I don't want to hurt my supply! Schedule change.

[kdmalk]

Bear with me... this might get lengthy. I'm an over-explainer.

My little guy is 4 weeks and the last couple days has started to only want one breast at a feeding. Sometimes I can rouse him enough after a change to take the other for a few minutes, but he then proceeds to spit up the excess all over because I forced the other breast on him. He was taking both at each feed before.

My question is whether or not my supply is established enough to just offer one breast and switch at each feeding??? Or should I be trying to pump the other when he takes only one? He typically goes about 2-2.5 hours between feedings. Usually 2 during the day and 2.5 (or so) at night. He has currently been about 3 hours 15 minutes between feeds and I'm debating whether or not that is a mistake on my part. He is very good about waking when he is hungry, so am I hurting my supply at this point if I let him sleep until the 4 hour mark? Especially if he only takes one breast when he wakes?

(Stay with me while I get crazy for a moment) He ate from both sides at his last feeding. So at the 4 hour mark, I wake him and say he eats only one side (say left). And then he gets hungry at his usual 2 hour mark and I offer the right side first... it has been 6 hours since my right breast has been emptied at that point.... unless I am able to put him down at some point and pump. And he usually won't let me do that.

When I have pumped, I typically get 3.5-4 oz per 15-17 minute double pumping session. And I only pump if it has been 3 hours that one breast hasn't been emptied. Typically he has just finished eating one side and won't take the other when I pump, but I just go ahead and pump both sides no matter what.

I don't want to find that my supply has suddenly decreased because he is taking only one breast, going longer between feeds, or sometimes BOTH and I'm not pumping to make up for the change in schedule. Everyone says just feed him when he is hungry and let him take one or both breasts without worrying about anything, but then the literature says I am hurting my supply if I don't empty each breast every 3 hours. So how am I supposed to reconcile that if baby doesn't want to take both breasts every 3 hours? Especially when he won't let me put him down to pump!<-- I think I might have actually just typed the real question right there at the end.

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

 

[noon_child]

If your baby wakes to feed when hungry, is at or above his birthweight and has no latch problems, you do not need to pump. Your supply can't be damaged by following his lead (but you could damage it by pumping - by causing oversupply). IF you become too uncomfortable because baby hasn't fed, you could hand express a little or try encouraging baby to feed a little earlier but pumping a lot will just cause you engorgement and it could make it tough for your LO to feed easily.

The literature wants you to feed frequently because it is the best way to ensure your baby makes its weight back and discourages people from trying to stretch the gaps between feeds. But an alert, healthy baby can be trusted to take what it needs, when it needs. This may change too when you hit a growth spurt and you just have to go with it.

 

[Ellie Bean]

Have u tried pumping the one side while he nurses on the other side?

 

[kdmalk]

Have u tried pumping the one side while he nurses on the other side?

I am not quite coordinated enough for that. My friend does it and I always wonder how. My nipples are relatively flat so we have a hard enough time just worrying about one side--much less messing with the pump on the other while keeping him latched. Lol

 

[justplay91]

Feeding one breast at each feeding is totally okay. The lc at the hospital where I had my daughter actually says they're now recommending feeding on one side for a while so baby can get a good balance of foremilk and hindmilk and then only offering the second breast if baby is still hungry. As long as baby is gaining weight appropriately and having plenty of wet/dirty diapers, you'll be just fine! My baby girl started taking just one breast per feeding when she was about a month old and my milk supply has remained more than enough for her.

 

[Zephram]

You do not need to pump if your LO only wants one side. Your boobs are adaptable, they will adjust. Follow your baby's lead.

Heaps of women only feed one boob at a time. My babies both started off on two boobs, then drooped to one for a few weeks, then went back to two, then did the same again. My supply always adjusted, just feed him the amount he wants when he's hungry and don't worry about it. Always offer the second breast and if he doesn't want it just start on that side next time. Sometimes he may want it, sometimes he won't. There's no need to stress, follow his lead.

 

[jessmke]

My DD is 6 weeks old and has only ever eaten from one breat per feeding. I produce a lot of milk so I thinks he just gets full enough off one breast. I pump both breasts after her morning feed because I am making a freezer stash of milk, but for the rest of the day she will eat on one side and the boob on the other side doesn't get emptied until the next feed (3-4 he's later). It hadn't hurt my supply at all.