When has feed finished?

[PurpleBucket]

DS is just over two months old but we've only just started breastfeeding properly after weeks of expressing. I'm still quite unsure of everything and want to make sure DS has eaten enough.

So how do you know when the baby has finished? Quite often after hes been feeding for a while DS Starts fussing at the breast, clamping down on my
Nipple and pulling it about. So I unlatch him and if he protests then I put him back on. He did this in our first proper bf in the night yesterday and I was so confused as to whether he was done or not.

Other times he just starts falling asleep and using my nipple as his dummy so I assume he's eaten enough.

He usually lasts 2 or 2 and a half hours after feeds.
Does this all sound normal and ok??

Yes, sounds fine. If he starts fussing but protests when you take him off, do you offer him the other side?

Generally just keep offering each side until either he falls asleep or comes off satisfied and refuses any more.

Yes am offering other side but if he keeps fussing then I just give up. What do I do then if keep swapping sides and he fusses all the time but doesn't fall asleep?

Btw milk supply not an issue. In fact got too much for him at the moment as been expressing so much.

Try taking him off and burping him when the fussing starts. Then offer both breasts again.

But generally falling asleep = good sign, full and content.

If he's fussing but doesn't want to go back on the breast, it could be a burp - or he might just want a nappy change or a change of scene.

Yes tried burping. It's just making me feel a bit insecure about how everything is going as we're both getting used to breastfeeding after all the expressing and bottle feeding.

Sometimes little babies are just a mystery!

So long as he is feeding around 8-12 times in 24 hours, you're offering both breasts and he's weeing and pooing then I'm sure everything is going fine.

Thank you! Yes we're feeding around 10 times I think. Lots of wet nappies plus usually one HUGE (nappy leaking style) poo a day!!

DD2 used to do that. I could tell when she'd stopped drinking and was just messing about and took her off. She generally cheered up when I sat her up.

At around 2 months (I think) DD stopped falling asleep with every feed. I found that if she was messing around, sometimes I could burp her and then she'd go back on, but if she was stilling yanking at my nipple, if I sat her up, she was happy. I still have a kind of "rule" that if she's really messing around, she gets 2 more goes at booby and then it gets put away.

Thank you so much. That's really reassuring. Yes when I sit DS up after the messing about then he often beams at me. Like the two go s at the booby rule too

Did this also happen to you with night-time feeds? Tonight is my second night with breastfeeds at night and quite petrified of being awake all night wondering if baby full or not.

Well done!

If it helps my 14 week old DD falls asleep 50% of the time and the other 50% she doesn't. We are mostly down to one night feed and she always falls asleep thankfully after that.

Her breastfeeding patterns and habits keep changing as she gets older and now that she is constantly chewing her hands, I have lost one of her hunger cues.

Her latest trick is to try and drink, smile, talk and shove her fist in her mouth all at the same time - very endearing until she chokes!

Hope your night went ok. Mine never does it at night, she looks like she's asleep during the feeds but is quietly feeding away, then stops when she's done.

Actually the night went very well,thanks. And I was feeling much more positive after all the lovely supportive posts here. DS woke once at 4:30 and I fed him and he went back to sleep until 8:15!!! Of Course I had naturally woken earlier my breasts were ridiculously full and had to pump a bit.

Will my milk supply drop if DS starts sleeping long hours at night and i don't wake to pump?

Your supply will be able to meet his demands - my ds was sleeping 8 hours a night at 2 months, then feeding every hour or two in the night at 4.5 months, but the milk is always there when you need it. Just enjoy the sleep while it lasts!

agree with Rita, your supply will settle to what is required at that time. Then a growth spurt will come along, your DS will start wanting to feed more often, so your supply will up itself to meet the new demand. Have faith in your boobs

"have faith in your boobs" is now my favourite MN quote, love it!

My 10wo DS sounds identical to yours, OP. If he fusses, I burp him. If he still fusses, we stop.

I like have faith in your boobs too!!! It's so true!!

Actually DS has been fussing much less at the breast now. I find that as we both get used to nursing, things are getting easier and more natural, thank goodness. Now I just have to hope weight gain is ok...

It's definitely been an uphill struggle for us to breastfeed and hopefully it will all get easier now