8 week old distressed halfway through feed, help!

[greedygoose]

Asking ? For my sister, her dd is bf'ing, she is feeding quite often and I manage to answer most of her questions having bf 3 of my own, but this one I was stuck so immediately thought of posting on here!

She feeds for 10 minutes well and the pulls off and gets distressed +++ she does go on the other side sometimes and carry on, but time between feeds is getting shorter because she is snacking. My only thought was to try to lengthen time between feeds by walks etc. Would it be wind? She does it on both sides, wouldn't be let down as it's 10 mins in?

Any ideas, I know she would be grateful!!

Maybe she just gets frustrated as the flow slows? Or needs a burp?

does she wind her before offering the other side?

otherwise, i'd say that if she is fussing and doesn't want more it's because she is full up! they do get more efficient at feeding as they get older, so maybe 10 minutes is enough for her

It could be that after the foremilk baby is struggling to suck for the hind and is still thirsty, this happens with my baby, I swap sides to the foremilk then back again for the hind milk on the 1st and then the 2nd if she did not take, she is then ready to suck for this her thirst satisfied. I can tell by squeezing and seeing the density of the milk when baby unlatches. I have a supply issue though, I have to usually top up also after a full feed both sides, I believe my LO struggles to suck (long story)

sedgiebaby - I don't know where you got your information from but there is no such thing as foremilK/hindmilk.

It may look like the breast makes two kinds of milk but there is only one - fat leaches out of the milk and sticks to the duct walls the longer the milk sits in the breast so while that milk is being drunk new milk is being made and picks up the stuck fat as it is expelled with the let down.

As milk is mostly made directly during/after a feed you can keep swapping sides 2/3/4/+ times with out there being no milk. If you feel your baby needs help to extract milk from your breast you could try when you feel your DD is no longer suckling effectively.

Greedygoose - I agree with TIY, it may be that baby is an efficient feeder and doesn't want to spend a long time feeding so fusses when put back to feed.

Well got my information re foremilk/hind milk from the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator at my hospital (a large teaching hospital), this person is regarded as 'top of the tree' for BF in terms of knowledge/training that is she was described as such by my HV who is BF champion for her area. Also it was on her advice that pediatricians agreed to our discharge when feeding issues were identified and were causing issues for baby and weight so I think she may know a thing or two about BF.

That aside I express I can clearly see the watery translucent milk and contrast this with the heavier creamy milk which comes next which does not flow so readily. In fact at one point hospital advice was to express foremilk to ensure baby had the calorie rich milk that came next becuase baby was not gaining weight, we later found there were other anatomical issues affecting her ability to feed and suck effectively.

It is when my baby hits this denser milk that she gets fractious and seems to struggle because I believe she has to work harder to get it What you may call it might well differ but there are two distinct 'phases' of milk for a feed of this I'm certain having seen for myself.

I checked back however to mention also about breast compressions also, this is helpful for us too again towards the end of the fed.

I did not say that the milk doesn't look different just that there is not two different types of milk made. The watery milk you see on expressing is the same milk that appears to you as hindmilk but has had the fat leached out.

I may well not have explained well (was NAK) but Kellymom says it better than I ever could (and clearly I should have just linked in the first place I cocked up).
Here is Kellymom's explanation.

Great advice as always! Will pass comments on, big thanks

I would wind the baby before offering the other side. I didnt really know this with dd