Breastfeeding/pumping?

Question

I am pregnant with my first baby and I plan on breastfeeding. Should my baby nurse from one breast for about 10-15 minutes, get burped, then switch to the next? Or should I let him try to finish from just one? If he does nurse from both, will I have remaining milk to pump from both? If he nurses from just one should I pump from the one he didn't nurse from? Lastly, I want others to feed him (breastmilk from the bottle) when he gets older so he can be used to the breast. I still want him to be drinking breastmilk though and I know you can freeze it for up to 3 months. So the milk that I pump I can just freeze or throw out right? Please answer each question if you can. It will be very helpful and I'd really appreciate it =] Thanks everyone!

27 wks & 6 days pregnant w/ baby #1

I AM RELAXED AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. IF I CAN'T BREASTFEED THEN I WON'T. ALL I ASKED IS THAT YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION.

thanks Erin :-)

Answer 1

It is best not to time how long the baby is to spend on your breast. The reason for this is that the breastmilk that baby receives does not stay the same throughout the feeding. In the beginning of the feed the baby receives very thin low-fat and watery milk (it is called "foremilk") to satisfy baby's thirst. At the end of the feed baby gets low-volume but high in fat and nutrition so called "hindmilk". Most of the calories that baby recives come from the hindmilk so if you take him of the breast before hindmilk comes in, baby might seem to have recived a large volume of feed but that was low in calorie so baby would be hungry very soon. It is sort of like drinking a large glass of orange juice but leaving your burger behind.

It depends on both baby and you (how easily your milk comes down, how quick and how strong is your baby at sucking etc.) how long will take for your baby to get to that hindmilk and that is why looking only at the clock while feeding could be dangerous and leave your baby without a good lunch. When babies are hungry, they suck vigorously, and when they are done and full most of them will come of the breast, fall asleep or slow down in sucking. Children are very different in regards to the amount of time it takes them to get the milk out: my first one was veeery slow; my second one took only 5-10 minutes each time.

Most children, especially in the beginning are fine with just one breast but please feel free to offer him another one: sometimes he might want to have a desert. sometimes not.

Your milk production works on supply and demand principle (if you take the milk out, more milk will come in) and this is why it is good to let the baby finish nursing on his own: this way your breasts will know how much milk to make next time (as much as was removed at this feed!) If a baby has a growth spurt (grows really fast) they will ask to stay on the breast longer and more often to stimulate more milk production. It usually takes your breasts about 24-48 hours to update the production.

Your breasts are always making milk but it is particularly so during the feed so they are never really empty. If you want to pump the unused breast after the feed it is fine but you do not have do so: if you only feed from one breast at a time they will adjust to your schedule and will not burst.

You can store milk in deep freeze up to 3 months (less in other kind of freezers) and slowly defrost it in the fridge afterwards. The composition of the milk changes all the time to satisfy different needs of different age babies so it does not make sense to store it anymore.

One more thing: for most babies breastfeeding is a process that they have to learn how to do properly (some are pros to begin with) and giving them a bottle when they are very young (less then 6 weeks) might confuse them and lead to a wrong techniques on your nipples which might hurt. Mydaughter was given abottle in the Intensive Care Unit, and I blame it for our problems.

When breastfeeding baby must be straight, head and spine in line (try sucking on a straw with your head turned), it should face your body tummy to tummy and it should have not only your nipple but also a good part of the tissue around it iside his mouth. The most important thing for them is to have their mouth wide open when being put on the breast.

There are a lot of good websites and books on the subject, and if there is anything I wish I had done is looking for more information before trying to BF my first child. We had a very rocky start, almost given up at some point and had to get a lactation consultant to get it all going again. In Singapore I know there is one running a Baby Cafe in Tanglin Mall

La Leche League International has a lot of information on it's website, www.llli.org, and it also had a group in Singapore that meets monthly and has info about BF (info on their website).
I also like www.askdrsears.com
and www.breastfeeding.com
Read up more on the starting to feed - some nice books are available as well like Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. Engorgement is a problem in the beginning very often but it is very easy to deal with if you know what you are up to (take a hot shower, pump a bit or use a cold compress).

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck!
It is worth trying it- even if just once.

Answer 2

You can breastfeed... and it's great that you're getting info now so you can do it for as long as you want to. It really is that basic... education, information, support, and professional help are the keys to breastfeeding... not boobs.

anyway... in the first week or two it is a good idea to do the double sided nursing... but don't get hung up on it... once your milk comes in, it is important for the baby to get the hind milk, the fattier milk that's at the "bottom of the glass"... so timing is not the thing to look for... when your baby is done, on his/her own, try to burp (some breastfed babies really don't burp much so don't stress over it), then offer the 2nd breast... if baby takes it great, if not - just start on that one at the next feeding.

You can actually freeze it for much longer...8 days in fridge, 6 months in the back of a regular freezer set on the coldest setting... for closer to a year in a deep freeze! DONT ever throw it out!! even if you only pump a tiny bit each day, keep it in the fridge and once you have a few ounces mix it together and freeze it in those baggies.... and good idea to just nurse him at first, maybe the first month or two... don't start pumping until then either... it's better for your supply to develop naturally.

on storage: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html#storage

on timing and knowing if baby is getting enough: http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html

Answer 3

For the first few weeks after birth, you should let your baby nurse at both breasts at each feeding. At first this could be as frequent as every hour around the clock and for as long as 20 minutes on each breast. It is tiring, but well worth it for a couple weeks to get your milk supply well established. Try to save pumping until a couple weeks has gone by. It is very common and normal for babies and new moms to go through an adjustment period of several weeks before both get comfortable with breast feeding. It's new and different for both mom and baby so it can take some time to get the hang of it. Additionally, at the beginning, your milk production will be small so pumping often discourages moms and makes them think they aren't making enough. However, nursing exclusively on demand for a few weeks builds up adequate milk production. The more your baby nurses the more milk your body produces. This is the supply and demand concept of breast feeding basics. After both of you are feeling confident in your breast feeding skills, then you can begin to think about pumping. If your baby eats from one breast, burps and then nurses a little or not at all from the second breast, it is fine to pump what you can from either both breasts or just the one. Unless there is a serious complication, never dump pumped breast milk, it is often called "liquid gold" and should be saved for future use. Breast milk is unique in that it can ward off bacteria for some time. Freshly pumped breast milk can remain at room temperature up to 10 hours. Refrigerated, it can last for up to 8 days. It can be safely store in a refrigerator freezer for 3 months and in a chest freezer 6-12 months. When you first begin pumping you may only be able to get an ounce or less at a time. This is fine, your baby is drinking the rest for now. Put whatever you pump in the refrigerator. Later or the next day when you pump again, cool the milk to room temperature and add to the milk already stored in the refrigerator. Mixing it is fine. You may see the milk has separated and has a layer of thick yellow at the top, this is the fat content and is normal. When you have 2-3 ounces saved, place it in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. Be sure to date it so you can use the oldest first. When thawing or warming breast milk, never use the microwave or boil it in water. It destroys the nutrients. Instead, run warm water over it until it is thawed or at the desire temperature. Be sure to shake it to even out the temperature and test on the wrist before giving it to the baby. There are many good breast feeding websites plus taking a breast feeding class before you deliver and utilizing the lactation consultant and any additional classes in the hospital after the birth will help you with many of the questions you'll have. I breast fed all 4 of my babies plus I am now grandma to a nearly 7 month old breast fed grandson. My daughter is a teacher and I care for him while she works. She pumps at work and I feed him breast milk in a bottle during the day.

Answer 4

kellymom has great answers for breastfeeding. Ignore the other post about, you may not be able to breastfeed. 99% of people can breastfeed they just choose not to for whatever reason.
It is important to educate yourself early on breastfeeding. The more you know about it the easier it will be. I have been breastfeeding my first for 9 months now. I read a lot of books and looked up tons of stuff on the web.

You can either feed on one side and switch to the other or you can just feed on one side and pump the other. Once you get used to breastfeeding it is nice to pump while the baby is eating. Make sure to get a great pump like Madela.
Bestbuybaby has great deals on them.

If you do let the baby eat from just one side he/she will be getting the good milk (more fatty, which is good for baby) towards the end of the feeding.

If she/he nurses from both, you probably won't have any left to pump. Although the baby can always get milk out, if there is not much milk left the pump has trouble getting it out.

You should just freeze the milk in breastmilk bags such as bags from Gerber or Lanoish. Wait until the baby is about 4 weeks old before introducing the bottle. Breastmilk is like GOLD so you don't want to throw it out unless you have had 3 or more alcoholic drinks. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 5

You shouldnt be going more than a few hoirs without nursing or pumping. If your daughter eats every 3 hours you should either have her nursig on you or you should be pumping every 3 hours. If you dont keep consistent time intervals for when you take milk out of your breasts then you will make less milk. You are telling your body you dont need much milk so it wont make it. And eventually you wont be able to pump enough because your supply will be too low. Any time baby is eating a bottle you should be pumping. Its a 24/7 job, I feel your pain because my son just turned 4 weeks and I havent found a pump that will pump enough to even make 1 bottle a day!!!

Answer 6

Congratulations!
It is great that you are planning on breastfeeding! Good for you! (Yes, it is good for you, as well as being good for your baby.)
It might be better if you wait and see how things go (meaning how your milk supply is, how much or how often your babe wants to eat, etc...) before planning it all out before your LO is even born. :-)
I agree with Sheena70 in that you are overthinking this just a tad. :-) Everything will be great! Your mothering instinct will kick in when it needs to and you will find your rhythm for feeding and pumping and be brilliant!
OK, that said, here is what I did: I alternated sides with feedings. (It is good to allow the baby to drain one side before starting the other because the 'hind milk' has all the good fat and nutrients.) In the beginnig DD ate often (about once an hour (!) when she was awake.) but not very much, so that's why I only gave her one breast at a time.-(Sometimes I would have difficulty remembering which side she ate from last, so I started wearing a bracelet that I would change from side to side as a reminder which side she last nursed from.) We co-sleep, so I give her only one side to nurse on durning the night and in the morning I pump the other side which is full.

Let your baby set the pace, pump whatever is left over.
Good luck, I'm sure all will go well.

PS You may want to get some PureLan or Lansinoh for your nipples now. The first few weeks of BF can be challenging. Lanolin really helps!

Answer 7

Wow you sound like me. If you have this many questions in your head than you are going to be a good mom. I breast fed my son. When he was first born it took about ten minutes on each side with burping in between. I knew he was done because he usually fell asleep on the second breast. I would then touch the side of his cheek or lips to see if he was really asleep because if he wasn't he would try to suck my finger. And it is up to you on just feeding on one breast and pumping the other, just make sure you have enough. But breast milk is a crazy thing, you only produce what your child needs!! I started off producing about an ounce or two from each breast and as he got hungrier my breasts produced more. It was a little hard to get him to drink from the bottle because the nipple is a little different design and sucking motion than your nipple. Be prepared for your child's frustration with it and a very messy face. Usually my son would feed every two to three hours, about an hour after feeding him from both breasts I could pump and fill up a bottle.

Good Choice though on breast milk!! It is the absolute best method (hey and it's free!!). But be prepared for it to hurt at first for about a week, but stick with it because nothing can compare to the health benefits and the bonding IT IS AMAZING!!! Good luck dear, anything else I can help you with let me know!

Answer 8

yes you should nurse on one side 10-15 min, burp, change diaper, then nurse on the other side. Sometimes baby will not nurse on the other side so you can either pump or just start on that side next time (depends on how full your breast gets). The first 2-3 weeks or so, your milk comes in abudance because it doesn't know how much to produce and you will have to either pump before or after feedings to get comfortable. But usually after 3 weeks, your supply is enough for baby and you won't need to pump the rest out. Breast feeding is based on supply and demand.

Just and FYI, your breast milk is good in the freezer for up to 6 months. It's good in the fridge for up to 3 days, and its good in a cooler with ice pack for 24 hrs.

Good luck with everything!

Answer 9

Congratulations on your pregnancy and for planning on breastfeeding your baby. It is a good idea to think about this before your baby arrives, because it gives you a chance to learn about what to expect with a breastfed baby.

When you breastfeed your baby, it's important to allow your baby to "finish the first breast first". The first milk your baby receives during a nursing session is lower in fat (often called "foremilk"). As your baby nurses longer, the fat concentration of the milk increases (called "hindmilk"). Your baby needs this high-fat milk to feel full and to ensure normal growth and development. By allowing your baby to determine when he/she is finished, your baby will get the amount of fat he/she needs at that feeding. Plus, by finishing the first breast first, your baby helps your body adjust your milk supply to better meet his/her needs. Your baby may or may not want to nurse on both sides. Consider the second side "dessert" -sometimes you want a little, sometimes a lot, sometimes none. A newborn baby might nurse for 15-20 minutes, he/she might nurse for 30-45 minutes. You don't need to restrict the length of feeding - your baby knows when he/she is satisfied. As your baby gets older, you'll find that nursing sessions get shorter as well.

You're also planning on pumping. Pumping is a learned skill. Most mothers find that they have to practice before they have much success. Since you and your baby will just be learning about breastfeeding at first, you'll probably want to consider waiting until you both feel comfortable with THAT skill before starting to learn another one. And you'll want to be sure your baby is latching on and breastfeeding well before introducing a bottle, since bottle feeding requires very different skills than breastfeeding. You might also find that it's much much easier to just breastfeed your baby than to pump and bottlefeed. There are many other baby care tasks that friends and family can do besides feeding the baby - bathing, rocking, dressing, playing. And soon enough your baby will be ready for solid foods and everyone can feed the baby!

If you do start pumping, there are many times when you might pump. You can pump one breast while your baby nurses on the other. A lot of moms find it hard to let their milk down for a pump, this way your baby stimulates the letdown and your pump collects the milk. You can still offer the pumped breast to your baby after he/she finishes the first side; no pump is as effective as a baby, so there will still be milk left for your baby. Or you can pump about 1/2-1 hour after your baby nurses. Or pump during your baby's nap. Don't be surprised if you only get an ounce or so during a pumping session. Your body adjusts your milk supply to meet your baby's needs so there isn't a lot left over. It may take a couple of pumping sessions to get enough for a bottle. If you pump frequently and regularly, your milk supply will increase accordingly. But be careful - you can create a situation where you have an oversupply of milk if you pump too often.

Depending on the type of container and freezer, you can store your milk for 3-4 months (separate freezer attached to a refrigerator) or up to 6 months (in a deep freeze). You might as well freeze the milk; it's reassuring to many mothers to have some backup in the freezer "just in case".

Have you read a good book on breastfeeding? You might want to try Jack Newman's "The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers", La Leche League's "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding", or Kathleen Huggin's "Nursing Mother's Companion." These books will answer most of your questions. The websites below are also good resources for answering breastfeeding questions. Another really good idea is attending your local La Leche League meeting. The mothers there will have personal experience with these types of questions. Plus, you'll learn more about what to expect and you'll have the names of your local Leaders, who can help you if you experience any challenges. Enjoy!

Answer 10

it will be better for you to always let him eat for 10minutes on one, burp, change diaper, then same on the other breast. if not, you will have one empty breast and one that is about to burst and it will be very uncomfortable. You need to relax a little bit. You are thinking way too much about this. Wait till you have your baby. Sometimes we are not able to breastfeed for unforseen reasons. You dont need to be getting stressed right now.