8-week-old - only 1 breast per feed & 5-6 minutes only

[lisko15]

My baby DS nurses strangely occasionally. He will pick a day (last Wednesday, today) where he only wants to feed from one breast at a time - and only for about 5 minutes.

My letdown is forceful and sometimes too much for him. But it is such a surprise when he comes off the 1st breast, I burp him, and he absolutely refuses to re-latch on the 1st breast or latch onto the 2nd breast. He will cry and struggle until I sit him back up.

(He usually nurses every 2-3 hours, unless he naps for longer. At night he can go 6+ hours.)

Is this normal? He's a big baby (8 week checkup is Wednesday, but I bet he's 14 pounds), super chubby, and rarely, if ever, spits up.

I'm thinking as long as his diapers are wet and poopy, and he's growing, its probably okay - but I do find it frustrating, and a little sad to have him NOT want to nurse. What baby doesn't want to nurse?????

(And I am super engorged in the breast he refused at his last feed... since now its nighttime!!!! Yowch!!!!)

Any thoughts or ideas????

[crystal_buffaloe]

If you're getting plenty of diapers, and he seems content, I'd just trust Baby to know what's best -- and maybe use the breastpump to take the edge off. Mine doesn't seem to want to comfort nurse much, either -- unless she's nursing to sleep, it's maybe only 10 minutes every 2-3 hours, and then sometimes quite a bit longer at night (though the nursing sessions tend to be longer at night, too).

[Mrs.Music]

My LOs both only nursed one breast at a time ever. I just alternated each feeding. It evened out. It works well to pump the other one if you're hoping to build a babysitter/vacation/just-in-case supply of frozen milk.

[lisko15]

Thanks for the responses....

I'm still a little worried, as at his last feed (and his earlier one this morning was similar) he only nursed about 5-6 minutes on one breast... and then completely refused to relatch on the 1st breast or nurse on the other breast. I even tried to squirt some milk into his mouth, hoping that would remind him it was yummy - no luck, he just got super upset.

How will he get any of the good fatty milk with such a short nurse-time?

At this point he's so chubby, he probably doesn't need it... but he might someday. And will this affect my supply?

Hopefully its a shortlived problem. My DD could nurse for 30 minutes and just linger at the breast forever, so this is very foreign!

[pammysue]

DS2 did the same thing at about the same age. He still does it occasionally. I just have to trust that he knows what he needs. I have never had a problem with oversupply or engorgement, so that was not an issue for me. Also, DS2 will sleep 7:30-3:30 or so without eating where DS1 was up every 1.5 hours until around 9 months. DS2 is about your sons size.

[jdg]

My 3 month old has only ever nursed from one side at a feeding, and frequently is done in 5-10 minutes. Always has been. And she's gained a steady 1/2 pound per week since she was 2 weeks old.

I do have an oversupply and a forceful letdown. This has mostly worked itself out in the last couple of weeks, but I always pump first thing in the morning (and now that I'm back at work, a couple other times during the day) and before things evened out I was also pumping before going to bed. I have a HUGE freezer stash built up, and if I end up not needing it for anything, I'll donate it.

[EdnaMarie]

My second was like that. Five minutes on one side every three hours for the first six months. It was freaking awesome. She gained like crazy, too, and though she had some mini-reflux and burping, generally she was very healthy. Enjoy!

[Mrs.Music]

Originally Posted by EdnaMarie

My second was like that. Five minutes on one side every three hours for the first six months. It was freaking awesome. She gained like crazy, too, and though she had some mini-reflux and burping, generally she was very healthy. Enjoy!

Both my kids. I guess they're just efficient. Only takes 5 minutes to get what they need. Try not to worry unless he's not wetting diapers as often as he should or isn't gaining.

[ErikaS57]

My youngest was like this too. I had oversupply and OALD, and it was like she'd just chug the milk for 5 minutes, and then she was full. She gained weight great too.