Both breasts at every feed, or one?
Each mother-baby combination is unique and responsive feeding ensures baby’s individual and frequently changing needs are met optimally. Breast milk storage capacity varies greatly from woman to woman, and most breastfeeding women find one breast is more productive than the other – this is normal. Breast fullness also varies depending on whether feeding during the night or daytime. If the breast baby fed from previously still feels quite heavy with milk, it is advisable to return the baby to the same breast for the second phase of the feed. The milk he takes in the second phase of the feed is likely to now be milk which is higher in fat (however, this is not visible). This fattier milk will be digested more slowly than the milk taken earlier, and helps baby feel comfortable and satisfied. He may even repeat this a third or fourth time at some feeds.
Be flexible about feeding and trust his cues. At the next breastfeed you offer the opposite breast first, following the baby’s cues as above. This pattern ensures both breasts are well drained a number of times during each 24 hour period, enhancing the establishment of an ample breastmilk supply. As baby grows he may drain the first breast in a couple of phases and still want more, so the feed may need to be completed on the second breast. In this case start the next feed on the breast which was drained the least – probably the second breast.
Women with smaller breastmilk storage capacity may need to feed baby from both breasts, sometimes several times, for baby to be satisfied. There are no rules, however returning baby to the starting breast at least once (if possible), before offering the second breast can ensure the breast is well drained and stimulates ample milk production. Women with smaller breasts still make ample volumes of milk – it is just received by baby in more phases as she switches sides more frequently. Baby will let her know when she has had enough. Other terms used for this natural style of breastfeeding are “demand feeding” and “responsive feeding”. This differs from “scheduled feeding” and is likely to result in somewhat irregular intervals between feeds, although feeding patterns will emerge. Advice to always feed baby from both breasts is naive because every mother-baby combination is unique. (Excerpt from New Baby101 – A Midwife’s Guide for New Parents” pages 32-33)
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