help for clueless BFer!!

DDBB07

My LO is 4 days old today and my milk came in (boobs got huge around 4 AM) so I was very excited that he will nurse well, as he was with the colostrum.  However, at 4 AM, he nursed for like 5 min on one side only, then at 5   nursed for about 10 more min.

Is this normal for when milk first comes in?  should I have pumped the rest?  And the other breast is obviously still engorged so that will be offered at next feeding.  I guess my concern is should I pump the remaining milk to empty my breast so that my supply stays steady?

I really had no help at the hospital (lactation consultant was on vacation) so I am kinda on my own here! 

ANY help would be appreciated!

lite-bright

Are you going back to work or need/want a big freezer stash? If yes, I would pump.

But their bellies are so tiny at this point that he may well have gotten all the milk he needs in those few minutes -- especially if your supply is good, which it sounds like is the case.  

Just feed him whenever he acts hungry and you should be golden. The engorgement can take awhile to go away, but eventually your body will regulate itself based on how much your LO needs.

MamaFawn

If you are nursing on demand, that is the best way to keep your supply in line with your babe's appetite. If you are painfully engorged, you can express a bit into a towel. Or pump if you are wanting a stash (but I suggest holding off on offering that bottle until you are sure that your nursing relationship is well established) Welcome home and enjoy this special time!

NovemberNZ

Unless you need a stash, I would not pump. Your body will make enough milk for baby. If you start pumping, then your body will keep making that extra milk.

HailsLyrics

I would pump but that's only because between 1 - 2 weeks I found out I had a low supply and sometimes I think that if I would have pumped early on I wouldn't have had this problem.