Low supply in lefty and STTN questions

[arhodes728]

Mommas I need some help! My DD is 9 weeks today and as of 2 days ago she seems to give up nursing on lefty really quickly and gets sleepy from slow flow. I do breast compressions and try lots of things to keep her awake but she just comfort sucks after the 1st letdown. I pumped for the first timein awhile last night and I only got .5oz out of lefty but 2.5 easy out of righty. This is so random. She was nursing really well last week and now she won't stay on long at all. I'm worried she isn't getting enough hindmilk now. Agh! So frustrating! I'm putting her on the left first and last each time and lymphocyte left a few times after feedings. Any other suggestions?

Also she started STTN 930 to 530 or so around 8 weeks but im nervous that she isn't eating enough. She only had 1 night feeding before that. I was waking her up for awhile but it got stressful for both of us so DH told me to let her sleep. She was fine at her 6 week weigh in but she doesn't have another check until next week. Should I let her sleep or wake her? She nurses ab every 2 hours in the morning and before bed she often clusters and goes between 2 and 3 in he afternoons.

Thanks ladies! Bfing has been such a challenge I am clinging to the hope that it will get easier. Please say it does!

[arhodes728]

So that wasnt supposed to say lymphocyte! Crazy predictive text. It was supposed to say pumping!

[poskozim]

First of all, BF does get easier, just hang in there! The first 3 months are by far the hardest...but you are almost there and it is so worth it! As for your feeding questions...

I never wake a sleeping baby that is gaining weight and having enough dirty diapers. My DS goes about 8 hours at night (12 weeks old), and is gaining weight so I let it go. If you truly want to know if she is gaining you could bring her in for a weight check at the pediatrician's office or some hospitals that have lactation consultants will let you bring the baby in as well for weight checks. My hospital has a breastfeeding support group that I go to and the LC there weighs babies all the time.

As for the left side issue, I think most women have one side that is better at producing than the other. My right side is the lazy boob I think you are doing the right thing with starting her on the left side, but don't get too concerned if you aren't pumping much at night. For example, I can pump about 3 oz. in the morning and only get .5 oz at night. My LC says that morning is the best for pumping because your body makes the hormone that makes milk while you are sleeping, and therefore, by the end of the day, most women have a lower supply.

As for hind milk imbalance, does she have any symptoms? I think they would be things like green, frothy poop and baby can be fussy because of the high amount of sugar in fore milk. If not, I would assume she is getting enough hind milk. I use to worry about this too as I have a fast let down and my DS nurses for about 7 minutes on each side, but since I let down so fast, my LC says that 7 minutes is fine.

Good luck, and does get easier and more rewarding. My favorite part right now is DS gets really smiley when he sees my boobs and he has started to babble at them as well.

[VeganCupcake]

If she is gaining well, then don't worry about her STTN or appearing to nurse lazily. If she is not gaining well, then you will need to address those things. My DS is such a different nurser than my DD was that I was really worried that he wasn't getting enough. But he is gaining really well, so I just put those thoughts out of my mind.

Pumping output isn't a good indication of your supply, so don't be concerned about .5 oz. That's a normal amount to pump anyway.

ETA: It definitely gets easier. By 3 or 4 months, you and your baby will most likely have hit your stride and it will be very easy.