More Hindmilk Please!

luppamom

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:07 am

After EBF baby had green diapers for 2 wks and was begging tog get hungry all the time (like 1/2 hr. after feeding), I spoke to a LC who thought that the baby has a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. In the past, the baby used to love to nurse and would suck and suck, getting all that nutritious hindmilk. But, over the past month (4 mos. old), she's not as interested. At first, I thought she just got faster but after this comment from the LC I realized that once the flow starts getting slower, she usually comes off and I have to keep putting her back on (she will go back on). When she goes to the other side, she's usually happy to start drinking foremilk again. It seems like she has little patience for the hindmilk that takes more effort to get.
Any ideas?

MaBelleVie

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:21 am

Just don't offer the second side. If she refuses the first side after a minute, stop the feeding and when she wants to nurse again go back to the same side.

smss

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:23 am

MaBelleVie wrote:

Just don't offer the second side. If she refuses the first side after a minute, stop the feeding and when she wants to nurse again go back to the same side.

this. just make sure you don't ignore one side for too long, if it starts getting too full nurse. learned this the hard way when I spent 5 hours offering one side and got mastitis on the other...

luppamom

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:33 am

MaBelleVie wrote:

Just don't offer the second side. If she refuses the first side after a minute, stop the feeding and when she wants to nurse again go back to the same side.

Thanks! Is refusing when she comes off, even if she will go back on? Should I keep trying to give her a little more or should I close up and see what happens? Also, will doing this harm my supply?

MaBelleVie

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:40 am

luppamom wrote:

Thanks! Is refusing when she comes off, even if she will go back on? Should I keep trying to give her a little more or should I close up and see what happens? Also, will doing this harm my supply?

No, if she wants to continue on the same side you allow it. When she refuses that side before she starts the slower deeper sucking that comes after letdown, that's when you stop the feeding. Is your supply low already? If not, it shouldn't be an issue.

luppamom

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:58 am

MaBelleVie wrote:

I am confused. She likes it right after the letdown. She just doesn't like it when the milk slows down (after the first few minutes). No, b"H I have a good supply.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 12:56 pm

luppamom wrote:

I am confused. She likes it right after the letdown. She just doesn't like it when the milk slows down (after the first few minutes). No, b"H I have a good supply.

If she refuses at that point then you stop feeding. When she's ready to nurse again you start from that same side.