Attnt! When you breastfeed...should the baby drink until he's full? Or should i...?

Question

should I pump the milk and give him exact measures? After he is done...will he stop drinking and just latch off? This is my first baby and my due date is near....plz help! Oh...what about offering the other breast? :S

After he is done eating...you need to take all of the gases right?

Answer 1

I suggest your read the LaLeche League tutorial on how to breast feed....all info is provided here. It will also answer many of your questions. You might also want to get in touch with a LaLeche League in your area.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp

Answer 2

Honey, dont worry about exact measures. As long as he is growing well, there is no need to know. He will nurse until he is full. He will either pull off, OR you will hear that he isnt swallowing any more (just kind of lightly sucking) then you can take him off. After he finishes one breast, you offer the other. He will drink from the other as well. And don't pump at the beginning! Giving a baby a bottle in the beginning can cause nipple confusion and latching problems. I would wait a month before you pump. If you can, buy a breastfeeding book. It will help alot with questions. Also, attend a breastfeeding class and a la leche league meeting if you can. They are really helpful! Good luck! Oh and also - VERY IMPORTANT - when you give birth and are in the hospital request to see the lactation consultant before you leave so she can help you...AND most women have difficulty the first couple of weeks - extreme pain while nursing is NOT normal and is indicative of latch problems (which are extremely common with new moms) If this happens, make an appt. with the lactation consultant at your hospital. It is free of charge and helps a ton! And they can also measure how much milk he will be getting as well! Congrats on the new baby!

Answer 3

Never Breast fed any of my children but my sis did and she just let them (twins) feed till she thought they was full . A newborn will constantly suck which is why they offer them pacifiers... I do know that you should alternate from one breast to the other at different feedings . Like let the baby eat from one breast then the next time he/she is hungry use the opposite . Your breast are going to be very sore , so you might want to invest in a pump not only that you will for sure know how much your baby is truly eating . Also it may sound silly but cabbage leaves helps relieve some of the soreness . Good Luck with the new baby and Congratulations !

Answer 4

I have 2 kids and i breast feed my daughter until she was a year old. The first month it is painful But after u get used to it then thing run smoothly. U should breast feed at least 15 min each breast so u don't have the other one get full of milk. Look at the web sites and it will help u better.

God luck and i hope the best for u and ur baby.

Answer 5

There are so many questions when a new mother begins breastfeeding. It's great that you're asking them now, and not after baby is born and problems have already started.

Check my sources - they aren't sources for what I'm talking about but they are very important and valuable resources for breastfeeding information. It is a huge myth that the labor and birth are the hardest work and then you can lay back and breastfeed and it will be all easy. Breastfeeding can be very difficult, and many moms (often those who ended up giving up and bottlefeeding) will say that it was harder and more painful than labor and birth. It doens't have to be this way. Here are some tips (and direct answers to your questions)

Definetley put baby to breast. Let him/her drink and drink until s/he decides he's done. They will very often fall asleep at the breast and this is normal. The hospital will tell you that in the beginning you need to be feeding baby at least every 2 hours....this is okay but not necessary as long as baby has a GOOD LATCH and is drinking properly. It's not a good idea to pump and bottle feed in the beginning because it raises the chances that the baby will end up with something called 'nipple confusion' - this is basically when baby decides that a bottle is WAY easier to drink from than a breast (because it releases milk much faster) - and baby can suck very hard on your nipples and cause trauma, and maybe even turn away and reject the breast completley. Most experts recommend to wait at LEAST 6 weeks before introducing a bottle, but I have heard of 5 month olds with nipple confusion before. It often sadly ends in the mother giving up breastfeeding.

The important thing to a good breastfeeding relationship is getting a good latch. This is very detailed in Dr Jack Newman's website, and I will attatch a link for the article that outlines it all. It can feel like rocket science in teh beginning, you might feel like you need 4 hands to do it properly - and if you've got someone (your mom, hubby, etc) have them help you, it will make it all easier and smoother.

Everyone's got a different opinion about switching breasts. For me, I usually did alternate breasts partway through a feeding, but many experts say that it can help your milk supply if you let baby completley drain the first breast. If baby has totally drained it (and you'll know if it has) and is still acting hungry, then by all means - switch! :)

Remember that in the first few days, you will not have a lot of milk. What your breasts are producing is called colostrum - it's a yellow, sticky substance and it is VERY VERY rich in nutrients and protein. It is all your baby needs until your milk comes in. Don't let them convince you otherwise - this is what mother's breasts have always been producing, and babies are still being born to this day so obviously the body is doing something right! It will feel like you hardly have anything in there, and baby will be nursing, pretty much, all the time. My daughter would nurse for about 40 minutes, and then 40 minutes later she'd be hungry again. We did have latch problems as well, though, but it is normal for a baby to do this. Baby is helping to bring your milk in, and the more you put baby to breast, the faster your milk will come in.

The best way to build your milk supply is by putting baby to breast.

If you are concerned with baby getting formula or sugar water in the hospital (my nurse did it while I was sleeping....grrrrr....) you can express your colostrum into a little syringe (ask your caregiver or doctor for one) and keep it in the fridge. Even if you only get 10 drops, this can be enough to raise baby's blood sugar level to acceptable levels if nurses are concerned.

Evidently putting baby skin to skin - with you, or daddy, or gramma or whoever - can also raise baby's body temperature and blood sugar (believe it or not) and it is the best way to initiate successful breastfeeding - any time, but especially in the early days.

Finally, I strongly recommend if you have any questions to find a local La Leche League. Their local leaders are trained to help with breastfeeding difficulties and know what to do if you're in trouble or have any questions, now or after the baby's birth. From Canada to Australia, in big cities and small communities, they are everywhere, and they are free. You can find one near you by going to the link I have down below.

Answer 6

Your baby will drink till he is full as he should. Sometimes it might mean offering the other breast but as the baby demands more the mother will produce more. The issue comes when he doesn't drink enough to empty your breast then they can become engorged and sore of which pumping the remaining is a good idea. Talk to your dr if you have unresolved questions.

Answer 7

A lactation specialist will tell you about 15 minutes on each side but every child is different. Try these websites for more info. on breast feeding www.lalecheleague.org/bfinfo.html or www.breastfeeding.com

Yes you burp after breastfeeding. Your risk of colic is high when you don't burp the baby.

Mother of 4 breastfed babies and only one, the oldest, had colic...I learned after the first one.

There are also breastfeeding support groups that you will likely find links too through the above mentioned sites.

Good luck because breast REALLY is the best thing you can give your baby!

Answer 8

If you can get a hold of the book "On becoming baby wise" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam it'll make both your life and the babies life amazingly easy.

Our life became chaos during our sons first two months or so. But once we adopted the style of flexible routine described in this book, within a week he was sleeping right through the night, having solid naps during the day and having good regular feedings. Discipline yourself to read this book and you'll be amazed at the end results.

Answer 9

They know when they are full. Usually they feed off one breast and then switch to the other. The next time you start with the one you left off with the previous time and do the same thing.

Burp between breasts!!!!!!!!! Sometimes for really aggressive suckers, you may need to burp at the half way point of EACH breast!!!!!!!

Answer 10

ok i had my first baby 7 months ago the nurses in the hospital where great they said to me to offer one breast for the first 10 minutes then offer the other breast until he or she is full once he is full he or she will stop sucking and that is the sign that he is full.