Confused as to which breast should be offering each time.

[Beantin]

I have a clip on my strap to remember which was last one i used, but not sure when to switch. I know should aim to 'empty' one before switching, but then if do that, put DS on other one after that....then start again on the same one next time, or whichever is feeling like will explode if don't put him on it? Help?

I'll tell you what I do. Feed Baby from breast 1 then if he's still hungry after a long feed on that breast, I swap to breast 2 until he's had enough.

At the NEXT feed, I'll start on breast 2.

Sometimes I won't offer the toher breast if he seems happy and full (or has fallen asleep!) in which case I just offer the other breast at the next feed.

Does that make sense?

I used to just go by feel as well. I wasn't very scientific!

I just offered first breast, second breast and then if he hadn't been on the second breast for all that long offered that the next time.

Sometimes though ds would have both breasts and then go back to the first one again (growth spurts etc), and sometimes he'd just want the one. I just followed his lead.

i did the same as mamag.
only I fairly frequently forgot which one I had used last, so he just got whichever felt fullest, or whichever it was easiest to access at the time, depending onwhat I was doing (ie, i found it easiest to feed from the left when lying in bed)

I am hoping to arm myself with as much info as possible to successfuly breast feed my third DC in August. Threads like this just confuse me

Iwontbite - yes, he feeds from left when i need right hand free for typing/eating....
Hair clip on strap helps me remember which was last one, but then i forget how long had on it....

suwoo I was like you when expecting BabyG (my third)

My top tip is this: feed feed feed as much as possible. If baby comes off a breast, put it on the other one. Put baby to breast as often as you can in the early weeks and sod the housework/everything else. Get the MWs, BF counsellor, HV (cringe) to check your latch. Put the BF helpline numbers in your mobile phone and take to hospital with you. If in doubt about anything, ring them. IF you're not sure wehther baby wants a feed: feed it

Suwoo - so say you start the day on your left boob. Baby suckles then comes off. Offer the other boob (may or may not want it).

Next feed, start on right boob. Repeat.

Sometimes they will come off boob2 and still be looking for food, so go back to boob1. I'd still start next feed on boob2.

At first I had a wrist band which I swapped, but as DS used to almost always have both, I just did the old 'self weigh' technique to decide where to start

And as MamaG says, just feed, feed,feed. If possible, retire to bed and get naked with your baby (OK, they can have a nappy ) so that they have unfettered access. This has the benefit of stopping you doing too much as well (not that this affects your breasts at all, just that you deserve a rest)

If you can't remember and you can't tell with a quick squeeze, it doesn't matter.

Thanks you lot, MN is going to enable me to breastfeed .

I did the same as MamaG but sometimes DS would feed so much he would go boob1, boob2, back to boob1.

If that happened, I would start next feed on boob2.

But as SD says, if you can't remember and neither boob is obviously fuller, it doesn't matter. They will both have milk in them all the time.

It doesn't matter.

You should offer one breast and when baby slows or looses interest offer the other, and repeat going back to the first and so on.

The reason it doesn't matter is because, if you start with the less 'full' one, you baby will loose interest sooner and go onto the 'fuller' one iykwim.

Please don't get bogged down in 'rules' and 'methods wrt timings and boob order. Just do what is easiest and feed whenever the baby so much as looks at you.

I just do what feels right. I poke the sides of my breasts to see which one needs it most, I swap if it would make me more comfortable - either because I'm leaking or my hand is getting sore! - or because she is still asking but keeps letting go.

When my daughter was having weight gain issues and constant green pooh I fed from one side for a few hours before swapping.

With Tink I could feed from one side for as long as she wanted, during a nurse-in I'd do 45 minutes on and 15 off, I'd swap after the break.

I do the same as MamaG. I got terribly bogged down in the rules and methods as Snowlight describes them initially, mainly because we had such a bloody awful start. I will approach it entirely differently next time round.