One boob or two at night?

[english rose]

Hello All

As you know, the advice is that we offer both boobs at every feed. This is fine during the day, but at night my LO falls fast asleep after the first boob. I therefore have two options:

a) Put her straight back down in the crib, and she is therefore back asleep within 30 mins, but she may wake up sooner to feed again (last night she woke up after 2.5 hours for another feed)

b) Change her nappy to wake her up and offer her the other boob (sometimes she takes it, sometimes she doesn't - night before last she got hiccups when I laid her down to change her nappy, then fussed around with the second boob, fed a bit, but it took another 30 mins to settle her so she was awake for 1.5 hours for the feed, but she did go 4 hours between feeds)

I can't decide which is the best option, as I worry that she may not get enough if I give her just one side and that it may take longer for her to start going longer between feeds, but it's so much easier to settle her if I just give one side.

What do you guys do? One side or two?

 

[Bot]

My mws told me to stick to one side unless baby is getting stressed with it and has drained the milk. Also if they want more within about an hr, to offer same boob again......

 

[BevG]

i offer both. my mw etc said to and my mum says thats what she used to do too

 

[Bot]

Maybe I've been given duff advice!

 

[BevG]

dunno, advice differs all over the place lol. i find i forget which boob i used last or 1 gets more uncomfortably full than the other (smaller one) so it works for me. i just pop her on the other side after winding her. Alyssa hardly ever unlatches anyway lol, i have to make her let go after shes fell asleep.

 

[l_maclean]

I was never told to offer both boobs. I only ever feed from one side, but G never empties me completely.

I think that advise used to relate to the difference between hind milk and fore milk, but now they know it's a gradual change so they always get both.

Also - something to do with milk reservoirs - which one of our students pointed out had just been found don't actually exist - this info literally only changed in the middle of her lecture set this year and hadnt got as far as the mw.

Personally I'd just do one, if she falls asleep she must be satisfied, and I was always told never to wake a sleeping baby. Xxx

 

[jojo_2012]

The breastfeeding consultant and the breastfeeding support person both told me to offer both boobs.

However at night I lay down to breastfeed and Lewis falls asleep on one boob and I'll be damned if I pick him up roll over and try the other one!

 

[english rose]

Oh, it's confusig isn't it?! I think I might carry on with one boob for now, and maybe go back to two if the feeds get too close together. Thanks for all of your input ladies! x

 

[TORino]

I was told never to offer both boobs at a feed? And if baby has a snack and then needs feeding again within the hour to use same boob?

Mmm. Strange how we get different advice isn't it?

 

[pinkyprincess]

I was told never to offer both boobs at a feed? And if baby has a snack and then needs feeding again within the hour to use same boob?

Mmm. Strange how we get different advice isn't it?

That's what I was told!