block nursing - how long to keep it up for?

[unclefluffy]

DD is 10 weeks. I have been block nursing (in two hour blocks) for four weeks. I decided to give it go because I had a strong letdown and loads of milk, and DD was a very farty baby with very green poos. It took a couple of days with the wind and a couple of weeks with the poo, but it seems to have worked. She no longer wakes herself up by farting at 2am and her nappies are glorious yellow! My milk supply seems to have settled a bit now. I still have a strong letdown, but less engorgement.

So what I'm trying to figure out is whether I should continue with the block nursing. It's only really a nuisance first thing in the morning when I'm very lopsided and last thing at night when she fights at the breast to get another letdown, but I wonder whether it's done its job. I wonder whether maybe she would spend less time at the breast if I offered her both...? (At the mo she nurses for 45 minutes to an hour at each feed.)

Has anyone else had any experience of successully block nursing? How long did you keep it up for?

bump

Hi, If the poo is yellow, baby is happy and she is nursing for a long time and not seeming satisfied, I'd think that is your cue to offering both sides again. It normally only takes a few days to settle the supply down anyhow so sounds like you've done all the right things.

If you start getting indications of oversupply again, you can try it again

I have been block nursing and find that if I stop it the problem just comes back again, so typically go for two feeds per side (but it depends on the individual). My DS is 11 weeks now and things seem to be levelling themselves out a bit though.

there is some information on kellymom. the main text doesn't mention how long to keep it up for, but there are links at the bottom of the page that might be of some use.

Wilf - will I get into trouble for taking your advice more seriously because you call yourself DrWilf...?

Thanks, chaps. Sounds like it's maybe time to try offering both sides again to see what happens. Lacka - if it all goes to pot again, at least I'll know we're in the same boat!

If anyone else has stories I'd love to hear them (since it seems to be 50:50 on here just now)!

Hi

I had never heard of 'block nursing' or indeed oversupply..however the OP's post rang a bell with me because my daughter's (11weeks exclusively bfed) poos have always been browney/greeny/yellow as opposed to bright yellow. And she poos after practically every feed (as per my other post about what frequency of poo is normal) in a very audible manner and seems quite uncomfortable in the process. HOWEVER since yesterday she has had luminous yellow mustard like poos, and only once or twice a day. My diet hasn't changed nor has my feeding... Has anyone else noticed such a dramatic change? And is this change a good thing (it sounds like it is). So perhaps I have had oversupply/strong letdown as well - the kellymom site mentioned that sometimes it can settle itself down with no intervention after a few weeks. Hmmm...

Could be bzzbee. I've got all my info from kellymom and here, so my guess is as good as yours, but that was the conclusion I came to! Supply settles by itself, so maybe it's that that's helped my DD. Re: is this a good thing? Green poo is normal. But it can also be a sign of baby getting too much milk too fast (or a sign of not getting enough milk quickly enough - but I knew that wasn't my problem!) according to kellymom, so I decided to try and change that!

Fed from both sides between 4am and 5am. DD woke herself up at 6am by farting loudly. Not trying that again for a while!