Should i offer both breasts at a nursing session?

[twins+1]

When Aaron was born this May 09 I had oversupply and i had to do block feedings to adjust. Well that resolved itself and then recently he has been sleeping from about 8:30/9pm to 4:30am now. I end up pumping before I go to bed.
But then the last 2 days he has been spacing out his feedings and I've seen a big drop in supply.
Should I start nursing from both sides now? Do most of you nurse from both sides? He will hit me with his little arms and I think that is his signal that the milk isn't coming out at the pace he would like.
I'm going to start eating oatmeal, drink more (I don't drink enough fluids), and maybe make some lactation cookies.
Advice?

[Sasharna]

Are you sure your supply is low? My babe is near yours in age and he sometimes flails his arms around while eating. I figured it was just exploration. He is so happy to be able to wiggle and touch or grab things.

I am also still having to block feed to avoid green, mucusy poopies. I'm interested to see the other replies you receive.

[twins+1]

Originally Posted by Sasharna

Are you sure your supply is low? My babe is near yours in age and he sometimes flails his arms around while eating. I figured it was just exploration. He is so happy to be able to wiggle and touch or grab things.

I am also still having to block feed to avoid green, mucusy poopies. I'm interested to see the other replies you receive.

Maybe he is learning to use his hands more? He has been putting his hands to his mouth more often just for play - so maybe? It just seems like he drinks real well for 5 min and then he is still sucking but my breasts feel empty and not so full. I know there is always some milk being produced though. His poop is rarely green anymore. I can't remember the last time it was green?

[Sheryl1678]

I normally sort of assume that both breasts have milk and that switching in the middle is sort of silly but then I nurse my 4 yo and she tells me that one is "out of milk" and it makes me wonder if that is why dd2 is flailing and whacking her arms while she nurses.

Switching might be worth a shot and see if your LO settles down on the other side.

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by Sasharna

I am also still having to block feed to avoid green, mucusy poopies.

Originally Posted by twins+1

His poop is rarely green anymore. I can't remember the last time it was green?

Would someone fill me on the green poo thing? My LO normally has deep yellow poops and for a day or so they've been green and really sticky.

[Quate]

I usually nurse on one side until she's not interested in it any more--either pulls off or stops sucking, and then offer the other side. She will usually eat on both sides. For people who don't have oversupply issues, I think this is pretty normal? It's definitely what the LC encouraged us to do, as well as the nurses at the hospital.

In the past few weeks she's started getting much more active as she nurses. I'm guessing it's just a developmental thing.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Sasharna

Are you sure your supply is low?

:

Usually at around 4 months (3-5 months) moms start to question their supply because a whole bunch of things happen at once:
Baby starts to sleep longer at night, then starts to wake more often at night (normal)
baby starts to nurse differently - often faster and less frequently (normal)
Mom's breasts feel less full (normal)
Mom stops feeling let down (normal)

Usually supply is fine and it's just a normal phase of nursing

If you are concerned about your supply you could watch output (count wet diapers for 24 hours) and get baby weighed. If weight gain is good and you are getting a normal number of pees, then you know your supply is fine Also, if you think baby wants more milk, how do you feel about offering the other side and seeing what happens?

Kellymom has more supply info here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/lo...ly.html#supply
and here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enoughmilk-older.html

[twins+1]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

Would someone fill me on the green poo thing? My LO normally has deep yellow poops and for a day or so they've been green and really sticky.

I think it is due to drinking too much of the watery foremilk and not staying long enough at the breast to get to the fatty hindmilk. So then a baby that just gets the watery foremilk can get more gas and the poops can be green/foamy. So for me having oversupply in the beginning I had to make sure he nursed on one side for a period of time to make sure he was getting to the richest milk so that he didn't get gassy and green poo.
If it was only temporary for your baby maybe he/she didn't nurse as long as normal that day or maybe something you ate?

[Beauchamp]

nak
thanks I didn't know that about the foremilk/hindmilk. I will try and keep her on one side longer. usually I don't switch sides and only feed from one side. but most time my LO falls asleep nursing pretty quickly, so maybe that's why she hasn't gotten to the hindmilk yet.

[NaturalMindedMomma]

My babe is only a week old. She is always happy with on breast. I nurse until she pops off. She is always asleep at that point. Sometimes she will wake in 5-10 minutes and want the other breast. If not,I just offer the other breast at the next feeding. I do have to pump off one or both breasts sometimes in between feedings. I already have 2 huge shopping bags full of my breastmilk baggies. I wonder how much I have anyway?

But I only offer one breast at a time, unless she is immediatly interested in the other breast.

[twinsplusone1]

when ds started sleeping through the night and then with he started nursing more efficiently I noticed he wasn't satisfied so we now do both sides he can drain one in 3-4minutes.