[copykitten]

I just have a quick question. I want to make sure I am giving this new mother good advice.

A friend of mine just had a baby this past Tuesday, so the baby is not yet a week old. She is giving breastfeeding a shot, even though her whole family is pro formula. I called her Friday to congratulate her and see how things were going. She first asked me, "If I am supposed to feed the baby every two hours, do I feed her every two hours from the start of each feeding or the end of each feeding?" (What is the answer to that?) I simply told her, you don't schedule feed a newborn. You go off the baby's signals and cues. She then told me the advice the lactation consultant from the hospital gave her before she was discharged. She told her to feed the baby every two hours. While the baby is feeding on one side, pump the other side and when the baby is done feeding, pump the side the baby was just feeding on. I am very confused by this. Does this sound right? I thought you really weren't supposed to pump during the first few weeks unless you had to. And this woman is having her pump twice as much as the baby eats. It sounds like she is setting her up for an oversupply and giving up due to a painful latch. And her milk really would have only come in in the last day or two and she has been doing this routine since the baby was born. It just sounds like the nurse gave her advice that makes breastfeeding seem like more of a chore then it really is. Am I wrong? Should I give my friend different advice?

Thank you.

 

[Trishy]

Is she planning on going back to work and trying to build a freezer stash?

If not, she should just nurse as much as the baby wants, when baby wants. As long as s/he isn't going too long between feedings.

 

[LianneM]

It's the beginning of one feeding to to the beginning of the next.

There's no reason for her to have to pump at all - you are right - unless she is having supply issues, which she would just start to see now, and should have a reason (like limiting feedings, nicu time, etc.) Yes, she could end up with oversupply, not to mention the work - as you said, it sounds like a chore!

I would advise her to feed when the baby is hungry, as you said, and not to pump unless she wants to. If she needs to build a freezer stash to go back to work, or something like that, she can do as she likes. But it's silly for a nurse to just advise that for her for no reason.

 

[copykitten]

She is not going back to work. She is a stay at home mom. She may go back to school, but that probably won't be until after the beginning of the new year. She didn't tell me she had any supply issues. This is just how the nurse has instructed her since the baby was born on Tuesday. I just didn't see her as being all for breastfeeding anyways and added two pump sessions to every nursing does seem like a lot more work then mixing up a bottle, especially in the first week. I just hate to see her give up so easily, when breastfeeding is made to seem more difficult, when it really isn't.

 

[sewingbarbj]

This sounds like the advice my mide wife gave me when I was having a hard time getting my milk to come in . Unless this is a problem for her she shouldn't be doing that. Did the baby lose to much weight ?
It sounds like strange advice if there is no problem.

:

 

[Robin926]

That is strange advice if she's not having a problem. I had to do a similar regimen after we discovered I had true low supply, but as long as that's not a problem (and obviously you don't know if there's low supply if the baby was just born!) then it seems like a lot of extra work and definitely could possibly lead to oversupply.

And just to echo others, yes, you count from beginning of one feed to beginning of the next. If the baby was smaller or not gaining fast, I could see telling her to make sure she nursed "at least" every two hours just so baby doesn't go too long without eating?

 

[Tori Gollihugh]

WOW... what bum advice and from a lactation consultant??? I would see if there's any way you could complain (on her behalf) about that!!!

I concur with the PPers... there's no reason to pump like that if she'll be a SAHM for the first 3+ months! (And even if she was going back to work right away I would only recommend pumping like that twice a day, NOT EVERY TIME!!!!! MY WORD! I went back to work when DD was 6 weeks old and I pumped only two times extra each day from about 3 days on... and I had TONS of milk stashed! ahwell)

The best rule is to feed baby when baby is hungry. However, I did learn recently that some babies will sleep right through multiple feeding times and then keep on sleeping because of beginning dehydration stuff! I'm alarmed to realize that some babies wouldn't complain a bit, but apparently it happens. So, the only reason to keep track of time between feeding, in my mind, is to make sure that the baby doesn't go more than, say 6 hours between times. I can't imagine THAT... but it probably does happen.

good luck to your friend!!!!

 

[copykitten]

Thank you everyone! Exactly what I was thinking. But when I voice similar opinions to her, she acted like I was nuts. I told her, I was trying to make it easier on her and that this sounded too hard. I really hope to pass this information on to her and make breastfeeding less of a challange.

Thanks again.