Hellobee Boards

My LO loved to fall asleep latched and it wasn't until she was in a deep sleep that she would like fall off. Basically so relaxed her mouth opened.

K used to fall asleep at the boob and let it fall out. Now, she likes to stay latched! I will try to pull out a little and she'll hoover and suck me back in hard! OR, she likes to wrestle a bit when she's done.

P has never really been one to pop off, I can honestly count on one hand how many times that's happened. And as she's gotten older she's gotten better at staying latched even when sleeping deeply.. It's pretty funny to see her try & get back latched when I unlatch her. lol

As for telling when she's done.. she'll usually slow down how often she's swallowing, I think just a few swallows a minute is a cue she's about done & I'll try and unlatch her... sometimes she's golden, sometimes we're not and I'd offer the other side.

I did just find this & think it was great!

"How do I know when my baby’s finished? He may just drop off by himself, relaxed and loose-limbed. But it doesn’t really matter! Think dog, or horse, or gorilla. If a gorilla Mama can’t reach that banana with the baby attached, she just takes him off. She doesn’t worry about whether or not he’s full. If he fusses, she puts him back on after she gets the banana. Dogs don’t think about milk; they nurse because it feels good and keeps the puppies from yapping. A mare may walk right away from a nursing foal to reach a better patch of grass. The foal has to trot along and re-attach when mama stops moving.
In the same way, you don’t have to glue yourself to the couch until you’re absolutely sure your baby is totally full, so long as you’re willing to nurse him again when he asks. He may have been having dessert in a happy haze of occasional swallows but be willing to go to sleep ifyou take him off. Or he may want to nurse again in 5 minutes because he just wasn’t finished. You won’t hurt him either way. The problem in the past was that we didn’t allow babies back to the breast for 2 or 3 or even 4 hours. Nursing works for other mammals because they don’t stick to rules. Forget the rules and enjoy your baby."

I guess she if she comes off & is content & if she wants more she'll tell you. =)

@Smurfette: P can still be getting milk & nurse much longer than what I get when I pump! I wouldn't go back that at all since pumps just aren't as good at signaling letdowns & getting milk out. If you nurse as long as she wants then you can't really go wrong in the "is she getting enough" & "will I keep making enough" departments. =)

@Smurfette: I would try to do 15-20 min per side. I usually *capped* the session at 45 minutes. I am not sure about your Ped's suggestion . . . That seems a little too short for such a young baby, and pumping does not accurately reflect your real supply (most people pump less because babies are much better emptiers than pumps).

I struggle with this too, but my new rule is once I stop hearing her swallow, she's done. I'll often try to wake her and see if she wants more at that point. If she resists being popped but is done eating, the pacifier usually does the trick. I'm learning to watch her cues for when she goes from hungry to sucking for comfort but its not easy! It does crack me up though when she falls off the boob asleep with milk dribbling down her face

I gave him 15 minutes on each side to start and that usually did the job.

From about 10 months on he started popping off and gave a super milk drunk "all done" on each side. He totally cracks me up!

He usually pops off but sometimes he'll just hang out and stop swallowing, or his sucking pattern will change (lots of light, quick sucks in a row then silence, repeat -- similar to what he does with a pacifier). I rarely hear him gulp anymore except at the beginning and can never "see" him swallow like they taught me to watch for in the hospital, but I eventually noticed when he's actively drinking, he'll make little sounds that sound like air puffing out of his nose.