Beveridge]

I only offer my 16 week old DD one side at each feed. I've done this from the beginning and up till now it seemed to be enough for her. I don't limit her time at each feed.

However, she has gone from sleeping from 7.30pm-4.30am in the last fortnight to going back to feeding every 2-3 hours through the night. I thought it was a growth spurt (maybe it is? How long can they last?)but now I'm wondering if I'm giving her enough and maybe I should be offering her both sides to keep her fuller for longer. She seems happy enough when she finishes but maybe she's 'got used' to it running out? (a bit like living on frequent sandwiches rather than a 3 course meal which will fill you up for longer?)

To complicate matters, up until she was about 8 weeks old, I used to offer her more from the same side if she seemed to be quite alert after being burped (was going by what i'd been told in the hospital when I had her, to keep offering more). But she ended up eating too much and would vomit a lot, sometimes projectile. I was also expressing daily at that point so i suspect there was a lot of 'spare' milk sloshing about. It took a few weeks to work out that she is (was?)a total greedy guts (HVs were convinced it was reflux and were super-keen to shove Gaviscon down her which I didnt do). I now end her feed if she falls asleep or starts to bob on and off in a 'messing about' sort of way and it's rare that she even possets afterwards.

She's gaining weight fine, though lost some a few weeks ago which she's put back on since(and then some) but the new waking in the night thing has made me wonder if she's not getting enough at each feed?(and of course, i'd very much like her to go back to sleeping through most of the night for purely selfish reasons!)Do other people give both sides each feed? If so, how do you stop your baby doing a Mr Creosote?!!

[TheShockoftheTwo]

I have twins, so have never had an option and have always just done one side each, each feed. This usually proves ample nourishment!
They are five months and are usually satisfied after a feed, although there have been 'growth spurts' of anything from a day to one week-or so, where they wanted to feed more frequently, tho didn't affect their nights too much, luckily.
I think that you're right and it is a growth spurt - her tummy not quite big enough yet to hold enough milk through the night - and am sure she will start sleeping again.
I too found one of mine went through a phase of eating so much that he would projectile vomit!
It sounds like you are doing really well and I would try to ride out the shorter nights as am sure you'll come out the other side. Doesn't sound like she's not getting enough milk!
www.theshockofthetwo.blogspot.com

[Beveridge]

Ah, I never thought about what you do if you have twins! You can't really swap sides then! Thanks for that, will keep it to one side at a time and hopefully she will soon remember how to sleep.

[MrsDandBaby]

i was the same as you - my dd is now 19wks (15 wks from due date) and until 17wks quite happyily only fed on one side. the past fortnight she's started waking at night again and i now offer her both sides as she was still showing signs of being hungry after feeding off one side.

however, it hasn't really stopped the night waking so that may just be a phase linked to all the developments she's making recently - i've found she's very easily distracted when feeding in the day so she may be making up for the smaller feeds in the day with a larger feed at night when there's no distraction.

i'd stick to one side unless she actually shows signs of still being hungry after feeds.

[slushy06]

I only ever fed ds off one side as I wasn't shown how to feed kinda worked it out myself and we never had any problems he fed till 2 and a half and I am now feeding 9 week dd off one breast. Both have gained weight fine.

You are doing brill and try not to stress to much you really are doing great and IMO if baby is gaining and you are not sore all is well. It is probably just a growth spurt and should settle down soon.

[Beveridge]

Thanks everyone, glad I do appear to be doing it right! My MIL did ask in the early days about whether I should be giving her a set time each side each feed like she had been told to do (she BF in the 70s, so was a bit of a medical marvel on a postnatal ward full of bottles - the medical students were wheeled in to observe!)but I did think that unless DD was seeming genuinely hungry I should leave her to 'clear out' one side at a time. Plus I am still wary about feeding her till she bursts.

Last night DD didn't wake until 11.30pm!! But then it was bananas after that and we only went about 90 minutes between feeds during the day. I have ended up co-sleeping with her most of the time now and find I am sometimes woken by her trying to headbutt me in the boobs in the dark - but she appears to be doing it in her sleep!