timed sessions??

[KJRSMR]

Hi all,

My sil is nursing her 7 week old and doing a great job for her first time. Her lactation consultant has told her to time 10-15 minutes per side. As a new mom she pretty much sets a timer. She was letting her nurse much longer and they told her to cut back. Here is my question. I have never timed a session and I let the twins nurse for as long as they want. I may be lop sided from time to time.. Should I be only giving them 10-15 minutes?

Thanks

[monkey-lamb]

I only timed my sessions in the first few days of DD's life to make sure she was eating enough. I would never stop her from nursing. Once we got the hang of it, I never timed again. I usually feel my breasts to determine which one needs milking next.

[Adsullata]

The lactation consultant I had said exactly the opposite- watch the baby, not the clock! I was told that timing was an older practice that was outdated and there was no reason to do so, and to let the baby nurse until they pulled away on their own and then switch sides if they're still hungry. But I've also heard very different and conflicting advise between different lc's, so I'm not sure what their professional standards are.

The reason I was told for not timing was to make sure baby got enough hindmilk, which is higher in fat and calories.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

That is pretty old advice, from what I understand. I always let ds nurse as long as he wanted from one side and then offered the other side when he was finished with one. I too would be concerned about hindmilk, the real "food" of bm.

[lifeguard]

I agree with pp.

Plus it is so much more stressful. My SIL was told the same thing when she had her son & she was a basketcase trying to follow all these instructions & it wasn't working very well. When MIL finally said "forget it - do what feels right" she would just let him bf as long as he wanted & it was much more peaceful for both of them.

I have very rarely offered ds the other side in one session - mostly just when I was too tender on one side to stand it any longer (in the early days).

[Italiamom]

I would maybe direct your sis to a La Leche League leader and away from this particular consultant. While it's good to make sure that a newborn is eating enough, timing can result in a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance that can make for a VEEERY cranky babe. If your sister has an abundant milk supply, it's very possible that her newborn doesn't need to eat at both breasts in a feeding, etc. You can find a LLL leader for her here: http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html

Most importantly, encourage her to do what feels right for her and her babe, and remind her that she's doing great and she CAN DO this nursing thing!

[aran]

The 10-15 minute advice was given to me also, and it didn't work out well. Here's the story:

When DS1 was an infant, I was given that same advice in the hospital and it led to all kinds of problems. My milk supply dwindled because I don't empty out that fast, and as a result, I was not emptying sufficiently or getting enough milk to DS1. I had to supplement with formula for the first 2.5 months of his life. It stressed me out and the limited nursing made DS1 unhappy. It also made him nurse more frequently.

I unilaterally decided - in order to get some relaxation - that I would let DS1 nurse as much as he wanted at a session. He would have a marathon 3-hour session every afternoon. I would doze on and off and relax. My milk supply increased, I was better rested, and he was sooooo much happier.