How do you know when to switch breasts

[EmmaM2]

My health visitor has advised me to stick to one breast until its empty and only then offer the other side rather than do 20 mins on each side. But how do i know when its empty - lo will seemingly just suck an suck forever rather than become annoyed there is nothing in there. Also if he stays on one for a feed, do i start back up with the same one next feed or swap? I'm confused, trying my best to make sure lo is getting hind milk as it was causing problems but now i'm confused! thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[LogansMama]

Your HV is correct. And your baby is right too! He is not just "sucking away forever even when theres nothing in there" because its never really EMPTY. He is still getting some out, even if its just a little. Stay on one side until he decides he's finished. Burp him. Then offer the other side. Baby may or may not take it. Next time start on the side you finished on (or never got to).

Baby may seem to be sucking forever - but this is normal. Babys suck to soothe themselves even when not hungry. And it will help keep your supply where baby needs it to be. The "emptier" your breasts seem to get, the more milk your body will think it needs to produce. Does that make sense to you?

 

[JadeyB]

Hey hun,

How old is your LO?

It was like this for me in the early days and I had no idea when my LO had finished but I just kept him on the first side for as long as possible before offering him the second side. I was feeding for about an hour - sometimes a little longer.

It does get easier, they get very good at telling you when you need to switch. My little one is 12 weeks and he now feeds for about 10 mins on the first side and then gets frustrated and pulls off. I burp him, offer him the same side and if he continues to pull off and head butt my boob, I switch. He takes the second side for 5-10 mins and I offer him the second side on the next feed. This is only because he is now much more efficient at feeding. If I kept him on the first side for 25 mins now, he would scream.

xx

 

[Maffie]

When my LO was little he would feed for upto 40 minutes on one side and come off himself (unless we hit growth spurt time when he suckled to up supply) If he wanted the other side then I offered it and he was usually less time on that side. At the next feed i'd start on the boob he o nly had a little from so 1st feed left side mainly then finished off on right 2nd feed start on right then finish off on left if he wanted.

After a while he only wanted one boob at a feed and I used to pump the other side to get a freezer store going.

 

[EmmaM2]

Thanks ladies - i do let him stay on as long as he likes but hv then said to re-offer the same breast until he tells me there is nothing there i.e. gets frustrated which he never does. I did this last night and so he kept going back to the same one and woke this morning to one HUGE breast as obviously the supply signals have gone nuts. It did mean i was able to express this morning for the first time but it's just got me in a pickle. My lo is only 11 days old and his feeding demand is exhausting me i keep getting to the point where i want to give up as he doesn't sleep either without being held so we are shattered. I was switching everytime he came off the first breast but as that is sometimes not very long the hv said it was likely i just keep offering him fore milk from both breasts and it was causing him to be very gassy and unhappy. He was certainly much better tempered and happier last night but i know that feeding all night from one breast isn't right. Still so confused. I never thought bf would be this hard.

 

[moggymay]

once you get established it gets easier and SOOOmuch more convenient than getting up to make a bottle at 3am!

How are you doing?

 

[EmmaM2]

once you get established it gets easier and SOOOmuch more convenient than getting up to make a bottle at 3am!

How are you doing?

Not doing that well today -reaching breaking point with tiredness! And tbh i am already up and on the sofa at 3am as lo wont sleep without being held so i am up all night. I don't want to give up and am hanging in there just about. Feel so guilty that i just want my life back for a day or two!
How is life with your little one? x

 

[venusrockstar]

I usually switch when Bella just decides to use small flutter sucks and she starts nodding off. No sleeping at the dinner table! *LOL*

 

[moggymay]

once you get established it gets easier and SOOOmuch more convenient than getting up to make a bottle at 3am!

How are you doing?

Not doing that well today -reaching breaking point with tiredness! And tbh i am already up and on the sofa at 3am as lo wont sleep without being held so i am up all night. I don't want to give up and am hanging in there just about. Feel so guilty that i just want my life back for a day or two!
How is life with your little one? x

Hard work, at least my eldest sleeps thru the nightime crying! How overdue did you get?

 

[EmmaM2]

I went the full 14 days and had to be induced! It was a nightmare but what i wouldn't give for a couple of those lazy days back now! Love your profile pic by the way - very cute. x

 

[cutie4evr01]

I don't think you need to feed from the same side all night. Sounds like your HV wants you to block feed so the baby gets hindmilk, but I think if you feed from the same side for 3-4 hours, that should be sufficient, so the other side doesn't get to the point of exploding! When they are little, it's difficult to know when to switch as half the time they are just shallow sucking rather than actually feeding, and they are feeding more often than not, so it's not always clear when the feed has "ended". I tended to give the same side for about 3 hours and then swap to the other side the next 3, and so on.

 

[pinkandfluffy]

Not doing that well today -reaching breaking point with tiredness! And tbh i am already up and on the sofa at 3am as lo wont sleep without being held so i am up all night. I don't want to give up and am hanging in there just about. Feel so guilty that i just want my life back for a day or two!
How is life with your little one? x

Hi hun, my LO would not sleep in moses basket either...........I was getting so exhausted trying to get him to sleep. We are co-sleeping now for the moment and I am finally getting some.

Hope it gets better for you soon

 

[moggymay]

have you tried a sleeping bag? we take him out of his bag for the feed, then change him and put him back in the bag and then offer a little more feed before putting him in his crib, cos he is all warm in the bag he seems to take to being put down better than if he was just laying down on the sheet without the bag aound him