Does anyone else only feed from one breast per feed?

[birthofawoman]

I ask this because midwives etc always talk about "offering the other breast" and moving onto the next breast, but I don't quite understand how this is possible. There's literally no way my baby (6 weeks old, currently) would accept the second breast seeing as his decision to stop feeding from the first one was based on the fact that he's now full. I've tired, but my nipple is just met with a closed mouth.

I don't understand it. Surely I'm not the only mother who only feeds from one breast at a time?

I also don't understand how the average feed is supposed to last 15 minutes+. I just couldn't imagine a feed lasting that long as my baby literally only feeds for about 5-7 minutes at a time, and it's been that way since day 1. He's gaining good weight (he's currently between the 50th and 75th percentile ), and he's producing a good number of wet nappies, so I know he's getting enough milk.

Maybe my baby just has unusual feeding habits? I don't know! Surely my baby isn't the only one like this?

DS would take both boobs and take 40 bloody minutes about it!!! DD takes 5 min on one and then dicks about with the other for about a minute. Some are just more efficient than others I think at getting the milk out. DD was straight on it about 2 min after birth! Whatever works for you. If they are full they will just turn away or go to sleep.

Just alternate, I found it changed with time.

My baby would drain my boobs in 5-7mins! Only have one boob so I would just give the other boob at the next feed or if it was engorged I'd pump for 10 mins.

My 12wk old baby is exactly the same as yours @birthofawoman I don’t bother offering the other breast as he is clearly full from just the one.....he feeds for around the same amount of time too.

I wouldn’t worry if your baby is gaining weight and happy. I just try to remember which boob I’ve fed from last so I know what one to offer next! And I generally have ‘wonky’ boobs but hey ho he’s happy so that’s good enough for me

Yeah, I didn’t know swapping boobs was a thing until a friend asked if my baby had been on the same boob for however long the feed had been when we were out. I always did that and just remember which boob she last feed off.

*fed

My baby is 6 months and he pretty much has always only had one side per feed and feeds really quickly too. I have a hairband on my wrist that I use to remind me which side he had last.

Sounds normal and if he's content and gaining weight I wouldn't worry. DD1 would feed for 45min total from both sides. DD2 drained both in about 10 min total.

My two year old still has both, and sometimes goes back to the first one for another go. All babies are different. The important thing is to offer baby the other breast, if they don't want it then that's perfectly fine.

A quick feeder sounds like bliss TBH. I would just enjoy it. As long as baby is healthy and putting on weight then you have nothing to worry about.

You can get little tabs you clip onto your bra strap
-or just use a safety pin-
to help remember which boob you used last 😂

It depends how much milk each boob stores. Some boobs store more milk so baby might just want one. Some boobs with less milk producing tissue have to feed more often, or possibly both sides instead of just one. It also depends how long since baby last fed (i.e. how hungry he is). I feed frequently and often just feed one boob until DS falls asleep then use the other boob next time.

I breastfed for a year and only offered one breast per feed with no problem. I would move my engagement ring from hand to hand to keep tabs on which breast I used last.

I have a friend who exclusively breastfed all three of her children from one boob, not recommending that (it wasn't done through choice!) but one boob per feed can definitely be enough.