All about nursing
How do I remember which breast I last fed from? How often should I alternate breasts? How long does it take to finish a nursing session?
Do babies only cry because they are hungry?
It's also important to understand that every time your baby cries it is not necessarily because of hunger. Sometimes babies just need to be cuddled or changed. Or they could be overstimulated, bored, too hot or too cold or have gas in their stomachs.
How long does it take to finish a nursing session?
There is no definite time frame as there are many factors involved such as whether your milk supply has come in, the speed of your let-down, the flow of your milk, the baby‘s latched on position as well as the personality of your baby. Some babies tends to get right down to business, while others dawdles a bit. Some babies, especially the older ones, tend to be easily distracted.
How long babies nurse also depends on their age. As babies get older, they become more efficient, so they may take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on each side, as compared to when they were newborns when they would feed up to 20 or 30 minutes per side.
How often should I alternate breasts?
To keep up your milk supply in both breasts and prevent painful engorgement in one, it's important to alternate breasts and give each one the same amount of nursing time throughout the day. Some experts recommend switching breasts in the middle of each feeding and alternating which breast you offer first for each feeding.
How do I remember which breast I last fed from?
To remember which breast you last fed from, you can attach a reminder such as a safety pin or small ribbon to your bra straps indicating which breast they last nursed on so they'll know to start with that breast at the next feeding. Alternatively, you can keep track by writing it down in a notebook.
These answers have been brought to you by The Breastfeeding Experts Website at proudly supported by Philips AVENT.
