Please note that I have only had one child, and I am only speaking from my "first time" experience. But regardless, what I am about to talk about is the divine nature of a woman's body and how God designed it to be when it comes to nursing.
In the book "Baby Wise" and quoted from the nurses in the hospital, they told me to feed Ford every 2.5- 3 hours starting from the beginning of one feed to the beginning of the next. Within the 3 hours you feed baby, play with baby, and then baby sleeps. So, the natural routine is: eat, play, sleep. It's as easy as that!
When you know this simple routine, it makes it so easy to decipher what baby needs next. And, after you do this for awhile, if baby cries at all you know exactly what they need! I used to wonder all the time: how do you know why they are crying?! What do you do when they are crying!? Well, when you follow that method, it crosses a lot of those questions out.
When Ford was about one month old he was a little fussier than normal for a day or two. And he was fussy at odd times, so I knew something was up. I called the lactation consultant at St. Vincents (who is wonderful btw!) and asked her what was up. She asked me, "What color is is poo?" I said, "Well, it's not as yellow as it used to be...it's a little darker and it doesn't smell as sweet."
That was it! She told me that he was getting too much of the foremilk. Which is the milk that comes out first. It tends to be more clear, and not as fatty as the hindmilk. The hindmilk is full of all the fat and good stuff and is located in the back. If the baby gets too much of the foremilk then they get overly full/bloated on the foremilk which will cause them to get gassy AND their poo will be green. So cool, right? So, if their poo is green that means they are getting too much of the foremilk and not enough of the hindmilk and therefore they will be gassy and fussy.
So how do you fix that problem? Well, one way is to just feed the baby on one breast for the full feeding. It helps you know that the baby is getting to the hindmilk. If the baby gets a good balance of the foremilk and the hindmilk then he shouldn't be gassy. The goal is to get to the hindmilk. So, feeding on one breast helps you rest assure that baby is getting to the hindmilk.
That means every other feeding you are feeding on the opposite breast. Does that make sense? For awhile you might feel a little lopsided,:) but it's worth it to know your baby is getting what he needs and ultimately will not be fussy.
Isn't that the neatest thing!? So you will know if your baby is not getting to the hindmilk if his poop is greenish/black!!! And, then you know he will be gassy- which you don't want ;)!
Another way I fixed this problem was just by feeding him a bottle. I figured if I pumped then all the foremilk and all the hindmilk would be mixed together. But, sometimes pumping and then having to feed him a bottle is such a pain- just takes too long! Once we got his stomach back to normal I went back to feeding on both breasts and just made sure he was getting to the hindmilk. I let him feed for a little bit longer on both.
The other thing that happened to me was what is called an "overactive let-down." A "let down" is when you milk "lets down" (i.e. milk is available in the breast and baby is ready to eat). You actually feel the let down. It's kind of a tingly feeling. Well, for a couple of days Ford was fussy again. And, his poo was almost black and smelt somewhat like minerals or acidic??? I can't describe it. Regardless, I knew he was getting to the hindmilk. But I was confused because I was only feeding on one breast at a time. So, what was the problem?! I finally realized it was what they call an "overactive let-down." It's when your milk is let-down so fast, because you are so full, that it is shooting in the back of the babies throat...they can't even keep up and end up swallowing air and getting too full on the air and foremilk. Sometimes the baby will gag, gulp, gasp, and cough while nursing. He will also turn his head from the breast. And, will continue to be fussy and kick after the feeding. He looks and acts as if he has a tummy ache.
So, how do you fix that problem if you are already feeding on one breast?! Well, you have to pump before you feed him for about a minute or two. Just enough for that foremilk to not be so forceful and to help the baby get to the hindmilk quicker.
Isn't all of that so interesting? I thought it was! This post might have been a little TMI for some people, but knowing all of that really helped me. Don't be afraid to call the lactation consultant at the hospital. Sharon was a huge help to me and knew me by name. So in conclusion, I guess the main thing you always need to strive to do is make sure your baby is getting to the hindmilk. **Note that his poo will ALWAYS let you know ;).
Isn't God so creative!??
All day long Ford eats, plays, and sleeps. He eats for about 30-40 minutes (which apparently that will get quicker) then he plays for about 45 minutes and once he makes that first "wheee"/whine I know he is ready to go to bed. You don't want to wait too long after babies make that first whine to go to bed or they will end up getting wired and get more fussy because they are tired. The chemistry and relationship between the mother and baby really is a beautiful thing. I know there will be harder days and there are hard days already. But, the joy and satisfaction of feeding, nurturing, and cuddling with the child you have made is an unbelievable feeling.
Loving all your tips and advice! Good to know I can refer back to them one day :)
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