The decision to offer one breast or both breasts at each feeding is a matter of preference. As long as your baby is getting enough breast milk and growing at a healthy, consistent pace, it doesn't matter if you nurse from one breast or both breasts at each feeding.
Every baby is different. Some babies want frequent short feeds, and others prefer feeding for longer, or a mixture of both. Let your baby finish the first breast, then offer the second. If your baby feeds all the time and you're worried, speak to a midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding specialist.
Try nursing on only one breast at each feeding, if possible.
Over time, you may notice your milk supply and "let-down reflex" (the milk ejection reflex) get easier to handle. If expressing or pumping to relieve discomfort, remove just enough to feel comfortable but don't empty the breast completely.
Once your baby begins to fall asleep, switch sides so that there is a fresh supply waiting for them. You can repeat this several times (switch back and forth between breasts) because you have more than one letdown per feed.
Some babies will only nurse on one breast and completely refuse the other one. If your baby shows a preference, don't worry—most babies can get enough breast milk from just one breast.
Both breasts need to receive the “make milk” message frequently in order for a good milk supply to be established. During the early phase of milk-making, it's important to offer your baby both breasts at each feeding.
In the first few days of your baby's life, try to offer both breasts at each feed. Frequent feeding stimulates your breasts to begin producing more milk. Burping and changing the diaper between breasts will help to keep your newborn awake enough to take a little more milk.
Sometimes overnight feeding frequency is related to not getting enough breast milk through the day. An easy way to fix this is to routinely offer both breasts at all, or most feeds. Try not to breastfeed your baby straight away when they wake overnight and have been fed in the last couple of hours.
As soon as your baby starts falling asleep (you may notice that their sucking becomes less frequent or fluttery), you can try switching them to the other side. This may wake them up, and they may find that the other side has milk more readily available.
The decision to offer one breast or both breasts at each feeding is a matter of preference. As long as your baby is getting enough breast milk and growing at a healthy, consistent pace, it doesn't matter if you nurse from one breast or both breasts at each feeding.
There's no right or wrong. Sometimes a baby will want both breasts if they're really hungry and sometimes they'll want only one when they just want to comfort nurse to sleep. Some times you may feel like you're offering each breast 5 or 6 times in a feeding, rotating constantly!! NORMAL!!!
Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
It's very common to find that one breast produces less milk, and if you and your baby are comfortable, there's no reason to try to change it. In fact, there may not be anything you can do about an uneven supply.
Remember that all babies are different.
If your first baby had trouble latching, it doesn't mean that your next one will. Also, research shows that lactating parents produce significantly more milk during their second pregnancy, which results in more efficient feedings.
The women produced significantly more milk with their second babies than with their first. And surprisingly, the women who had the most trouble with milk production the first time had the greatest jump in milk production with their second baby. Another plus, breastfeeding took less time for the second baby.
A newborn should be put to the breast at least every 2 to 3 hours and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. But rather than worry about duration, it's important to know that the best way to ensure that the baby is getting enough breast milk is by feeding frequency, wet and dirty diapers, and weight gain.
The years between 12-24 months can allow most babies to sleep longer periods. At this stage co sleeping still feels absolutely wonderful for your toddler but it can also encourage them to want to breastfeed all night!
For babies in their first months of life, comfort nursing can help provide extra nutrients needed for massive growth spurts and trigger greater milk production while bonding parents with their babies.
If your baby's swallowing has slowed, they have started to fall asleep, and/or they seem frustrated at the breast, it's time to switch sides. Sometimes switching breasts multiple times per feeding can be useful, especially in cases of sleepy babies or low milk supply.
Understanding the Role of Prolactin
Interestingly, prolactin levels have a typical 24-hour cycle — just like the human body's circadian rhythm. Prolactin peaks in the early morning hours around 2-5 a.m., while the lowest prolactin levels happen in the late afternoon to early evening.
Whether you offer one side or both sides at each feeding, you should alternate the breast that you start each feeding on.
Breast milk is the best source of infant nutrition for your baby. But if feeding your baby only breast milk is not an option for you, combination feeding lets you keep giving your baby the important nutrients in your breast milk. The more breast milk your baby gets, the greater the health benefits.
#4: Mixed feeding might mean breastfeeding continues longer
Feeding a baby doesn't have to be only formula or only breastmilk. It is beneficial for a baby to be fed even a small amount of breastmilk. Instead of fully formula fed, babies who have mixed feeds will continue to breastfeed for longer.
The first few days: Your breast milk coming in
Around day three after your baby's birth, your breast milk 'comes in' and your breasts may start to feel noticeably firmer and fuller.