2 Questions

[2 in August]

1. About how long does your baby nurse for per side? Do you do both sides at each feeding? How often do you nurse?

2. How long does post-partum bleeding usually last? My flow has been super light since the week he was born. Some days it even stops for a day or so, but then starts up again. Ian is 5wks old today. Is this normal?

[veganf]

After the first few weeks with my first baby I stopped keeping track.
Most of the time I nurse on just one side until he's done. During an eat-a-thon time of day he'll go back and forth between sides until I feel totally drained and usually hand him off to my husband for some refill time. But I never ever watch the clock. And I can usually tell by feel which side I nursed on last.

Your bleeding sounds normal. My midwife says it's normal for bleeding to become very light and then return again.
I was pretty much done bleeding by day 3, but I did too much walking and other stuff on day 12 and bled a little more.
My first two times the bleeding lasted 4-5 weeks.

- Krista

[mrs rockstar]

Charlie, like my first daughter, is a one side nurser per feeding. Unlike dd#1, however she rarely empties the breast all at once, instead she nips on and off during the course of the feeding, stopping to look around, just take a break, etc. That can be a little painful if she stops during the let down or stops nursing all together to fall asleep again, but luckily her big sister is still nursing so I'm never in pain for very long

My bleeding has pretty much stopped now at 11 days pp, but if I'm too active it starts up again. I don't remember how long it lasted with dd#1...this time it was heavy for the first, oh, 5-6 days or so and tapered off a little bit more each day after that.

[Meeshi Mama]

I just nurse her on whatever side feels fuller. If I feel like one side is tapped, I'll switch. Generally, though, she feds thorougly on one side at a time and I feed on the next side the next time she needs nursies. I'll only switch if she's fed on one side for more than a half hour or so (sometimes she'll nod off and wake and nurse more and nod off, etc.)

My PP bleeding is virtually gone and I'm three weeks PP today. I'm not sure if C-sections bleed less or what.

[taradt]

Kienan is a one side nurser too, I don't know how long because it ranges from a 5 minute snack to a 1 hour nurse/nap combo.

My bleeding stopped the first week and the second week came if I did too much. That said I heard anytime in the first 6 weeks is normal

tara

[peilover010202]

Elliot usually nurses on both sides each time and the length of time varies. Usually he nurses on one side for most of the feed, then I switch him to the other side after he's come off the first side on his own (after burping.)

I'm 5 weeks pp today too, and the last week, I've been spotting - some days not at all, and other days just a little bit. It does still pick up if I do too much - usually a walk will set it off again, so I'm waiting until 6 weeks pp to start exercising.

[Bay Area Babe]

Lucas eats about 5-10 minutes and then he's done for about 2 hours or so. He either nods off or is just plain done. At first we were worried about his eating habits but since he's gaining plenty we don't have anything to worry about. I stopped keeping track of time yesterday though we're still tracking diapers for now, at least until his last

I had a c-section and am still bleeding after 2.5 weeks though not heavily.

[2 in August]

Ok, we sound normal then. I'm so paranoid with him not gaining. Sometimes he'll nurse only 5-7 min and then seem ok. But i was worried that he was just falling asleep because he's not getting enough. Other times he wants to nurse forever. The dr keeps asking like there is a magic number that I'm just not getting.

as for the bleeding, it's off again, so we'll see if it comes back again. I just hate the tease of it going away and coming back a couple days later.

[~PurityLake~]

1. She nurses between 5 and 30 minutes. If she nurses a long time, I don't feed her on the other side. If it's a short while, then I'll switch. I feed from the fullest side first, try to alternate.
2. My bleeding increases relative to my level of activity. That is normal. Like, I rearranged the furniture, I bled more. In the earlier weeks, just walking made me bleed more. It is slowing down quite a bit now, at 4 weeks.
I keep thinking, only 2 weeks until 6 week checkup, IUD implanted and soon we can start having sex again, Yay!
Last time we broke the rules and had sex 2 weeks postpartum... didn't feel good for me, was gross, and took longer to heal. My husband is being most considerate this time, and said he wants me to heal, even though he really wants some... hehehe. It's kind of nice feeling so desired. The nicest part is how he's considering my well-being above all else.