How did you know that was enough? DD is 10.5 weeks old and we only nurse on one side per feeding (about every 2.5 hours during the day). If I try to offer the second side, she will eat, but then spit up profusely, so I'm assuming it's too much for her. But I also worry that she's not getting enough on just one side. She's gaining weight and seems to be doing well, but at some point will one side not be enough for her? And how do I know that? I'm questioning myself because last night I had to miss a feeding, so I pumped the side she would have eaten from, but I only got 3oz. That doesn't seem like it would be enough for her for a feeding, does it?
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You can't tell exactly how much they drink from how mixh you pump. It sounds like she's doing great and you are following her cues. She'll let you know when it's not enough!
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And 3 oz would be a perfect amount for a feeding at this age.
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@SeptMomma12: My LO did the same thing where if I offered both sides she would spit up a ton. I only ever offered one side and EBF until she was almost 14 months old. She was gaining weight on track and seemed satisfied after only one side so I just assumed it was enough (babies will def let you know if they're still hungry!). Babies are also more efficient than a pump so I wouldn't judge how much she's eating based on your output (though even with pumped bottles my LO only ever ate around 4 oz at a time). Sounds like you're doing great!
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3 oz every 2.5 hours sounds like plenty! Plus your baby is better at getting milk out than the pump, so it's possible she's getting more than that.
I tried nursing on only one side, but my kids would be hungry again after only 1-1.5 hours, so I knew it wasn't enough. I started offering both sides and then they were able to go longer (though Logan still only goes about 2.5 hours at 8 months).
If your LO is eating and seems content afterwards and then is able to go 2+ hours before she's hungry again, I think she's doing just fine! If you're really concerned though, you could get together with an LC and do a weighted feed.
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I always offered both and just assumed she knows how much she needed to eat!
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I did the same thing and at her 2 mo appt, she was slightly lower than her growth curve. Nothing the ped was worried about, but that's when I started offering both sides.
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I only offer one side because like you she spits up a ton of I offer both. My son always ate from both and he let me know he needed both. She doesn't, babies are different and she'll let you know if she's hungry. 3 oz is a great feeding amount. Most breastfed babies never take bottles above 5 oz.
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Thanks ladies! She's a very happy baby and definitely doesn't show any signs that she's still hungry so I guess I'm just going to have to assume she's getting enough. Even at 2.5 hours, she doesn't really show any signs of being hungry. I usually just feed her because it's "time." Breastfeeding is not easy for the type A personality!
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3 oz sounds perfect!
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I only feed one side per feeding, and always offer but he rarely takes it. And I don't pump a whole lot off unless it's first thing in the morning. I just sort of have blind faith in the process right now. And if it's not enough, I'll give him some formula, so it's not a big deal.
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Usually, your LO will let you know! I didn't feed on both sides until after 18 months and even then not every time. I just had overproduction so I tried to trust that my baby was getting what he needed & would ask for more if he ever needed.
And I agree that 3 oz sounds like plenty for a pumping session, or a feeding!
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@junebugsmama: 100% agreed.
they don't continuosly take from both breasts each feeding as they grow. block feeding is super common and usually not a problem for baby or mom.
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@SeptMomma12: I have a bit of an oversupply/fast letdown and with both kids I could mostly only feed from one side at a time unless I wanted to get vomited all over, lol. I am in year 3 of breastfeeding kids this way and haven't had a problem. Pumping isn't a good indicator of the intake per feed - if it's bothering you, a weighted feed is the best way to tell!
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Agree with the above posts. 3 ounces is a perfect amount for the age.
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J only takes 1 side and he's 8 months. Occasionally if he stops and seems fussy I'll offer the other, but hardly ever.
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I had oversupply and DD only took one side per feeding. If I offered the other side, she would either refuse or would latch on for a minute and then pull off and get really fussy. I found that if I offered her a pacifier and she took it, that meant she was done eating (she really wanted to keep sucking but didn't want any more milk so comfort nursing never really worked until she was much older and my supply went way down). If she refused the pacifier, she was usually still hungry and would take a bit more milk.
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16 comments