XP: I'm a new mom and have a question...

LovingStepMom

We are EBF and I feed my 1 week old approximately every 2-3 hours.  Honestly, I don't have a set schedule and feed on demand (which is approximately every 2-3 hours). 

My LO feeds on one breast and then falls into a drunken sleep.  If I do get him to feed on the other breast it is minimal.

That being said, am I supposed to just let the other breast stay full until the next feeding and start him out on that one OR should I pump and save each time?

Any help you can provide is much appreciated!

TIA!

Slosey

the lactation consultant told me to offer one breast and when LO pulls off of it then offer the other breast (normally they only eat on the other breast for a few minutes) and then offer the other breast that you didn't start on at the next feeding.  

BrittKav

My LO only nurses from one side each time (which is totally fine, they don't NEED to eat from both sides) and I just give her the other side at the next feeding. My older daughter nursed this way too.

amyWI

What a beautiful baby!  Congrats!  My baby boy is 5 weeks and i also EBF-although I have pumped when we've gone out...in case I don't feel comfortable nursing there.  My baby does the same thing-he falls totally asleep....it's completely normal.  What I've done depends on my other breast-at first they were so sore that I had to pump because I couldn't take the soreness and wait for another 2 hours-even 1 hour!  Now, my supply goes with his demand, so it's almost like my breasts know when he's going to eat again!  Yours will too as your baby gets older.  He nurses about every 2-3 hours, although sometimes it's every 1 1/2 hours-and my milk is there for him.  That's the wonderful thing about nursing; it's always available and your body stays in tune with your baby.   As he's gotten older he nurses for about 10 minutes each side.  I switch after he burps.  He just started doing this.  I just go with whatever he wants/needs at the time.  Sometimes he's hungrier, other times he's not.

I pump and store in fridge or freeezer. 

 

mishu917

Depends on how full you feel. If she latched off, she usually was never interested in the other side. I'd try to stick it out until the next feeding and have her take that side since it wasn't terribly uncomfortable. I've heard that pumping can cause you to produce more milk which is good if you're planning to have a freezer stash, etc. Pumping at this stage when the baby is one week old can't be bad in any case bc you're increasing your supply, so I'd go ahead and pump it out if it's uncomfortable. There are so many other painful things at this period, so if you can help yourself, then why not. Now that our freezer is full of BM, I have stopped pumping the other side, and it gets pretty painful but I've been able to hold off (even at 2 months, she only takes one side!)

NewFamily09

My LC told me to pump the other breast for just 5 minutes so you don't get too engorged and uncomftable.  But I got nervous about getting  a low supply, so I pumped the other side a little longer than that.  I did that for a few weeks, just to establish a good supply, something I didn't get with my first son.

kg_08

I made a habit of offering a breast, then when she was done with one I would burp, change, and doing that usually woke her up enough to eat from the other side.

If your LO really is done, pumping or not is up to you. If you want to build up a freezer stash I'd say it's a good idea because then your body will think it needs to produce that much milk and will make more all the time to pump. If you don't care much about a stash, just leave it and start from that boob next time.