Leelee - BFing

You mentioned nursing/pumping on one or both sides.

In the beginning I had read that you nurse until one side is empty and then switch but I really never knew.

 So I asked my LC (who is also a mom and a good friend of mine) what she recommended and she said that the nursing both sides, every feeding is sort of outdated information.  It is sometimes easier for the baby to get hind milk (the fattier milk that comes in after the initial let down) if you nurse one side per feeding.  I did this with Avery and it really worked great.  She woudl nurse and then I'd burp her and put her back on the same side.  Most of the time she would nurse more from that side and I knew she was getting the hindmilk that really helped her stay fuller longers.   Occassionally she'd fuss at that side and I'd offer the 2nd side and she'd nurse - those times she had already emptied side #1 and needed more milk.  

I nursed her like this until about 4-5 months?  and then she consistently would take the other side.  The next feeding, I would start with the side I ended with to make sure that one side wasn't getting more stimulated than the other. 

As far as pumping.  Some people like to pump on the side they haven't fed on at first to build up a freezer stash.  Once you are at work and pumping in order to get bottles for the next day, I think it's probably easier to just pump both sides for every session.  For me I found that in the morning (hwen your milk is most abundant), I would get nearly double from the side A hadn't nursed on but then by the afternoon it was about even.

This was what worked for me.  Every mom/baby/situation is very very different but I think it helps reading what has worked (and what hasn't worked) for other people to try it for yourself. 

Good luck!