Does this sound right to you?

[ps4624]

My dear friend just had a baby 3 weeks ago and they are having a tough time. She's having supply issues and the baby has dropped some weight. She's getting the run around from Lactation Consultants, but this is what her pediatrician told her:

"The Dr. told us today that if he nurses for too long, he will end up burning
calories nursing that he just took in from nursing. So at some point nursing for a longer period of time will cancel out our hard work!"

I read that to my DH and he said it sounded like malarkey to him. What do you think?

[KristyDi]

I agree with your DH.

I'd want the baby checked for tongue tie and to have someone check out how well milk is being transferred. Losing weight is not good, but limiting nursing is almost never the answer.

[boobs4milk]

i agree with kristy. let the baby nurse as long as he wants. has she been assessed for igt? if she thinks her supply is low, switch nursing can help. good luck!

[kayabrink]

Seriously?
Especially since you get the higher calorie hindmilk after nursing for longer... Seems sketchy to me.

[octobermom]

babies sleep when they are tired.. SO unless mama is forcing baby to stay awake so they can nurse for an hour at the breast I'd say that all nutty advice...

Deanna

[HappyMonkey]

No... that would be like saying I ate for hours last night and lost weight! I wish!

My baby literally nursed 6 hours straight every night for a month. I was told by my midwife it was normal and follow the babies lead.

This site is amazing for help
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...id=6&Itemid=13

[PatioGardener]

I think the doctor may actually have the right idea but the wrong reasoning.

If baby is constantly at the breast but dropping weight, then there is a problem - you want the baby to nurse efficiently, and that is not happening. So the baby is probably burning up extra calories at the breast, but by NOT breastfeeding. This is not a breastfeeding issue, it is a 'not breastfeeding well' issue!

So as the PPs have said, the answer is not to limit nursing, but to make it more efficient (clip tongue-tie, switch nurse, breast compressions, etc.) The end goal being a baby who transfers milk more efficiently, probably spends less time at the breast, and gains weight.

I would recommend she see a decent IBCLC.

[Quinalla]

Yeah, I agree with the PP. It sounds like the baby isn't getting good milk transfer, so yeah the problem isn't nursing too long it is nursing without getting enough milk which nursing less will not solve. And if it is a supply issue, then nursing more is the best way to fix that for 99%+ of women.

I know my little girl during the first couple weeks just didn't want to make the effort to suck. She would latch on great, suck 2-3 times and then just sit there often falling asleep. And as others mentioned, tongue-tie and other things can inhibit milk transfer. Can she go into the ped office or LC and have the baby weighed before and after feeding?