Do I need to change breasts when breastfeeding? Pregnancy and childbirth. How long to breastfeed your baby

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We are 2 weeks old, we feed only mother's milk. The regime has not yet been established, then we eat after 3 hours, then after half an hour. The time also varies, sometimes 5-10 minutes, sometimes even an hour and a half.
Question: How often should I change breasts during one feeding? If the child eats for 5-10 minutes and after half an hour demands more, then feed the same breast? or suggest another? and if he cannot sleep for a long time and “hangs” on one breast, should he feed until “victorious” from the same one or offer another?
It happened a couple of times that after I changed breasts, after a couple of minutes the baby fell asleep. but before that, I check that there is enough milk in the breast that has been fed for an hour or more, and it is expressed manually and the child actively swallows. but between this he sleeps for 5 minutes.
How and when is it better to change breasts so that the child is saturated and there is no stagnation?

How often do you change breasts during one feeding?

I changed breasts every 2.5-3 hours.

If the child eats for 5-10 minutes and after half an hour demands more, then feed the same breast?

according to my system (described above) with the SAME breast!

If he can’t sleep for a long time and “hangs” on one breast, should he feed until “victory” from the same one or offer another?

You can offer it))) if after this Ryo falls asleep sweetly))

How and when is it better to change breasts so that the child is saturated and there is no stagnation?

It’s also better to be guided by sensations: if Re hangs for a long time on one breast, then milk also resides in the other, i.e. it hardens and hardens, which means you can apply re to it so that something doesn’t start. the processes are unpleasant in full breasts. In general, I personally made it a rule for myself: to feed on demand (for the child or for myself (when the breasts are full)) and to change breasts every 2.5-3 hours. Before B, I had A during B and during breastfeeding it became C and there were no problems with breastfeeding! Until six months we ate only my mother’s tita and we still suck it to sleep)))
So good luck! And most importantly, confidence in a successful breastfeeding!

Ingylka, usually you need to change your breasts based on the feeling of fullness/emptiness. But in the first weeks these sensations are blurred, so you can change breasts every 1.5-2 hours. Over time, this interval will increase and the alternations will be tied to sleep-wake rhythms.
If the child suckled for 10 minutes, then after half an hour the same breast, yes. If it sucks for an hour and a half, then you can change it if the second one overflows.
This is feeding on mutual demand, when there is no stagnation and the child is full.

Delicious milk and good night!

thank you very much for your answers.

I have a new problem.
We still have jaundice, we drink Hofitol 3 times a day to remove it, and the doctor also prescribed charcoal 3 times a day. those. With almost every feeding, the baby gets “poop” to taste. The breastfeeding has become worse, she takes it and after a minute begins to cry and spit. If he doesn’t grab it correctly the first time, he also starts crying and has to be calmed down and applied again. and almost every time I run out of air. those. We start eating after a series of clutches at the chest, coughing, sitting in a column, crying, calming down and trying to eat again. and so on 3 times before he actually starts to eat.

I do this now, start with the medicine, then eat. removed all distractions. The big lights, TV, and computer turn off if they are on.
I'm afraid that she might have an association - breasts, milk - which means they're about to give me some nasty stuff. and thus will refuse the breast (TTT)

In progress breastfeeding correct breast change has great importance. The child’s satiety, weight gain, increased gas formation, and the likelihood of congestion depend on this. Sometimes it’s enough to correct such a small nuance, and all issues are immediately resolved.

There are standard recommendations: change breasts every three hours, give two breasts at one feeding, set the duty time of one breast - at least 2 hours from the end of feeding. They have a right to exist, but not for everyone. All women are different, everyone's breast capacity is different, filling time is also different, and babies suckle with different intensity. So what to do?

Change breasts as you empty!

Changing breasts is primarily important for the balance of foremilk and hindmilk. If you move your baby from breast to breast every time he wants to feed, he will receive mostly foremilk, which is rich in carbohydrates, but not enough fat. And what will we get? The baby will write well, but gain weight poorly and suffer from bloating. Therefore, the main thing is to monitor how well the breasts have emptied. At the beginning of feeding, all babies suck well, take a sip for each sucking movement, then the sips become less frequent, about 3-4 movements - 1 sip. In such a situation, you can offer the baby another breast. You can also check this way: when the baby lets go of the breast, make several pumping movements. If the milk flows in streams, give it to the same breast at the next feeding; if it flows in droplets, you can apply it to the other. Also monitor your feelings, listen to your body’s cues. This recommendation suits almost everyone, but there are some cases.

Special cases

Hyperlactation

It happens that a mother has hyperlactation, then one breast must remain on duty longer until it is empty. But there is no need to express after feeding - this will lead to greater milk production. In my practice, there was a case when a mother fed, then expressed every drop in fear of congestion, and at the next feeding she gave the second breast. This led to endless pumping, there was so much milk, but the baby did not gain weight because he only ate the front milk. Therefore, we do this: we feed one breast until we feel that it is empty (3-4 sucking movements - 1 sip, or when expressing only a drop), and we pump the second until relief (with strong filling).

Not enough milk

The opposite situation. Recommending breast changes more often will help here. In this case, you can use the compression technique. They gave me one breast, the baby sucked, no more sips were heard - they squeezed, held, heard a gulp, released. Then also with the other breast. You can shift from chest to chest as much as needed.

Thus, listen to yourself and your baby. An indicator of the correctness of your actions will be a good weight gain in the child and the absence of breast pain. As lactation is established, 1-2 months after birth, the breasts will adjust to the desired regime.

Lactation is a natural physiological process of producing a specific nutrient - mother's (breast) milk. The lactation period lasts from the end of labor and the first attachment of the baby to the breast until the end of milk production. According to research data and recommendations of gynecologists and obstetricians, the baby should be put to the breast immediately after birth.

Despite this, the mammary gland does not immediately begin to secrete milk immediately after childbirth. However, the mother’s body synthesizes colostrum, which is beneficial for the child’s body, and plays a huge role in the development of children’s immunity.

Lactation, as a physiological process, begins approximately 2-3 days after the end of childbirth. At this time, a woman may begin to experience discomfort, and even painful sensations: pressure in the chest, enlarged mammary glands, slight nagging pain. This is a physiological norm.

From the moment lactation begins, the baby should be put to the breast as often as possible. This is the only way that lactation can become quite stable. Neither pumping nor other methods will help establish stable lactation. Otherwise, there is a risk that the milk will “disappear.”

After 14–21 days, the next phase of the lactation period begins, the so-called mature lactation. In some cases, this period may be delayed and occur later.

During this phase of lactation there is no longer a need to feed the baby as often as possible. Lactation is stable, which means that the baby needs to be fed only on demand. The intervals between each subsequent feeding should be about 2 hours (at least). In the future, as the lactation period comes to an end, the intervals should be increased to 4 hours.

Only in this single case will the lactation period be as comfortable and beneficial as possible, both for the child and for the mother herself.

A little about lactation as a physiological process

As mentioned, lactation is a natural process during which the synthesis, accumulation and further release of a specific nutrient - mother's milk - occurs. Lactation is an extremely complex process. It is caused by the production of a number of hormones. The main active substance affecting milk production is the pituitary hormone prolactin.

It directly affects the mammary gland, giving the “command” to produce milk. The intensity of production directly depends on the concentration of the hormone in the blood. Milk accumulates in the gland itself and in the so-called milk ducts, through which the milk leaves the gland.

Another important hormone is oxytocin. This active substance is intensively produced during the process of suckling by the baby of the mother's breast. When muscles contract, milk leaves the body faster. The hormone does not directly affect the intensity of milk production, but it helps the substance to be evacuated faster, which means it prevents stagnation of milk and the development of such dangerous complications as lactostasis and mastitis. In addition, oxytocin helps to contract the muscles of the uterus, which means quickly stopping postpartum bleeding.

The first two to three days after birth, mothers do not produce milk, but colostrum is produced. In some cases, colostrum begins to be synthesized during gestation.

It's important for women to keep this in mind. During stimulation of the mammary glands, oxytocin is released, so under no circumstances should women with this type of body condition express colostrum. Oxytocin promotes uterine contractions and the onset of premature labor.

Colostrum is replaced by mother's milk at approximately 3-5 days.

10 mistakes breastfeeding mothers make

Many women, due to inexperience or ignorance, make quite serious mistakes:

Under no circumstances should you set a schedule (regime) for feeding your baby. The child himself knows how much and when to eat. It is advisable to set a feeding schedule only at the onset of the period of so-called mature lactation (after about 14-21 days) and closer to its completion (intervals of 2-4 hours). When starting to feed a child in this way, the mother runs the risk of “losing” milk very quickly, since lactation is extremely unstable at the initial stage.

You cannot feed your baby artificial formula. This is probably one of the most serious mistakes mothers make. For one reason or another, a woman decides that the baby does not have enough milk and buys an artificial formula. Such a diet can lead to a number of adverse effects. Firstly, sucking from a nipple is much easier than applying to the breast, and secondly, the mixture has better taste, which means there is a high risk that the baby will completely refuse mother’s milk. Despite all the properties of artificial formulas (they are close in composition to breast milk), they are not able to replace breast milk. And therefore they provoke a lot of side effects. The baby may experience colic, digestive problems and allergic reactions.

You should not give your child extra water. Contrary to popular belief, milk is not only food. Almost 90% of it consists of water, which means this is quite enough for the child. If the mother suspects that the baby is thirsty, the best solution would be to stimulate lactation and “unplanned” next feeding. If a baby drinks water in addition to milk, this can lead to refusal to eat. The fact is that as the stomach fills, the brain receives a signal of saturation and a feeling of artificial saturation occurs. You can give water to a baby only in two cases: if the time has come to introduce complementary foods (no earlier than 6 months), or if the child is initially on artificial feeding. Otherwise, problems with the kidneys may begin and the development of edema is not far off.

Crying is not always caused by hunger. A child is designed in such a way that the only way to get attention is to cry. But there can be a huge number of reasons for crying: the child may have colic, abdominal pain, he may have a headache, the baby may simply be bored, he may want to be held, his teeth may be cutting, the baby may be scared, he may time to change the diaper, etc.

For some reason, many mothers are sure that the milk level directly depends on how dense and hard the breasts are. This is a huge misconception. If lumps are observed and palpated in the breast, this does not indicate the amount of milk, but the onset of lactostasis and stagnation. The breast, on the contrary, not only can, but must be soft. Moreover, a woman, with the normal development of lactation, should not experience a lot of unpleasant sensations. Therefore, this is not a reason to avoid feeding.

You should not express breast milk without good reason. By expressing milk, a woman loses the most useful part of it, the so-called “hind” milk. Instead of pumping, it is better to offer the breast to the baby once again. Expressing is advisable only if there is lactostasis.

You should not use outdated weight gain data. Many pediatricians use old charts and tables of weight growth ratios, etc. These data were relevant 10-20 years ago and the materials were compiled for bottle-fed children.

If possible, avoid giving a pacifier. The baby's sucking reflex is satisfied by the mother's breast. If a child cries, you need to find and eliminate the cause of the irritation, and not plug the child’s mouth with a pacifier.

Control weighing the baby is useless. Often mothers weigh their baby before and after feeding to see how much the baby has eaten. The thing is that, firstly, the baby consumes a negligible amount of milk. To reflect such a small result, you need very sensitive scales, which cost a lot of money. Ordinary household scales will not reflect the result. Secondly, each time the baby consumes a different amount of milk. You should not use this method.

Don't introduce complementary foods too early. Complementary foods should be introduced no earlier and no later than 6 months. If you introduce it earlier, there is a risk of allergic reactions and the development of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, if later, mental and mental disorders are possible. physical development. (How to introduce complementary feeding to a child - table of complementary feeding for children up to one year old by month)

How long should you breastfeed your baby?

There is no consensus both among specialists and among average people on this issue. Some people believe that you need to breastfeed a child until a year, and after a year it is not advisable to do this, some continue feeding longer than up to a year, and others believe that you need to feed a child as much as he wishes.

The optimal solution is to feed the baby breast milk for at least the first six months of life. At this time, milk should become the baby's main source of nutrition. After six months, breast milk is no longer able to provide the baby with all the nutrients.

From the second year, the child begins to eat almost like an adult. In the first and second years of life, milk plays the role of a factor supporting growth and development, but is not absolutely necessary. Moreover, nowadays it is not difficult to find a replacement for milk at this lifespan. Despite this, there is no absolute replacement for breast milk.

Benefits of long-term breastfeeding

There are several poles of long-term feeding:

High level of nutritional value. Milk is rich in all necessary substances and replacing it, especially in the first months of life, is extremely difficult.

Stimulation of immune development. Mother's milk promotes the production of specific immunoglobulins.

Reducing the risk of developing diseases caused by allergies. According to scientific research, the risk of developing allergies is lower in children who have been fed breast milk for a long time. In addition, milk itself is not rejected by the child’s body and does not cause an immune reaction.

Formation of correct bite and development of facial muscles. The sucking reflex contributes to the development of facial muscles and proper bite.

Optimal physical development.

When should you stop breastfeeding?

You should not stop breastfeeding in two cases:

If the child is sick or unwell. Children recover faster if they receive breast milk. With breast milk, children in ready-made form receive the substances necessary to fight the disease, and the body’s immune system itself is strengthened.

During the hot season (late spring, summer). During such periods, food spoils faster and the risk of developing poisoning is much higher. Therefore, mother's milk in summer is an optimal substitute and a complete food product.

To increase quantity and quality breast milk, the mother needs to adhere to the correct diet and consume a number of foods in large quantities:

Tea. Green or black tea promotes more active milk evacuation.

Bread with cumin and bran. Cumin seeds increase the amount of milk produced. During lactation, preference should be given not to plain bread, but to bread with bran or caraway seeds.

Compotes and decoctions from fruits. Decoctions and compotes from dried fruits or fresh berries help increase the vitamin value of breast milk. They should be consumed as often as possible.

Clean boiled water. Pure boiled water helps increase the amount of milk and, at the same time, reduce its viscosity. This will help not only the child, but also the mother, as it will reduce the risk of lactostasis.

Nuts. Walnuts, pine and almonds. You need to limit yourself to 1-2 nuts per day. Only in this quantity will the quality of milk increase. In large quantities, nuts can harm the baby as they cause gas and persistent constipation.

Herbal teas. Dill, chamomile, etc. contribute to calming the child’s nervous system and its further normal development.

Lactogenic products. Milk, kefir and other fermented milk products, low-fat cheeses(Adyghe, feta cheese), soups with low-fat broths, vegetables and fruits.

Fresh juices: carrot, berry.

Barley decoctions. They also increase the amount of milk produced.

Radish and honey salads. Large quantity Radish consumption should be avoided. Radish can cause increased production of intestinal gases in an infant.

Hercules, oat and buckwheat porridges, or dishes containing these cereals.

Watermelon and carrots.

Vegetable salads with vegetable oil.

Based on the presented list of products, the mother must independently select a diet based on her gastronomic preferences. It is important to adhere to the principle of moderation.

How often should you alternate breasts during feeding?

Questions about alternating mammary glands during breastfeeding, one way or another, arise before every mother. What are the right things to do to maintain breastfeeding effectiveness? Let's look at the main points. For an effective lactation process up to 6 months infant should receive only one breast at a time.

The baby's nutritional needs are fully satisfied. He receives everything he needs from the breast for his growth and active development. Only after six months of age do the nutritional needs of a growing baby increase, and it will be possible for him to be fed from both breasts at one feeding.

A mother should not rush to offer milk from both breasts to a child under 6 months old. Even if the baby is worried, and the mother thinks that he is not getting enough. In this case, it is worth looking for the true reasons for the lack of milk, and not feeding from both breasts. Why is it so harmful to feed from two breasts before the physiological deadline? Let's figure it out. Let us remember that a baby who sucks the mother's breast first receives upper milk (it serves as a drink for the baby), and then eats thick lower milk (it serves as food). Both milks are important for satiating the baby.

However, only bottom milk provides him with a feeling of satiety. It also gives the child everything he needs to gain weight well and actively develop. Therefore, receiving bottom milk is vital for the baby. What happens if a mother often changes breasts during feeding? The baby easily sucks out the easily flowing upper milk, thereby satisfying its need for liquid. However, he does not suck up to the lower milk.

The reasons may be different:

the baby is accustomed to the nipple and is “lazy” to suck the lower milk that is difficult to come out of the breast;

The result is the same: the child does not eat enough and requires more milk. Mom offers him the other breast, from which he also quickly sucks the top milk and cries again, demanding more. Many women at such moments “lose their nerves”, and they give the baby formula. And in vain. In fact, you just need to adjust the order of breast alternation during feeding (or better yet, prevent such problems so that you don’t have to solve them later).

If a baby aged 0 to 6 months eats only one breast for the designated two hours, then he will receive both upper and lower milk. The child will feel full at the end of feeding and will not be capricious 9 (at least due to malnutrition). His body will receive all the necessary nutrients, which will be eloquently demonstrated by excellent weight gain (taking into account the individual constitution, of course).

During the period of lactation (that is, in the first two to three months of the baby’s life), the mother should feed the baby on one breast for about two hours. It does not matter whether the baby kissed once or many times during this period of time. It is important that a nursing woman offers the second breast no earlier than two hours after the first. If it happens that two hours have passed and your newborn is still sleeping peacefully, try to wake him up quietly and put him to your breast. To do this, you just need to unwrap the baby. The air in the room is always lower than the child's body temperature. Freed from diapers or clothes, your baby will wake up and ask for the breast. And then there will be no problems with applying on time.

Why is it important that in the first two to three months of life a child attaches to the breast at least once every two hours? Because this way it stimulates lactation, as if “making an order for milk.” In general, the more often the baby suckles, the more milk the mother will produce. An interval of two hours is optimal (if it is set by the child himself and only when he does not ask for breastfeeding more often). It is possible to make intervals between feedings of more than two hours only after three months of age and no more than twice a week. In this way, you will keep breastfeeding effective, long-lasting and successful.

Ivanova Ekaterina Alexandrovna

The question of the rules of feeding a newborn baby interests all young mothers. When choosing natural feeding, you need to familiarize yourself with the key rules that will allow you to meet the nutritional needs of your baby without the risk of undesirable consequences. When it comes to breastfeeding, not only the frequency and duration of the procedure matters, but also the regularity of alternating mammary glands.

Breastfeeding rules

While within the walls of the maternity hospital, a young mother gets acquainted with the basics of proper breastfeeding of a newborn baby. Conducting introductory conversations, obstetrician-gynecologists explain the need to alternate the mammary glands at each feeding of the baby. This event allows you to empty your chest evenly, without allowing.

If we talk about alternating breasts during one feeding, then one of the mammary glands is used for one feeding. This is explained by the fact that during feeding, the baby receives not only portions of fore milk, but also hind milk, which is rich in fats and other components. In addition, alternating the mammary glands during one feeding will lead to incomplete emptying of each of them and the formation of congestion.

In order for the breasts to empty evenly and in a timely manner, it is important for a young mother to feed them in turn. This need can be explained by the following reasons:

1. The baby’s need for front and back portions of mother’s milk. The consistency of mother's milk is heterogeneous. At the beginning of each latch, the baby's body receives watery portions of mother's milk, which contain milk sugar (lactose) and enzymes that promote breakdown.

The initial portions of milk are necessary for the child's body to replenish the need for fluid. For complete saturation, the baby needs rear portions of milk containing fats, proteins and vitamins. Female breast has a structure that allows the rear portions of milk to come out only if the front portions are consumed. That is why, in one latch, the baby must suck on the right or left mammary gland;

This opinion is erroneous; moreover, regular pumping leads to a decrease in lactogenic function. The only one effective way prevention of congestion is considered to be the emptying of the mammary glands when feeding a newborn baby.

Often, young mothers practice changing breasts during one feeding. The reason for this is the child’s whims that arise when the front portions of milk are empty. The thing is that sucking out the rear portions of milk requires a lot of effort, so babies begin to become restless and capricious. Lack of experience among young mothers forces them to change the mammary glands in order to calm the child.

This practice results in a lack of calories and nutrients, resulting in slow growth and developmental problems. In addition, incomplete emptying of the mammary glands forces the young mother to resort to the practice of expressing milk.

Most medical specialists in the field of pediatrics are inclined to believe that the predominant consumption of the front portions of breast milk leads to the formation of digestive disorders in the newborn baby. These disorders are expressed in excessive gas formation in the intestines, regurgitation and intestinal colic. This condition is caused by excessive intake of milk sugar into the child’s body.

In order for a newborn baby’s diet to be complete and balanced, a nursing mother can use one mammary gland during one feeding. This will avoid negative consequences from the child’s body and maintain the health of the mammary glands.

Do I need to change breasts when breastfeeding? Pregnancy and childbirth. How long to breastfeed your baby

Change breasts as you empty!

Special cases

A little about lactation as a physiological process

10 mistakes breastfeeding mothers make

Popular questions related to lactation

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How long should you breastfeed your baby?

Benefits of long-term breastfeeding

When should you stop breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding rules