A couple of BF questions

[Sparkleyone]

Hi ladies,

Please can someone answer a few questions for me xx

When feeding on demand do you let your baby feed for as long as it likes, or does there become a point where the baby is starts using you as a dummy?

Do you switch breast at any point during a feed?

& do you start off with the opposite breast to the one your baby last fed off?

Oh, and do you always offer the breast whenever your baby seems unsettled or try to soothe them using other means first?

I read in the early days expect your baby to BF 12 times in 24 hours, is this right?

How long does a feed usually last for?

Sorry for all the questions, only I would rather ask in advance than on the 11th hour so to speak!

Xx

 

[Pyrrhic]

When feeding on demand do you let your baby feed for as long as it likes, or does there become a point where the baby is starts using you as a dummy? I think when you are BFing, any baby will use you as a dummy at some point or another I let Niamh feed for as long as she likes.

Do you switch breast at any point during a feed? No, as I always drain one breast at each feed to make sure she gets the hind mil as well as the fore milk.

& do you start off with the opposite breast to the one your baby last fed off? Yes, always

Oh, and do you always offer the breast whenever your baby seems unsettled or try to soothe them using other means first? Soothe them in other ways first, but Niamh only really cries when she hungry, and I know her feeding schedule now.

I read in the early days expect your baby to BF 12 times in 24 hours, is this right? Yes, every 2 hours is normal day and night for a newborn.

How long does a feed usually last for? When she was newborn, about an hour. Now, about 10-15mins.

 

[Mervs Mum]

When feeding on demand do you let your baby feed for as long as it likes, or does there become a point where the baby is starts using you as a dummy?

You feed as long and as often as baby needs. You will learn the difference between feeding and comfort sucking in time.

Do you switch breast at any point during a feed?

That really depends on how long they have been feeding and at what stage you are. In time your boobs wont fill and empty like they do to start with. You should try to drain a boob before swapping sides - this is learnt too.

& do you start off with the opposite breast to the one your baby last fed off?

If you feed long enough to 'empty' that side you would change but if they only had a short feed and wanted feeding again quite soon after (say within an hour) you would return to the same same to start with.

Oh, and do you always offer the breast whenever your baby seems unsettled or try to soothe them using other means first?

In the early days this tends to be inevitable until you learn your babies 'cues' - you'll begin to be able to tell a tired cry from a hungry cry. If you think they arent hungry, you would try all the other obvious things first; winding changing etc, then try feeding again. In the early weeks they need to feel close to you and they do that by feeding.

I read in the early days expect your baby to BF 12 times in 24 hours, is this right?

They all differ. But generally you can expect to be feeding ever 2 hours. some times more sometimes less. Dont get too hung up on that. BM is very easily digestable and their tummies are tiny (see below) so they need to feed often. Formula is heavier so they may (but not always) sllepfor longer astheir bodies have to work much harder to process it.

How long does a feed usually last for?
Varies - babies need to learn to BF just as you do so in the early days it may take an hour or more or it may take 5 mins. They also dont always what a 3 course meal - sometimes it's a snack!

Sorry for all the questions, only I would rather ask in advance than on the 11th hour so to speak!



HTH!

 

[sam#3]

Hi ladies,

Please can someone answer a few questions for me xx

When feeding on demand do you let your baby feed for as long as it likes, or does there become a point where the baby is starts using you as a dummy?
After you have been bfeeding a while you will get to know the different feeling between feeding and comfort sucking, feeding tends to be long slow sucks but comfort sucking is more flickery fluttery sucks
Do you switch breast at any point during a feed?
I stick with just one so that he gets all the good calorie rich hind milk which comes after the thirst quenching foremilk
& do you start off with the opposite breast to the one your baby last fed off?
Yes, in the early days i had a ribbon clipped to the bra strap of the side i had to start on next!!
Oh, and do you always offer the breast whenever your baby seems unsettled or try to soothe them using other means first?
I have to be honest and say that in the early days when i wasnt used to what his cries meant i offered him a feed everytime he cried, now though he is in a routine and is comforted other ways, although i do still give him a comfort feed sometimes if hes really upset/poorly etc
I read in the early days expect your baby to BF 12 times in 24 hours, is this right?
Yes i would say thats right, harry fed every 2 hours day and night for ages
How long does a feed usually last for?
That really varies from baby to baby, i know some that feed for up to an hour but harry only ever fed for 15 mins max and now its about 5 mins
Sorry for all the questions, only I would rather ask in advance than on the 11th hour so to speak!
Good luck and dont apologise for the questions, were all here to help hun

 

[mommyof3co]

When feeding on demand do you let your baby feed for as long as it likes, or does there become a point where the baby is starts using you as a dummy? I always let them nurse for as long as they wanted, in the early days they would tie out and fall asleep so I knew they were done then..unless it was really early in the feed and I'd try and keep them up. Or once they started pulling away and fussing a bit or messing around I could tell they were done. We offered a pacifier very early on so they did use that instead of me once they were done eating.

Do you switch breast at any point during a feed? As newborns I did, I would nurse them for 10-20min on one side then burp them and put them on the other side. As they got older their feeding time cut way back and he would nurse on one side per feeding

& do you start off with the opposite breast to the one your baby last fed off?yes say he nursed left, then burp, then right..the next time it would be right, burp then left

Oh, and do you always offer the breast whenever your baby seems unsettled or try to soothe them using other means first? it depends, if it had just been a little while since their last feed, like hour or less in newborn days, I would try just holding them, or changing them, pacifier something like that, then nursing. I didn't want to nurse at every little cry, wanted to be sure they were actually hungry. Pretty quickly though you figure out what cry means they are hungry or if it's something else

I read in the early days expect your baby to BF 12 times in 24 hours, is this right? they can, not all babies do, I would be prepared for it, but mine always went 3-4hrs between feeds except maybe a couple feeds of the day, it wasn't consistantly every 2hrs, it was usually longer occasionally only 2

How long does a feed usually last for? Hayden's first feed after birth was an hour long, there were a couple like that but it was usually 30-40min, sometimes only 20min for the first month or so...it gradually took him less time to nurse and it got to where it was 5min max