how can you tell if LO has emptied a boob?!

[herbalhippie]

Hi ladies, been breastfeeding for 4 weeks now but yesterday LO's poo turned a greeny colour... i've read it might be coz he's not getting enough hind milk or draining one boob thouroughly.... how do you tell if a boob is finished though??

 

[Squiglet]

Sounds like you LO is getting too much fore milk. Hows he feeding? Some women have excessive fore milk... try to express off some of your fore milk before feeding so that he gets the good quality gold cap behind

Its difficult to tell if a baby has emptied a boob... theres always an oz or so left... but generally you boob just feels deflated and you can't express much out.

 

[herbalhippie]

Thanks Squiglet, I'll try that, I think that maybe I was switching boobs before he was done on one, so perhaps he's only been getting the foremilk... lol, i phoned the midwife and she said it was probably something I ate! I cant imagine what would come out that colour (a huge amount of spinach maybe?!)
x

 

[Squiglet]

I found if I drank orange juice it would make my babies poop through the eye of a needle.. But the docs have since said nothing goes into your breastmilk... So why can't you take certain drugs...

Green poop is usually a fore milk issue... Just leave him on one boob unless he comes off and fusses... I didn't usually have to switch boobs unless it was during a spurt.

 

[babynumbertwo]

Me too! Exactly the same problem. At the minute I'm trying feeding off the same breast for 2 feeds at a time and then swapping to other side for the next two to increase baby's intake of hind milk.
Try reading about block feeding or oversupply of milk on the la leche league website for more info.
If you find anything that works please post again - I need ideas!

 

[Lisamj]

To find out if it's empty give it a little squeeze and only a tiny drop should come out.

xx

 

[kalia]

Me too! Exactly the same problem. At the minute I'm trying feeding off the same breast for 2 feeds at a time and then swapping to other side for the next two to increase baby's intake of hind milk.
Try reading about block feeding or oversupply of milk on the la leche league website for more info.
If you find anything that works please post again - I need ideas!

I'm not sure that this would work as the 5th feed would be after a big gap so it would be more fore milk so it would all balance out the same as swapping sides each time.

The tip about just a drop coming out is a really good one. At your stage, as things haven't settled yet the empty one will be really squishy compared to the other breast.

 

[babynumbertwo]

Hi Kalia
That's what I've been advised by a breastfeeding specialist - although obviously she based it on my personal circumstances it was mainly due to green poo! I think the idea being that feeds 2 and 4 would definately contain hind milk. I've only just started so not sure if it works but from what I've read it seems to be a common solution for babies taking too much fore milk.

 

[kalia]

Ah, I was just saying that based on the fact that my morning expressed milk was always far more blue than my evening expressed milk which was more yellow so I assumed it was the gap in time over night that did it. Obviously if that is what a breastfeeding specialist has said then it is right and I am wrong so I'm really glad you posted so others know to follow your advice and not what I said!

 

[trixipaws]

my boobs were never completely emptied as i had an abundant milk supply. when full tho they felt like rocks and really sore, when emptied they were nice and squidgey and comfortable again. but they were never completely emptied as in none left! i had a bit of an oversupply at first and millie would sometimes choke and splutter coz it came out too fast- so i would latch her on to get the flow going, then pull her off and hand-express the excess watery milk until it was a nice flow for her. then put her back on. x

 

[abcd1234]

I just let her feed off one boob until she fusses too much and doesn't want it anymore. She did go through a stage of having green poo but i never really looked at is an an issue tbh as it didnt last long, you'll know when they dont want that boob anymore, that'll be either when they're full or when your boob is empty!

 

[Bloom]

At that age i never swapped boobs i always had one breast for one feed then if they were fussing and it felt empty then swap.