Breastfeeding - 1 boob each feed or both?

[Rebelwithallthecause]

I’m 3 weeks into breastfeeding, and seem to have different struggles every few days

I’m wondering now if I should be feeding from one boob or both and if I do both do I start on the same boob I finished on at last feed or go back to the one we started on last feed?

I have always done LR then R L then LR and R L.
Mw told me to tuck a tissue into the last side bra as a reminder!!
Managed to keep 11 dc alive with this method over the years!

I offer both boobs every feed. Sometimes ds doesn't want the second boob though.

I always start the feed on alternating boobs just to keep the supply equal, as D's doesn't always take much from the second. I don't want wonky boobs

Depends on the baby IME, sorry to be unhelpful. My babies have only ever wanted one side at a time.

@Windyatthebeach, you have 11 kids? woweee.

Depends on baby, and also your milk supply. I had oversupply and tongue tied babies and struggled to get them to even empty one side. So, offer one side until it feels emptier, or baby comes off or fusses, try offering other side, and then at next feed start on that side.

Offer both boobs at each feed and alternate which one you offer first to try and make sure baby is draining them (to reduce the chance of getting mastitis)

I hope you've got support irl - I found breastfeeding tough but definitely worth it

I’m still struggling with latch.

It hurts initially and then gets less painful.

But the left side is too sore from previous damage to feed from so I’m using a shield on that side

I’ve had a private lactation consultant appointment that was really helpful but in the day since I haven’t been able to get the latch quite right again

I’m desperate for the breastfeeding groups to start again so I can have some help in person as I’m just spending ages looking at YouTube and reading advise and none of it seems to help

I had no idea you were supposed to offer both so I've always alternated sides.

As PPs say, both, and alternate which side you start on. At the beginning, I kept a mad diary of which boob I’d used and how many minutes they fed from each.

I have always offered the "second" side once they seem done with the "first side", unless they're deeply asleep or seem totally uninterested.

In the early weeks I used an app to time how long baby fed from each side and which side first. Somewhere around the four week mark I am able to trust myself not to starve my baby and I then give my boobs a squeeze and feed from the fuller side first!

OP - do you have Home Start in your area? They were fantastic to me. Keep asking for help - I felt stupid for not "getting" breastfeeding and basically let DD shred my boobs with her bad latch but nobody cared that they had to show me something again and again (it's not surprising - I was knackered and my brain was not working properly). It got easier and I exclusively fed her for 6 months

@DramaDromedary - I kept a diary of how long I fed on each boob throughout! When DD is older I will show it to her!!!

I definitely went through a phase at around 3 weeks of BF being painful, but then it got much easier probably as my nipples were just getting used to it. Have you tried Lansinoh ointment? Helped reduce the pain and help the nipple heal between feeds.

Also health visitor got my DS into a really good position for me but impossible for me to replicate as it involved her stuffing cushions all over the place! I know they’re trying to help, but if you can’t do it on your own it’s a bit useless.

Does your local hospital offer online feeding workshops? We have here - you can send your questions in before the session then watch via Facebook live

To answer your question, most times I offer both breasts but not always (e.g. if baby falls asleep at the breast)

Lansinoh yes. Coating them. Also using jelonet on the one that’s totally shredded

I think that’s why I could latch her well with the support because I had loads of cushions propping things up but I can’t do that one handed at home alone.

Does it get easier naturally or is this something I really need to focus on now?

For me it got easier, week 3 was probably the low point - painful, cluster feeding, no sleep! I’ve not had any pain since week 5 and I don’t think it’s because of the latch, just my nipples have adjusted and DS is a lot more efficient at feeding.

I hope it gets better for you soon, but your baby has had the best start, there’s no shame in formula feeding now if BF is making you both miserable

Yes I offer both unless she's fallen asleep. Do you have a nursing pillow? Makes it so much easier. Also I put a hair tie on the wrist of the boob I feed from next. Found this is the easiest way. Also it does all the sudden one day just get easier. With my first it was about 4/5 weeks. It just clicked for both of us and I think my nipples just got tougher!!

When I was in hospital any time I got any help the latch was soo painful. Then one midwife used this method and the latch didn't hurt at all. Here's the method:

I still didn't end up bf because I could never replicate it and didn't find this video until now (pregnant again). Just in case you haven't seen this method thought I would share! Hopefully it helps. Sorry if it doesn't.

My DS is 11 weeks old. I've always offered one side only; I think the midwife said it's to ensure that the breast is fully drained. He was very refluxy so she suggested i feed him for ten mins (had been 20), burp him and then see if he wants to go back on (the same side), but he's been happy with ten mins ever since!

Feeds roughly every two hours during the day and once in the middle of the night. I have the baby tracker app which tells you which side he was on last time, when, how long he fed etc. I think a pattern is slowly emerging.

I seem to recall around the week two mark he was feeding constantly; i think it was a growth spurt. You just have to get through them! I lost a full kg in one day!

I usually do both sides, I had issues with supply to begin with so would switch back and forth a lot. My baby tends to feed little and often so most of the time I don't think that much about which side I start on and just keep going till he falls asleep/loses interest.